Tara Tavonatti

Moving to Southern California in 1990 from northern Michigan to pursue a degree in art, Tara earned both her BFA and MFA from California State University, Long Beach, where she majored in Illustration. Working as a professional artist since 1997, Tara considers herself in the beginning phase of becoming a sort of Renaissance girl. She's invested much of her creative energy into several different projects, never settling into just one path. Included in this is drawing, painting, mosaics, custom venetian plaster for private residences, writing, photography and teaching. Travel has also become an important aspect in her career as an artist.

With this and her love of fine art, Tara has had the opportunity to spend several summers painting in Italy and Greece, nourishing both passions. She�s studied with various international painters through the Study Abroad program for CSU in Florence, Italy in 2004 and 2006, where the focus was on Renaissance artists, their work and lives. She also had the very special opportunity during the summer of 2007 to work on a large mural project for Irvine Ranch Market. The project was executed in Amalfi, Italy and installed at its location in southern California where it was finished. It was a month of pure artistic energy and passion.

Tara�s new passion is teaching. Along with teaching foundation drawing at Fullerton College, she is currently pursuing working with children, both in after school/weekend programs and for underprivileged and personally challenged kids, along with teaching private classes. Starting at a young age herself in an environment of artists and art teachers, Tara learned the importance of art being a very present aspect of a child's creative development and how it shapes their perspectives on life all ways. Tara's greatest passion is showing her students how to see the world anew through their new and improved vision gained through intense observation of nature.

Tara currently resides in Orange, CA with her husband, Jeff.