Tara Kelley-Cruz was born in Amarillo, Texas and currently lives and works in Colorado Springs, Colorado. With Fine-Arts background, (Tara has a BFA degree, specializing in Printmaking, from Brigham Young University), she became a Graphic Designer and has worked for 28 years with many high profile companies. In recent years, Kelley-Cruz has realized her lifelong dream of dedicating much of her time to her painting practice, in which she combines the best parts of printmaking, graphic design and the experimental nature of painting. 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, in mending broken relationships, finding connection and common ground, 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.