Tara’s Life in Abstract
Who is Tara in Abstract?
- The Window Dressing: Dog mama, wife, photographer, island gal, family physician, nature lover, travel enthusiast, yada yada.......
- The Real: A late bloomer in the artistic realm. A woefully unglamorous nerd. A creature of habit using her art to break free of years of comfort and linear thinking. A private, old soul, trying to find her place in a world of attention and shiny new toys. A glass half empty girl when alone, surrounding herself with people/things that fill her cup. A work in progress.
Balancing Act
- Balancing art, family and medicine can be quite difficult. I'm not often able to photograph on a whim. I spread my time between work, family life and my passions but this limitation has forced me to be more creative and more efficient with the limited time available. I suspect if I had more free time I’d quite possibly be a different photographer today. My medical career has however, afforded me the freedom to create for myself without the pressure of selling to make a living. If I never sold another piece, I’d be making the same art I do today.
The Why
- In a fast paced world of tech advancement and social media overload, I find myself yearning to shed the excess. To slow it all down. And at the risk of sounding old, lamenting the loss of “the good old days”, when as kids we didn’t need much to entertain ourselves. - I think my art speaks to that nostalgia. Finding magic in minimalism and the overlooked. Taking life less seriously. Needing very little, once I have a camera, to make me happy.
The Essence
- The secret sauce to my photography practice is spontaneity and curiosity. A stark contrast to my medical practice and my life in general. With the camera I make it a point to plan very little and think even less. I let my environment and instincts guide me for a change. Not only does it lead to images that uniquely reflect my style and personality, it’s also so much more fun. There’s no failure without a plan. There’s no disappointment if conditions aren’t perfect. It’s a practice of gratitude for being a part of a process that’s based on letting go.
Layers
- There are different layers to the art I make and share. I’ve noticed an evolution from only making photos I simply enjoy, to also making photos that tell the story of Tara. They are a peek through windows I feel I’ve barely cracked open. - Vulnerability has never come easy for me and my hope is this process continues to open new windows, shedding light on parts of myself I’ve kept closed off.
Inspiration
- I’m particularly intrigued by those who can create something impactful in the simplest way no matter the medium. Examples of this are photographer, Bruce Percy and painter, Suzanne Song. I’m most often drawn to art that calms me, that makes me smile/laugh or fills me with awe. There’s darkness and turmoil all around and in all of us, and I love that many find healing by expressing this in their art.
- My own healing however, comes through positive energy and experiences. I interpret my images as a projection of the world I want to be immersed in, rather than a reflection of internal struggle. A shedding of the excess and turmoil inside and a cleansing of the soul. Ultimately I hope this translates to the viewer as well.
In Summary
- My art unexpectedly became a large part of who I am as a multilayered human. It's both a projection of my happy place and more recently an introspective personal diary of thoughts and feelings I don't always know how to express.
- It has taught me more about myself than I could have ever imagined. From why I create, to evaluating what I want out of the limited time I have here in the matrix.
- I love that just like my most precious relationships, my art will also evolve as I do and I'm so grateful for every gleeful, challenging, rewarding, frustrating, surprising moment that comes with it.
So much more to come, but til then....
Stay Curious!