MEET TANIA BLANCO
Tania, a Naperville resident, likes to say, “They call me the QUEEN OF MIXED MEDIA.” Her vibrantly colorful and textured work evokes a sense of the exotic. Favoring a warm color palette and vivid imagery, the combination easily transports viewers to far-flung places. Her imagery translates well onto greeting cards and she has built a loyal clientele across the United States.
Tania is a huge fan of incorporating circles into her work including using coffee filters, old CDs, or simply starting a project with a circular canvas.
“Circles appear everywhere in nature,” she explains. “Hug a tree and you’re making a circle. Flowers are circles. In the sea – you’ll find many creatures with a circular shape. Our sacred experiences are often in a circle like a circle of friends, sitting in a campfire circle or walking a labyrinth. Circles equate to inclusion.”
Each day, Tania eagerly treks down to her brightly lit and well-organized basement studio where she can hardly wait to begin her next project. Here she keeps many items on hand for inspiration including a library of resource books of calligraphy, poetry, archaeology, primitive art, and even retired wallpaper books.
Tania has a multi-cultural background born in Austria of Ukrainian parents. She didn’t learn English until age 7 after her family arrived in the United States. Although she took art history and art appreciation in college, she only considered herself a “dabbler” while she worked full-time as a case manager for DuPage County. Finally, 15 years ago she gave herself permission to call herself an artist.
Tania serves as vice president of the Midwest Collage Society which meets monthly except January offering membership a full agenda of guest speakers and informative demonstrations.
