'The Art of Falling Gracefully'

Tara Kelley-Cruz Bio:

Colorado Springs-based mixed media painter, Tara Kelley-Cruz, has been refining her painting process for several years. With Fine-Arts background, (Tara has a BFA degree, specializing in Printmaking), she became a Graphic Designer and has worked for 26 years with many high-profile companies. In recent years, Kelley-Cruz has realized her lifelong dream of dedicating much of her time to her art making practice, in which she combines the best parts of printmaking, graphic design and the experimental nature of painting.

Kelley-Cruz enjoys travel, old movies and visits to art museums and galleries with her husband and two sons.

Artist Statement:

Ancient seafarers used the stars to chart their course. In today’s culture, we look to different sources for direction: social platforms, the media, peers and family. Sometimes these sources guide us, but at times we still look to the heavens for inspiration. My paintings are about the things that have shaped us, the search for our own path and the questions that we ask when looking towards the stars.

After a layering process on the surface of my paintings, I begin to sand. Earlier layers of the painting become revealed and the work begins to take on a life of its own with its own history. This is symbolic for me of our own history and what thoughts, beliefs, messages and marks have been made on us that have shaped who we are.

My work relies heavily on form, color and texture and deals with the question of what things in our history shape who we are as individuals and as a culture. Other themes in my work are journeying, hope, and seeking spiritual direction.