About the Artist

Tamara is a self-taught artist inspired by a lifelong love of plants and animals. She earned a degree in horticulture from Washington State University and enjoyed working in various capacities within the gardening industry. Her horticulture career culminated with 15 years as Marketing Director for Swansons Nursery in Seattle, a world class garden center.

Along the way, Tamara continued to develop her art skills. Ever curious of nature and various art processes, she learned to use a variety of mediums, including: graphite, watercolor, oil, and egg tempera with water gilding. These explorations have led to art shows, commissions, illustration projects and fun adventures in both Switzerland and the United States. 

Most recently, Tamara has developed her own process of working with metal leaf that feels like a chaotic collaboration with nature. Panels are prepared and exposed to various natural substances which react randomly with outdoor conditions of sun, rain, temperature and humidity. Some panels require several days of maturation before they develop interesting and unique surfaces. The oxidation and patina that may arise create a unique background for nature subjects.

This process, which can be bewildering due to the lack of predictability, has been a fascinating adventure into chaos, a perfect foil for representational realism.  This delving into chaos and control has become an anchor of further artistic exploration. 

Beginning late spring 2026, Tamara will begin teaching art classes for beginning and intermediate students. Class listings will be posted on the 'classes' page and to be notified for registration be sure to sign up for my email!