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Artist Arena is a curated platform built by and for artists. Through physical exhibitions in Stockholm and our online marketplace, Artist Arena Market, we connect contemporary artists with collectors across the globe. We represent a diverse community – from emerging talents and growing voices to established names – and showcase original works in carefully selected and inspiring environments. Our mission is to build a positive, supportive community that empowers more artists to grow, reach new audiences, and pursue their dreams. For collectors, we offer direct access to unique contemporary art and the opportunity to invest in a wide range of artistic expression.

Artist ArenaPortfoliosTara A McMahon

About

Born in Canton, Ohio, I have always been captivated by the power of nonverbal expression, finding it far more compelling than words. After spending my formative years in Ohio, Arizona, and Idaho, I ultimately settled in the Pacific Northwest, where I pursued my artistic aspirations at Cornish College of the Arts, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. I resided in Seattle for 17 years before a brief interlude in Florida led me to my current home and studio in Stockholm, Sweden.

While I occasionally engage with concrete and objective subject matter, these elements are often layered within abstraction. Their creations stem from a blend of emotional and visual perceptions, intentionally crafted to remain open to interpretation, allowing viewers to engage with the work in a deeply personal and subjective manner. Nature and its organic forms remain a perennial source of inspiration, with color playing a pivotal role in shaping my artistic expression. Reflecting the ebb and flow of life itself, my work is characterized by constant evolution and growth, an ever-changing dialogue between me and the world around me.

Fireweed

Inspiration

Throughout my artistic journey, I have drawn profound inspiration from the colors, light, and diverse textures found in nature. Primarily working with oil paint, I also explores various mediums, including clay, bookmaking, pastel, photography and print. For the past three decades, my focus has revolved around the incorporation of free-floating text as a visual element. Some years ago I was listening to NPR. It was a program about illiteracy. The speaker was pointing out when a litterate person sees text, it is instantaneously translated and a meaning is attached to it but for an illiterate individual it is only shapes. I started thinking about how one could use letters in their artwork so they represented only shapes. So thus my journey working with letters started.

attended Cornish College of the Arts and received a Bachelors of Fine Arts in 1998

Medlemsutställning - October 3-4 and October 10-11 2026, Vantörs Konstförening - Högdalen Sweden, Group Show

Solo show -November 13, 14, 15 2026 - Vantörs Konstförening- Högdalen Sweden

My painting technique would be mostly wet on wet but I do use dry brush and let the painting dry a bit if the colors become dull.

I like to have music on when I paint. I start with a general underpainting which I let dry and then apply the final layers which tend to be thicker paint with texture. I start with the items I want to be farthest back in the composition. Using text mostly in the background of the work. I am now starting to use text in the other components of the composition as well. I tend to apply wet on wet mostly but when I feel it is getting to muddy I let the work dry a bit and then continue.

Works for sale (10)

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