Welcome to
Dream Topography
Mindful Art Pieces That Bring Your Dreams Closer
About
Tara Gillespie (b.1983, Baltimore, MD) is an abstract artist with a passion for contemporary art. In 2018 she started mixing her own acrylic paints and experimenting with resin, amongst other materials, and her practice has evolved since. Her studio is based in Timonium, MD.
“Throughout my life I’ve created visual art, films, and written works. However, it wasn’t until I began mixing acrylics and discovered resin that I realized this was the medium I’d been searching for. Fluid art gives me spontaneity, peace, and immediate satisfaction. I think of myself as a paint chemist (having experimented with everything under the kitchen sink in my paint recipes) and my intention as I pour is to let go of my pre-conceived ideas and to be present with the process. In this way, I feel fluid art is a mindful art practice.
Tara reveals her techniques in her studio offering in-person fluid and resin art classes for adults and children. She also offers these classes as an instructor at Manor Mill in Monkton, Maryland. Tara enjoys exhibiting and vending in the fine art and craft festival circuit participating in The Marco Island National Fine Art Show, The Bethesda Fine Art Festival, The Festival of Trees, The American Craft Made Convention, Artscape, the VisArts Rockville Fine Arts Festival, FaerieCon, and The Chevy Chase Fine Art Festival. Upcoming exhibitions/events are announced on this website and on her instagram (@taragill_art) as they are confirmed.
Artist Statement
My work aims to connect our world with the spiritual. Mindfulness and energetic interconnectedness are themes I currently explore. In my process I exploit the properties of paint and resin to create ethereal and nature-inspired works that mimic and transcend reality. I call my work “Dream Topography” because I feel my pieces evolve to resemble 3-dimensional maps where the viewer has an aerial view through layers of form in nature including landforms, minerals, water bodies, plant life, cellular structures, and atmosphere. What appears to one observer as a view of the universe may, to another, resemble the hidden worlds revealed beneath a microscope. By capturing both the cosmic and the cellular, my paintings remind us that the vast and the infinitesimally small can evoke the same sense of wonder, and that the same patterns and energy shape galaxies and cells alike. This suggests a deep interconnectedness between all scales of existence.
“Natural Beauty” is done!
24”x48”x4”D
This piece was a transition piece moving from my Japandi collection into my new Forest inspired collection (working on this now).
I want to note that I work on each block as its own piece. I consider each one to be its own unique universe or cellular world. Then I “piece” them together much like quilting. This is the process I have found to be most enjoyable and true to myself.
Artist Statement: My work aims to connect our world with the spiritual. Mindfulness and energetic interconnectedness are themes I explore. In my process I exploit the properties of paint and resin to create ethereal and nature-inspired works that mimic and transcend reality. I call my work “Dream Topography” because I feel my pieces evolve to resemble 3-dimensional maps where the viewer has an aerial view through layers of form in nature including landforms, minerals, water bodies, plant life, cellular structures, and atmosphere. What appears to one observer as a view of the universe may, to another, resemble the hidden worlds revealed beneath a microscope. By capturing both the cosmic and the cellular, my paintings remind us that the vast and the infinitesimally small can evoke the same sense of wonder, and that the same patterns and energy shape galaxies and cells alike. This suggests a deep interconnectedness between all scales of existence. ✨
#naturalbeauty #japandi #mixedmedia #mindfulness #oneness
“Le Printemps” is finished just in time 🌸🌿🌼 Atmospheric and cellular simultaneously. Some see the universe, others see the microscopic world. All feel the same sense of wonder.
#spring #springhassprung #creatingoneness #flowerslovers #mixedmedia
Just finishing the top coats on all my blocks and then “Natural Beauty” will be pieced together, much like a quilt, on a wooden panel. It’s like looking into the woods, into the universe, and into a microscope all at once. I’m already obsessed 🤤🖤🌳🇯🇵
#japandi #naturalbeauty #mixedmedia #mindfulness
We’re in week four with @oldfieldsschool! Today we got to relax a bit playing with flowers and butterflies. The girls made floral trays, book marks, animal figurines, and boxes using resin. Next week is our last class. The semester went by so fast but boy did we create A LOT of cool stuff. 😍✨🦋💐
@manormillmonkton
#getcreative #flowerlover #springhassprung #girlsjustwannahavefun #resin
It’s been a minute so come on in 😊
My art practice has been busy. I’ve been teaching classes outside my studio each week for the last month (sometimes twice a week 😅) which is time consuming and a lot of back & forth work, but I’ve also been in weekends and managed to keep things moving along. I’ve also made some big changes bringing in woodworking help and learning to cut my own boards using a track saw and table saw which will save on material cost because I won’t be buying canvases. I also received a special gift - molds created just for my 6x6” blocks made of a plastic that resin doesn’t stick to! What a time saver if these do the job without my having to dam each piece with tape and sand off the edges. Today I worked on 31 pieces in different stages of my process because I’m pushing to finish my current big one by next week so I can start a new one I already have in mind.
Thanks for visiting ✨✨✨ PS - The last image is student projects 😍
#artstudio #creativeprocess #workinprogress #creativejoy #studioflow
The Kids Valentines Craft Class @manormillmonkton was a fun one! I even had 2 adults who signed up so they could play with all the cool stuff too. In this class we made a large epoxy Vday tray, a squishy using Flex Rubber, and small UV Resin items like keychains, pet tags, jewelry, and barrettes.
I think the next class will be in the summer so we can make summer/beach inspired epoxy trays and add real shells 🐚 What do ya’ll think?
#kidscraft #craftymom #uvresin #valentinescrafts
We started a new semester today with @oldfieldsschool at Manor Mill. My classes will run for 5 weeks and in that time we’ll cover all the mixed media I work with. This week was fluid art 🎨 and next week will be UV resin craft! The girls in this class did so well. I love all their creative art pieces. Looking forward to next week! @manormillmonkton
#creative #fluidart #girlsrule #artclass #dreamtopography
It was a great studio day where everything worked! Here’s a glimpse of what’s being created.
#artstudio #workinprogress #creativeflow #creativejoy
#whenitworks
