MEET THE ARTIST: TARA SCHYER
Tara Schyer has been surrounded by art since childhood, and was taught an appreciation for, and the wonder of, beautiful things in art. While she always loved art in high school, it wasn’t until around 15 years ago that she began to paint. Painting mostly abstract landscapes at the time, it was during a year at VCA that she fell in love with the minimalist and hard-edge style.
 
Tara has a ‘co-existing career’ as a psychologist and has been working in private practice for the last 17 years. Taking the plunge and committing to take her long-held art dreams seriously by studying at VCA was a highlight for her.
 
When painting, Tara works from her home studio in Melbourne. “Having a studio at home allows me to become totally absorbed at any time of the day, and to leave my things everywhere. I can look at paintings as I pass them by dozens of times a week, and it helps to reflect on what’s needed for it to progress. It takes me time to reflect, think, feel and sense what’s next with it. I can be quite messy when I’m in the middle of painting and, at the end, I’m surrounded by the colours and the clutter of the process.”
 
Mainly working with acrylic paint, along with pencil and metal leaf to add texture, Tara likes to layer paint and then strip it back to reveal the colours below. “It’s all about the hidden meanings, depths and representations for me.”
 
Tara’s current work blends the hard-edge and abstract scapes of shape and form, exploring the themes of home and land. She is inspired by buildings, angles and architecture, along with simple colours and grand shapes which can create a sense of comfort or cohesion. “I always search for connection in life and in art and seek to feel and present these visual and emotional connections in my paintings.”
 
See Forman's collection of stunning new Tara Schyer works here!