Full-time artist and full-time mother Tara Gillespie works to bring her dreams into reality, both on and off the canvas. At her Dream Topography studio in Timonium, she works with paint, resin and sculpture to create her abstract art. She lives with her daughter, Alice Fae (7), her boyfriend and their pets in the home she grew up in.
Gillespie loves creating, cooking and soaking in the sun outside — especially at the beach. She fuels her creativity with music and gaming while she teaches her daughter what matters most — being true to yourself.
What do you love most about your job?
I am living a dream. I get to create art every day and, therefore, grow as an artist. It’s truly beautiful to be moved so often and sense it will all somehow be incorporated into my Dream Topography pieces.
This feeling of escaping reality to embrace your dreams is what I try to communicate with my work. Dream Topography offers viewers a daydream experience that can be thought of as spiritual. I believe abstract art lends itself to this concept readily, as we don’t recognize abstract art with our eyes, we recognize it with our hearts. We don’t always know why we like it.
What do you love most about being a parent?
I think it’s a gift to see the world through your child’s eyes. As they grow and begin to understand the world around them, everything is interesting and amazing. You can just sit in the grass and look at the bugs and flowers. Or draw with chalk on the sidewalk. It’s a slower pace of life—more peaceful, and there’s more gratitude in appreciating the small things that children notice.
How do you balance work and family life?
To be honest, I am not sure this is actually possible. I keep saying I need to find my balance,
but maybe I just need to be OK with the fact that I’m just doing a lot right now, and it will and does overlap. I started a small business, and that’s not an easy road.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced as a parent?
I am a single mom, so it’s always been difficult when I need help, although I am much better at asking for it today. A good example is whenever my daughter gets sick and has to stay home from school. I cannot go to the studio if she needs to be home. When I’m not working, there’s no money to be earned so it all catches up with me and stresses me out. Especially because I will usually catch her germ and end up sick as well.
What do you hope your daughter learns from you?
I hope Alice sees what I’m doing and understands her own power. I want her to be confident, strong and a boss babe that isn’t scared to go for her dreams or say NO when she means it. I’m also trying to teach her to appreciate the small things in life, as she taught me. She is now getting out into the world physically and virtually. The material world and our peers often tell us that we can’t be happy without X,Y,Z, but if she is happy with herself in her heart, she will thrive. I want her to always be herself.
Family Favorites
Meal: Pho when we go out, chicken and dumplings if Mama cooks
Dessert: Alice loves chocolate brownie ice cream. Mama loves a good cheese plate.
Vacation Spot: Ocean City!
Local Place: Pho Dat Thanh — We go at least once a week!
Family Activity: Crafting or gaming. Alice and I like to either play WOW on the PC or play Animal Crossing on our Nintendo Switches.
Book/Game: World of Warcraft and Animal Crossing
