TARA STEWART

Creation Process

When i lived up here, my best friend was part of the Lakota tribe. One summer he started to give me dreamcatchers and my collection grew to what it is now. I had them for years now and a huge part of what inspires me. It ties me back to my childhood, and the time I spent with him which introduced me to a wide variety of arts.

Normally I like working in the dark, but occasionally I enjoy switching it up and opening my curtains and windows for fresh air when I'm feeling stuck. This is the view outside it, and while it isn't much there is a mural below it and it gives a calming feeling to me because I'm not used to the city and how active it is.

One of the biggest inspirations to me is the friends I have. This started with my old basketball team where I started making a necklace each season. When I want to get out of my usual habits, I go back and start working on gifts for them. It's almost mindless and gives me a goal in mind to complete when I am feeling an artist block for my other projects.

Something that used to get me out of my room was taking photos. I'm not in the habit as much anymore, but my camera plays a big role on my inspiration for my art. A lot of my work is based off photos and things I have seen throughout a month. I used to force myself outside by taking photos for community service, which helped me see other places in my area and how people would interact, which my favorite thing is to draw portraits.

I am a huge floor worker and most of the time when I need to do a piece that is not required to be done standing up, I am on the ground. For some reason I work easier when on the floor, and I have more room to work as I often spread out. For some reason, a lot more ideas come to me when I am on the ground and I find I am also more relaxed if I can do any art work on the floor.