ARTIST BIO
Tamara Callens is an award-winning American artist painting in the Northwest. Who is a distinguished member of the Oil Painters of America, Portrait Artist of America, National Museum of Wildlife Art, Steamboat Art Museum, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and the Art Association of Jackson Hole.
Proficient in landscape, figure, and portrait subjects, Tammy utilizes traditional painting techniques in a decidedly contemporary fashion. While her subject matter remains timeless, she favors dramatic and yet intimate compositions that feature shimmering color harmonies and painterly brushwork. In all, Tammy’s luminous oils and murals reflect clarity of vision, passion, and a spiritual focus reminiscent of earlier American impressionists such as Edgar Payne, Guy Rose, and William Wendt.
Early on, Callens was naturally drawn to art. As the youngest child in a family of five siblings, including two sets of twins, she grew up in a creative and talented environment that encouraged drawing and painting. Her mother, an art teacher, was a major influence, urging Tammy and her twin brother to sketch their own images repeatedly while sitting in front of a mirror. Her interest in becoming a professional artist was sparked by her admiration for great artists such as Zorn, Sorolla, and Sargent. Studying their works and observing today’s master’s has inspired Tammy to paint full-time and continually improve her skills.
Tammy’s hope is that her paintings tell their own personal stories to each viewer. As Ernest Hemingway once said, “For Sale, Baby Shoes, Never Worn,” Tammy believes that while a story may be told in six words, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” She currently enjoys the vast landscapes of the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, which continue to inspire her work.
