About
My name is Tracy Algar, and I’m a landscape painter. Living near Graaff-Reinet in the Karoo, I paint mostly en plein air, outdoors, my favourite place to be. For the past few years, my work has focused on creating energetic representations of my local area using a limited palette and deliberate brushwork.
Biography
Tracy Algar is a South African landscape painter based in Adendorp, near Graaff-Reinet, in the heart of the Karoo. Known for capturing the nuanced effects of the region’s unique light, her work explores the vastness of space, peace, and solitude found within the Karoo landscape. Working primarily in oils on board, Algar employs a representational, painterly style often characterized by a limited palette and an atmospheric quality.
Growing up in Windhoek, Namibia, Algar’s early experiences with the expansive African landscape profoundly shaped her artistic vision. Now deeply connected to her Karoo home, she finds daily inspiration in its dramatic scenery and distinct light, often painting en plein air to directly engage with her subject matter. Through her paintings, often intimate in scale, Algar seeks to offer viewers a window or ‘postcard’ into the Karoo – a way to bring the serenity of this unique South African landscape into their homes and evoke memories of place.
Tracy Algar’s artwork has been exhibited across South Africa, including Cape Town, Hermanus, Stanford, Umhlanga, and Knysna. Notable recent exhibitions include collaborations like “Art Rooted in Nature” (Strauss & Co, Intethe Gallery, Hermanus FynArts Festival) and participation in the Baardskeerdersbos Art Route 2024. Her paintings are held in private collections both locally and internationally.
Artist Statement
I am a landscape painter. Landscapes thrill me!
I paint in oil paint and cold wax. This medium has a matt finish and enables me to lay the brushstrokes on pretty thick.
My preference is to paint en plein air, in the environment that I am painting. This gives me the full experience of what I am painting, e.g. the heat of the day, the wind in my face, the bugs in my hair (you get the picture 😜)
After painting the Overberg area for 10 years, I have recently (October 2024) moved to the Karoo. Here, I’m studying how the light interacts with the environment. It highlights the shapes in different ways at different times of day. On different days and at different times the landscape changes and moves. The same scene painted yesterday looks entirely different today. I heard somewhere that the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect different results. Interestingly enough this happens to me quite a lot as an artist. The results are always different.
Painting en plein air (outside) creates a balance between structure and looseness in my artworks. I start by carefully mapping out the values. Then, I allow myself total freedom with color and brush strokes. I do this within the parameters I’ve set out in the initial planning stage. The limited time and the ever-changing light of the outdoor painting experience force me to work quickly. This injects energy and vitality into my work.
My studio work tends to be more careful and considered than my plein air studies. I endeavour to maintain the same energetic brush work in these.
The steps of my painting process help me immerse myself in the landscape. I familiarise myself with the shapes and shadows of my surroundings. I begin with a value study of my chosen composition in pencil. Then, I create a paint sketch on canvas or board. I focus on the shapes and values before blocking in the general colours of the value masses. Once the basic composition is in place, I use a large brush and make big strokes. These actions capture an impression of the scene. I add more detail and apply thicker paint as I refine the painting.
My paintings connect me to my environment. They allow me to repeatedly experience the awe of creativity and nature all at once.
Past Exhibitions
2024: Art Rooted in Nature, Strauss & Co in collaboration with Intethe Gallery and Hermanus Fynarts
2024: Baardskeerdersbos Art Route guest artist of Pam Sullivan
2024: MOEG GEPLOEG, The DOOS Gallery, Botrivier
2023: LANDS CAPE, The DOOS Gallery, Knysna
2023: Baardskeerdersbos Art Route guest artist of Jan Vingerhoets
2022: Stanford Culinary Festival Exhibition, Journey, Stanford
2022: The Gallery Stanford
2021 – 2023: Egret & the Owl Book Café, Stanford
2021: Affie 100 Fonds Auction, Pretoria
2021 – 2023: The Pencil Club, Umhlanga
2021: The Corrie Scribante Gallery, Umhlanga
2020 – 2024: Stanford Kitchen, Stanford
2019: Spookhuis, Stanford
2019: Sumaridge Wine Estate, Hemel-en-Aarde
2019: FLAG Art Gallery, Hermanus
2019: Winter Salon @ The Art Gallery, Hermanus
2018: Moon + Bird Art House, Stanford
2017: Through The Looking Glass, Stanford
2015: Stanford Local Art Harvest
Solo Exhibitions
2021: Lifestyle Gallery, Hermanus
2020: Journey, Stanford
2016: Jeanne Retief Studio, Stanford
2015: Outside In Gallery, Stanford
2014: The Millstone, Oude Molen Eco Village