A Reluctant Awakening Painting

Tara Kelley-Cruz was born in Amarillo, Texas and currently lives and works in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Brigham Young University. She has gone on to continue her education in painting, studying under artists such as Krista Harris, Nicholas Wilton and Bibby Gignilliat. Among many art-historical influences such as Diebenkorn, Basquiat, Thiebaud and Frankenthaler, Kelley-Cruz is inspired by the large-scale installations of artist Ann Hamilton, the compositions of Robert Szot, and the color palettes and treatment of paint utilized by Michael Hedges. Tara Kelley-Cruz’s 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. Her latest series of work contains themes of hope, isolation, fantasy, escape, seeking direction, and finding beauty in the turbulence of life. As a mixed-media painter, her process includes creating at least 10-12 layers of paint, found ephemera, image transfers and drawings. between layers, she scrapes and sands into the painting. Earlier layers are revealed and the surface begins to take on a rich, textured life of its own with its own history. She works in an intuitive way, relying on her own discernment to guide her in the creative process. Kelley-Cruz has taken part in several solo and group exhibitions. Some notable exhibitions have been at G44 Gallery in Colorado Springs, D’art Gallery in Denver, and the Arvada Center in Denver. Her work is part of private collections across the United States and in the UK.