Today we’d like to introduce you to Tara Aiken.
Hi Tara, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I’m a self-taught artist based in the Twin Cities. I started later in life when things were shut down during the pandemic in 2020. I was working full time and caring for my baby and toddler at the time (also home because of daycare closures), and I started drawing some doodles for my toddler in the driveway. I drew a quick sketch of Mickey with an inspirational quote for my neighbors at the end of my driveway that afternoon and decided I wanted to do it again the next day. I drew more and more characters with inspirational quotes that year, and the word quickly spread. I soon got requests for birthdays, graduations, and the first-ever chalk art mural for the Hopkins Raspberry Festival. In 2021, I participated in my first chalk art festival and have completed many more across the US. Today, I do temporary (chalk) and permanent (painted) murals for families, companies, corporate events, cities/organizations, and more. I also host chalk art workshops and camps. In the last year, I’ve established a client base for wearable art in the form of custom sneakers and cleats and recently had the opportunity to do chalk art for the Minnesota Twins and custom cleats for Carlos Correa as part of the Twins x Nike City Connect uniform debut. I still work full-time in talent development, outside of doing art and being a mom and wife, so I’m pretty busy! But I’ve loved seeing where this journey has taken me, both in my style, technique, and client base. It’s been such a fun ride!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Oh goodness, no. It’s easy to celebrate all the fantastic opportunities that have come my way, but there have been many struggles. Internally, I struggled greatly with my confidence as an artist, especially in my early days. I’ve met so many talented artists that it’s hard not to be intimidated by their talent, experience, and resumes. So many have been formally trained and have many more years of experience than me. I don’t always understand or use the terminology correctly, but I learn more and more with each piece. The community has been supportive, so as my work progressed and I started seeing more requests come in, my confidence improved. Rejection is still out there, though, and even today, I still receive rejection emails from chalk festivals or other opportunities I’ve applied to. I continue to focus on what I can do to improve and stay true to myself, recognizing that the right opportunities will present themselves when the time is right.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to become more familiar with what you do, what can you tell them about what you do?
I started with chalk art, which is still predominantly what I do. It includes many forms and mediums of chalk art like sidewalk chalk, chalk pastels, tempera paint, street painting, and paint on vinyl. I even host several chalk art workshops and camps throughout Minnesota for youth, teens, and adults. I’m best known for creating things in genres I love, such as sports and movies, but I’ve primarily been working in portraits and realism. I am really drawn to photorealism, so I like to blend that approach into the street art world to create realistic 2D or 3D illusions. Besides temporary chalk art, I also work in permanent art through murals, fine art portraits, and, more recently, as a customs artist. I own a lot of Nikes, so I started customizing my pairs, but it sparked a lot of interest and brought in new clients. I enjoy the design and painting process with customs and the variety of canvases, styles, and details you can incorporate into designs. I bring much of my street art background to my custom designs, including incorporating realism, illusions, and design elements into things you wouldn’t normally expect. I even had the opportunity to create a pair of custom cleats for the Minnesota Twins and Carlos Correa as part of the Twins x Nike City Connect uniform debut. As a baseball fan, it was a surreal experience to see your artwork in action on a baseball diamond.
Who else deserves credit for your story?
Wow, so many people have supported me and been cheerleaders.
Artist/Chalk Artist Community: I’ve received much encouragement, support, tips, and advice from this community. It welcomed me with open arms and placed no judgment on me despite my lack of experience or formal art education. From my first chalk festival to those I’ve met through social media to the ones I still go to with questions today, I’m forever grateful for their support. And because of that, I do my best to give back to the community that gave so much to me.
Festival Committees/Organizers: Thank you for believing in me and my work and allowing me to create and share my work with their community.
Clients: To my early-days clients, I’m so grateful for their trust. Whether they knew me personally or just knew of my work, I’m thankful they chose to invest in me and my art, even with a smaller portfolio back then. Even with clients I work with today, whether they know me personally or found me through my work, I’m honored that they saw me and trusted me to help them achieve their goals. I’m big on relationships with my clients and trust, so I am grateful to have worked with many people and brands these last few years.
Social media has played a significant role in my career, and I’m grateful for everyone’s support wherever and whenever they find me through the vastness of the internet! Those first few hundred followers on each platform are the ones who really kept me going in a space that is not always the most comfortable to put yourself or your work out there. I appreciate those who consistently liked every post and showed up in the comments, cheering me on. The power of social media in promoting art and connecting with a broader audience is truly remarkable, and I’m thankful for its role in my journey.
Neighbors. My first clients! They may not have realized it, but I created artwork for myself, my kids, and them during those days in 2020. I loved meeting so many more of them and hearing from people who came from other neighborhoods or went to walk on our street to see my artwork.
My family, especially my husband and kids, are the pillars of my life and work. Their unwavering support and constructive criticism keep me grounded and motivated. I couldn’t have come this far without them. My kids, in particular, are my biggest supporters and critics, always keeping me on my toes with their requests. And my husband, he juggles a lot at home and with our schedules so I can be places on the weekends or work in the evenings/early mornings. Their love and support are the fuel that keeps my artistic journey going.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.TaraAiken.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetaraaiken/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetaraaiken
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBUI9wlxAMG4mOa4ODna2QQ
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@thetaraaiken?fromUrl=%2Fthetaraaiken&lang=en
Image Credits
Yellow Cleats: Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins Blue/White Shoes: Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins (used with permission)
