spotlight on Tara kate Robinson
Today I'd like to introduce you to bird artist and illustrator Tara Kate Robinson, who lives in Corvallis, Oregon. Tara Kate was a participant in my course, Let's Go Deep. Tara Kate is an amazing person and did you know she has a background as a professional scientist? Cool, right? She has spent a ton of time out in the field and has a deep, intimate knowledge of and reverence for the birds that she draws and paints. Science and spirituality and art are all expressed in her deeply emotive being. Looking at her art, you can just see how incredible she is at rendering, working to really show the personality of these birds. Delightfully, her works are scientifically accurate but with just a touch of whimsy. Tara Kate has really worked through creating a cohesive body of work and honing in on her style.
One of her major goals was to learn how to create the environments and backgrounds in a way that felt satisfying for her portraits of these amazing characters. Another thing she discovered this year is that she gets the biggest thrill out of drawing the tiniest details, such as the shadows of the bird's claws on its perch. She works in colored pencil, watercolor, and acrylics but is especially fond of graphite, for its precision.
Learn about Tara Kate’s experience in Let’s Go Deep!
"I was attracted to Let’s Go Deep by my deep desire to produce a cohesive body of work. I’ll tell you how that dream was realized in just a minute. But first, let me share with you my experience of working with Annamieka during this incredible class.
First of all, Annamieka is not only a wonderful teacher but is, hands down, the best mentor I’ve ever had. Never, in all my life, have I felt more seen and understood than I felt during my sessions with her. She _got me_ from my heart right down to my tippy toes. And she reflected back to me a vision of myself that was both actionable and inspiring.
Second, the course itself is a masterclass on how to grow as an artist. Not only does she cover everything a good artist should know—from composition to color to critique—but she provides a wealth of resources that I will use again and again and again. Perhaps the best part for me was the journaling prompts which encouraged me to dig deep and better understand myself and my motivations. These insights propelled me into a most fruitful period of growth I’ve had in my four years as a full-time artist.
Last, but certainly not least, Let’s Go Deep helped me to realize my dream of creating a cohesive body of work. Annamieka showed me how to distill my love of birds and the natural world into a theme and to let that theme guide my art practice. As a result, I was able to create a series of drawings that hold together stylistically and form a real collection. I cannot overstate the significance of this achievement for me both personally and professionally.
As someone who constantly struggles with the demon of “not good enough,” having demonstrable skill in portraying birds and depicting their lives is nothing short of life altering. While beauty is subjective, accuracy is not—either the thing looks like what it was intended to portray or it doesn't. And for me, that is the key: I can see, objectively, that my level of skill has dramatically improved and I have Annamieka and Let’s Go Deep to thank for that. The accountability of the class and the one on one sessions with Annamieka helped me to get past my tendency to beat myself up and to keep going. At last, I obtained the missing key of consistency which opened the door to the art practice I always wanted.
I cannot recommend Let’s Go Deep and Annamieka more highly. If you are yearning to become the artist that you've always wanted to be, then you owe it to yourself and your future collectors to sign up for this course."
It was an exquisite honor to get to work with Tara Kate. I got to be a privileged witness and advocate for her as she worked through honing her style and emerging with a real collection of amazing work.
And I'm so happy that she is going to be publishing a book of her bird illustrations in conjunction with her husband, who is also a professional bird researcher! Scroll to see Tara Kate’s awe-inspiring works! For more, visit her website at https://tarakatedesigns.com/ or follow her on Instagram at @tarakatedesigns
"Ride Sharing" (Kori Bustard, Northern Carmine Bee-eaters, Little Bee-eater) Mixed media on paper mounted on wood panel.
"Prickly" (Burrowing Owl) Acrylic on panel.
"Great Currasow" (female), acrylic on wood panel