UpcycledHOME Magazine: How long have you been a member of “The UpcycledHOME” community group and a reader of the UpcycledHOME Magazine?Tamara: I have been a member of both since early 2021.
UpcycledHOME Magazine: Why did you join “The UpcycledHOME” community group?
Tamara: I joined the group to connect with and find inspiration among other artists and like-minded people.
UpcycledHOME Magazine: What’s your favourite part of being a member of “The UpcycledHOME” community group?
Tamara: The support that is found among other artists in the community.
UpcycledHOME Magazine: What is your favourite upcycling/furniture painting technique?
Tamara: I love layering and using a variety of mediums such as embossing paste to create raised stencils and textures for visual interest.
UpcycledHOME Magazine: What do you enjoy spending your free time doing?
Tamara: Exploring the many beautiful mountains, parks and hiking trails in the beautiful Okanagan that I get to call home.
UpcycledHOME Magazine: What is your current occupation?
Tamara: I worked as a medical office assistant but now work from home painting furniture and I’m also a mother to two beautiful girls.
UpcycledHOME Magazine: What do you love most about upcycling?
Tamara: The feeling of satisfaction I get from saving something that is possibly headed to the landfill or is no longer wanted and transforming it into something fresh, new and beautiful.
UpcycledHOME Magazine: How do you define success?
Tamara: Success to me is having others love my work as much as I do and to see others find joy in what I’ve created.
UpcycledHOME Magazine: Who inspires you?
Tamara: I started my painting journey a few years ago side by side with my mother who was an incredible artist, sadly she passed away in early 2020. She was and remains my biggest inspiration.
UpcycledHOME Magazine: If you could choose anyone as a mentor, who would you choose and why?
Tamara: I follow Brandy from Brushed by Brandy on Facebook, her vision and work are outstanding. I would love to have her as a mentor and have her teach me her ways. Can we just talk about the difficulty of blending and how she makes it look seamless?
UpcycledHOME Magazine: What advice would you give to someone who wants to start upcycling furniture?
Tamara: Start with the basics, watch lots of online videos and just have fun with it. I always say just go for it, it’s just paint, you can always paint over it.
UpcycledHOME Magazine: What’s one thing — either upcycling-related or not — you learned in the last month?
Tamara: I love using gold leaf on its own but have recently seen it used with a stencil to create more of a deliberate design, I will definitely be trying this.
UpcycledHOME Magazine: What’s something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know?
Tamara: I am secretly obsessed with Donkeys and want one for a pet.
UpcycledHOME Magazine: What’s the last book you read?Tamara: Where the wild things are with my 7-year-old, is still a fantastic book.
UpcycledHOME Magazine: What is your favourite hobby?
Tamara: Painting of course but I also love cooking and digging in my flowerbeds.
UpcycledHOME Magazine: What’s the first concert you ever attended?
Tamara: The first big concert I attended was Paul McCartney in 2012, I am fortunate to also be seeing Ringo Starr later this year.
UpcycledHOME Magazine: What’s the next place on your travel bucket list?
Tamara: I would have to say Greece simply for the food and the views.
UpcycledHOME Magazine: Are you currently binge-watching any shows?
Tamara: I seem to always be binge-watching documentaries whether they be crime-related or historical.
UpcycledHOME Magazine: If you had to eat one meal every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Tamara: Can I say sandwiches? Does that count? There are so many different kinds even though it’s the same thing you could have a different type every day.
UpcycledHOME Magazine: What’s one item you can’t live without?
Tamara: Probably my phone as it is a constant source of information, and connection and I always have my camera with me and the ability to capture anything I might find inspiration in at the moment.
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