Tara Austin Novak is a long-time Vail Valley resident, pro-snowboarder, and mountain lover whose abstract art is a direct reflection of her immersion in nature. Influenced by the vibrant, ever-changing colors of the Colorado high country—from silent aspen groves to mountain streams—Tara uses unique processes of layering acrylics, textures, resin, and glass to achieve a stunning sense of depth and luminosity. Her ultimate goal is to offer the viewer a moment of calm and contemplation.
A graduate of RIT in Design, Tara is also a successful entrepreneur and a driving force in her community. In addition to her business, Custom Creations Inc., she founded the co-operative ARTSPaCE workshop+gallery and the non-profit EagleARTS. Tara sits on the board of the Vail Valley Art Guild and she has won multiple "Best of Vail Valley" awards for her fine art and gallery, solidifying her role as a key contributor to the regional art scene.
Artist Statement: The “Earthbound” series invites viewers into a monumental dialogue with the planet’s surface. Inspired by aerial and satellite photography, these large-scale abstract works translate vast geological processes into visceral, textural studies.
The canvases present Earth's terrain not merely as landscape, but as an ever-shifting map of ancient formations and recent human impact. Through the application of mica-infused resin and dynamic layering techniques, the work mimics the luminosity of mineral veins, the flow of water, and the stratification of rock. The medium itself embodies the deep, layered complexity of geology.
My focus (on occasion) sharpens on the striking, and sometimes toxic, geometries created by human industry—specifically the dazzling, disturbing patterns left by mining tailings. By rendering these scarred zones in a deceptively beautiful, almost opulent medium, the series holds a mirror to our consumption. My “Earthbound” series compels us to look closer, to recognize the visual drama of Mother Earth along with environmental consequence, and to move from passive observation to active stewardship of our single, shared home.
Statement
My passion is in abstract painting - The feeling invoked by the colors, textures, and spatial tension in a piece of art. I use non-traditional tools like trowels and pallet knives, layering plasters, metallics, and oxidizing metal to depict the relationship between the ever-changing organic matters in nature and the unique layers of life humans accumulate over time.
Exploring how they get layered and worn, damaged or diseased, yet thrive and grow, providing beauty and refuge. I appreciate seeing humans layered with experiences, creating positive outcomes, despite the challenges - the ultimate desire to become that beautiful lotus flower or aspen tree despite the harsh environments they grow in. Adding unexpected elements like crushed glass, paper or fabric, dripping resin, and shimmer of gold leaf express the glimmers of hope and joy illuminating in the “layers of life” intention I bring to a canvas.
Take a breath and just BE in the moment.