Tricia Harrer Love
5
Naomi Drive, Tijeras, NM 87059
One of Tricia’s earliest childhood memories is her maternal grandmother scolding her for coloring outside the
lines in a coloring book. Her grandfather came to her defense and told Tricia that she could draw and color any way she wanted.
That was all the encouragement she needed. But it was not without consequences.
Tricia often got into “big” trouble with her dad
because painting and drawing became a priority
over her chores. So she found a secret hideaway
in the crawl space under the porch of her house.
There she found a stack of discarded 7 X 9 inch
panes of glass. They immediately became imaginary canvases.
Today Tricia paints and draws in her studio in Tijeras, NM. She also enjoys combing the countryside looking for the
perfect windmill and rummaging through flea markets, antiques shops, and garage sales in search of the just right item for
a still life.
Tricia began her formal art education in 1969 in Commercial Art, Illustration and Design. In 1974 Tricia and her family
moved to Mainz, West Germany for three years. She enrolled at Herzfeld-Wiesbaden School of Fine Art. Her paintings and drawings
moved in a new direction as she studied the classical approach to fine art.
Returning to the states in 1977 Tricia began entering art shows. Within a few years she was teaching art to children
and adults. In 1991 Tricia decided it was time to get an art degree. She attended the University of New Mexico and graduated in 1994 with a BFA.
Tricia’s detailed drawings and colorful still life watercolors have been juried into more than 100 shows and
exhibitions, where she has won numerous awards. Many of her drawings and paintings are available as limited edition prints.
In addition to painting and drawing, Tricia designs one of a kind, whimsical, and traditional gourd creations. It
all began in 1981, when, on a whim, she purchased a packet of gourd seeds and planted them in her vegetable garden. She had
a bumper crop of gourds and wondered what to do with them. Her first idea and creations were gourd bird nests. Then came baskets,
vessels, kooky critters, "gourd"ian angels, and bird house mansions.
Tricia is a member of the National League of American Pen Women and a Signature Member of the New Mexico Watercolor
Society.
Tricia currently shows her paintings and gourds at Nob Hill Gallery in Albuquerque, NM.
