Tara Sweeney

February 18, 2021

Members who attended our February demo enjoyed a presentation by Tara Sweeney. Tara used the theme “Castle in the City” to demonstrate how she finds inspiration in surprising starting points. She created a charming castle painting based on the real-life building, the Turnblad Mansion, that houses the American Swedish Institute. Her distinctive watercolor style combines glowing color, lively shapes, and playful patterns whether she’s painting from direct observation, photo reference, or imagination. Letting go to see where curiosity and watercolor can lead is how her ideas and paintings begin. She’s had some practice with this approach. Her 2020 MN Book Award finalist picture book, A to Zåäö: Playing with History at the American Swedish Institute, is a collaborative romp with her son, artist Nate Christopherson through ASI’s historic collection and the Turnblad Mansion (a.k.a. The Castle). The book and illustrations inspired extra/ordinary, a year-long intergenerational exhibition at ASI.

Tara’s demo may be found on the NSWS YouTube channel at the following link: https://youtu.be/XEbSL9Jyv84

The demo can also be found on the NorthStar Facebook page.