ARTIST BIO

Tara Esperanza earned a BFA in Painting and graduated cum laude from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. In addition, she studied plein air painting in Brittany, France. Tara was born and raised in Massachusetts. Inspired by the light and landscape, she later moved to Santa Fe, NM. She now resides in Oakland California where succulents grow all year long. Tara has exhibited her paintings in galleries throughout the Bay Area, including Mercury 20 Gallery in Oakland, Jennifer Perlmutter Gallery in Lafayette, and Marin Society of Artists in San Rafael. As well as Sturt Haaga Gallery in Los Angeles, San Diego Museum of Art, and the Museum of Northern California Art in Chico. Tara is also a long distance runner and she studies plant life on her runs. She is inspired daily by the beauty that surrounds us and she captures images that live on through her art. All of the subjects of her paintings are seen through her eyes in nature.

ARTIST STATEMENT

I have always been interested in and inspired by nature. My affection and appreciation for the environment was realized at a very young age and as a painter, I have consistently been drawn to the natural world as my subject. My interest lies in sharing the beauty that I see in nature through my art.

A Bee’s Perspective” is my latest body of work. I am interested in the personalities of succulents. I particularly love how resilient they are and how they share space. They thrive while living in community and they lean on each other, and hold each other up. I am also inspired by the abundant varieties of textures, colors, and shapes. In my work, I look deep into the plants and I share my intimate viewpoint. My paintings celebrate the diversity and distinct beauty that I see in the succulent world. My hope is that the viewer experiences a new, or greater plant appreciation and connects with nature through my work.

Oakland, CA / United States