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TAMARA TAMARA VANHORN VANHORN

Self-taught

artist capturing memories and emotions

Q:Whathasbeenyourbiggestchallengeasanartist,andhowdidyouovercomeit?

A: As a completely self-taught artist who literally learned from Walter Foster art books and a 6thgrade summer school class, my biggest challenge was finding the time in my busy life to explore how deep my God Given talent really goes For years, as a young mother, I turned EVERYTHING into an art project. Baking cakes for birthdays, making my daughter's clothes because we had no money for new ones, cooking dinner with artistic flair, and on and on. Just art everywhere but not anything formal like a painting Heck, I was so uneducated I finally asked a colleague what kind of artist I am. He said what? I said; Well, am I a contemporary artist or what? He just laughed and said, "sweetie, you are a Fine Art artist." I said, OK, I didn't know that was a thing. I was laughing at my own ignorance

IIn the beginning, that was my biggest challenge: my own ignorance and lack of time and structure However, last year, I had a tragic accident that nearly destroyed my right hand completely. Recovering from that and getting the courage to pick up a paintbrush again was by far the hardest and most challenging thing I have ever been faced with. Praise God, I have about 80 percent usage of my hand now, and I have finally completed my first painting in 2 years I am looking forward to painting as MUCH as I possibly can this year. Many blessings to everyone!

Blue Chair

Tamara Van Horn

Blue Lagoon - Tamara Van Horn11" x 15" - Pastel on Paper

Bella Rio Ranch – Tamara Van Horn –40″ x 30″ – Oil on Canvas

God’s Sunset – Tamara Van Horn – 41″ x 29″ – Oil on Canvas

With Mommy – Tamara Van Horn

Q: Art often reflects the artist's emotions and experiences. Can you describe a specific piece of your art (that you have in our collective) that embodies a particularly powerful emotion or momentinyourlife?

A: I do have a particular painting that I made as a tribute piece to several loved ones who have gone way too soon That painting is called "Beside The Still Waters Of The Guadalupe River".

The reason for my emotions is that each person and pet has gone to that EXACT place with ME for their first time, and we were alone, just the two of us each time. I felt so proud to be the one who showed them such beauty and had a fun little adventure together My dogs used to LOVE to swim there; my daughter learned to Kayak there on her 13th birthday, and my son drove with me and had a burger on the river at a little restaurant My Mom loved it so much that they came down from Utah to avoid the snow and stayed at a campground for several months. Lastly, my sweet cousin went on a fun little adventure with me there There were way too many people and pets, so it was the perfect tribute to all of them. After my daughter passed, I wanted to do something to commemorate all of them and decided this was the perfect painting.

Texas Wildflowers - Olha Mosieieva - 11" x 14"Oil on Canvas

Q: Many artists have a special ritual or routine before they start creating. Can you share an unusual or unexpected pre-creation ritualyouhave?

A: That's an interesting question that makes me reflect on my process Since I am a completely self-taught artist with no formal training or classes, I have done a lot of adding and subtracting and experimenting to see what works for me to make me comfortable. So, this will be a two-part answer Before I start a painting, I do a LOT of photography because I work from photos. Then I search through them to find the best one or ones depending on the subject; sometimes, it takes several photos to complete the painting, while other pieces only take 1 photo, and I paint it as it is, adding my vision, sometimes altering the colors a bit or adding an animal Because they are MY photos and I paint from my outdoor adventures, I call myself an adventure artist.

The second part is about my daily routine when working on a painting after I have selected the photos to work from. Every day that I plan on painting, I have to make sure my house is clean and that I have done my chores. I feel more comfortable working in my free time and have no timeline to follow. I just paint until I am tired, or my painting needs to dry, or whatever step I am in that makes me stop I paint in oil with intensive detail, so it takes several days to complete my extremely detailed work. I usually paint with a CD player and lots of CDs to listen to - mainly country music

Beside the Still Waters of Guadalupe –

Tamara Van Horn – 42″ x 30″ – Oil on Canvas

Pearl Scene – Olha Mosieieva – 11″ x 14″ – Oil on Canvas

An Encounter With The Gaggle Gang –Tamara Van Horn – 31″ x 43″ – Oil on Canvas

Guadalupe Falls – Tamara Van Horn – 35

Oil on Canvas

Q: Who are some of your artistic influences?

A: I have always been a HUGE fan of Michelangelo because his talent has no bounds He was a painter, sculptor, architect, and poet and truly an incredible artist His storytelling through his art and his attention to detail was absolutely AMAZING. When I was in my mid-20s and a very young mother of 2 girls, I met a very famous artist at my church in Corona, California His name is Alfredo Rodriguez. I was very lucky to have gone to his home all those years ago and seen his beautiful art studio. I told him back then I could paint like he does, and 20 years later, I started painting. He was extremely impressed He and I are still VERY good friends to this day. He comes to San Antonio annually and attends the Briscoe Western Art Show every year, and last year, in 2023, he won Best in Show He is an extremely gifted Western artist, and he asked to be my mentor. We talk almost monthly He has influenced my art significantly.

LOCALARTTAKESCENTERSTAGE:SANANTONIOARTISTS COLLECTIVEONGREATDAYSA:TUNEINJULY12TH!

WearethrilledtoannouncethattheSanAntonioArtistsCollectivewillbefeaturedonGreat DaySA!Thisspecialsegment,airingonJuly12thsometimebetween9:00a.m.and10a.m.,is awonderfulopportunitytoseesomeofourcity'sbestartwork.FilmedinourgalleryatNorth StarMall,thesegmentwillshowcaseavarietyofincredibleartworksfromourtalentedlocal artists.Morethanjustaspotlightonourgallery,it'sajoyouscelebrationofthevibrantand diverseartcommunitythatmakesSanAntonioahubofcreativityandculture.

We encourage all art lovers and supporters of local talent to tune in and witness the passion and dedication that go into each masterpiece. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to support the arts and discover the incredible talent flourishing in our city. Be sure to watch Great Day SA on July 12th and join us in celebrating the artistic spirit of San Antonio!

Customer Testimonials

"When I first thought of leaving San Antonio, I just knew that I needed to commemorate my time here, and what better way than to get a piece ofartfromalocalartist."

Emily, a former San Antonio Artists Collective employee, recently chose to commemorate her time at the gallery by purchasing a painting from artist Olha Mosieieva. The artwork, titled Riverwalk Days, beautifully captures the essence of San Antonio, reflecting the vibrant and dynamic spirit of the city. Emily shares excitement about her decision: "Olha is an amazing artist with out-of-this-world talent, and I'm over the moon that I'm able to own one of her exquisite artworks."

Emily's amazing marketing skills and dedication to the gallery will be greatly missed Her hard work and creativity have significantly contributed to the success and growth of the San Antonio Artists Collective We are incredibly grateful for everything she has done and want her to know that we are here to support her in her future endeavors We are confident that her future will be as bright and colorful as the art she cherishes

Emily, we wish you all the best and hope you carry the spirit of the collective with you wherever you go!

~Thank you Emily and good luck!

DiscovertheSanAntonioArtistsCollectiveatNorthStarMall,whereanarrayofartworksinstyles like abstract, realism, surrealism, florals, animals, sculptures, pyrography, and more await you. Beyondtheshop,explorearound3,600moreartoptionsonourwebsite.Ourknowledgeablestaff isreadytoofferpersonalizedconsultationstohelpyoufindtheperfectpieceintherightcolors, style, and size for your home or office. They can also demonstrate the "Try In Your Room" tool available online to visualize how the art will look in your space. Enjoy live painting on weekends andfindnewartworkondisplayweekly.

When it comes to decorating a room, many people tend to stick to one particular style of art that they feel comfortable with, but when you go outside your comfort zone, you might be pleasantly surprised with the results With the help of our virtual tools, it's easy to experiment with different styles without making any permanent changes. So don't be afraid to try something new and see how it can transform your living space!

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