Tricia Beck is a self taught artist. A Portland Oregon native, she still remembers her first early inspirations, including the curly hair on her eldest sister’s stick figures. Thus began her pursuit of the dream, to be an artist. As a young girl, her father encouraged her to follow her dream, and directed her in honing her drawing skills. By her early teens she was finding inspiration in artists like Albrecht Durer and Michelangelo. Later, in her mid teens, she began to take a strong hold on photo realistic drawings in pencil and colored pencil. Soon after graduating from high school, she was painting in oils. The transition from the precise control of a pencil tip to the loose and open feel of a paint brush was difficult, but she continued to try and capture the images that she so desired to see come to life in front of her. After 12 years of painting she finally felt brave enough to quit her full time ‘day’ job and try her hand at being a working artist. January 2008 marked two years of selling her works in Portland as a full time street vendor. You can see her around town at markets such as Portland Saturday Market, First Thursday on NW 13th and Last Thursday on NE Alberta. Street vending has been a wonderful avenue for Tricia, allowing her to get her work into the public view and making a living as an artist.
As a northwest native, she is heavily influenced and inspired by the nature she sees around her. She often uses photos as a reference, achieving a realistic feel, but always having a special twist in mind. When asked to label her style, ‘glorified reality’ is her self-actuated genre, centering on the ideals of strength, endurance, struggles of survival, and beautiful moments. Tricia hopes with her art she can inspire others, to portray that ‘being alone’ does not have to translate into loneliness, and to provide a glimpse at the hard yet awe-inspiring side of life. She hopes you enjoy seeing her work as much as she enjoys creating it.
Tricia is currently working in acrylics. The prints are mounted on MDF and then each one is hand textured with a clear heavy bodied gel in the stroke direction of the original work.
All works are the original creations of Tricia Beck.
"There’s an illustrative, surreal quality to Tricia Beck’s paintings that make me think of both Salvador Dali and paper animation pioneer, Lotte Reiniger. Her interpretation of the natural world—clouds, trees, nests—has an edge to it that defies the pretty landscapes. A bit twisted, and beautiful."
Rachael Taylor Brown, singer/songwriter, & proud owner of a Beck original pastel painting entitled, ‘Fire In The Hills’
"Tricia captures the spontaneity of nature with a vivid poetic sense."
James Faretheewell, singer/songwriter & proud owner of a Beck original print entitled, ‘Just Before Noon’
"Her style implies subtle movement, pulling you across the painting, resting finally in a surrealistic but satisfying state."