Today we’d like to introduce you to Tara Robinson
Tara, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
While working at a grocery store after graduating, I discovered an amazing phenomenon. Left on the deli countertop was a small note. I picked up the small handwritten list and realized what happened. My heart sang when I found it. I was delighted. Gleeful. Dead chuffed.
it was a forgotten grocery list. Written on a torn piece of paper with a nondescript stain. Written for an audience of one. Written by the exact kind of person who would need a shopping list. I eventually found out this was not uncommon and once I started looking, I was finding more and more lost lists. Word had gotten around that I was collecting lists and other employees would deliver found lists to me.
They were funny and meaningful to me in so many ways; the fact that the shopper knows themselves enough to write a list, but can’t quite overcome their forgetful nature, the shorthand we use with ourselves (some lists had items like “the good cheese”) the handwriting itself hinting at the whole human behind it.
Besides journals or diaries, how many things do we write just for ourselves? Meant for no one else to read? I loved this silly piece of intimacy.
Art is sometimes like finding a very funny joke and trying to think of the best way to tell it. After amassing enough, I made a riso-print zine from scans of the lost grocery list collection, with captions in an alien language
This is a perfect example of my artistic practice—exploring memory, identity, and the overlooked objects that quietly define us.
I’ve been painting my whole life, and for a long time, my work was like those shopping list- made just for myself. I would stay up late, get all my paint supplies out on a towel laid out on my small bedroom floor, and paint with cheap paints on cheap canvas. I didn’t go to school for art, I didn’t even post art on Instagram until my 20’s. but painting was always what I did.
Since then, I’ve nurtured my creative practice, found support online, sold paintings, met other artists- and this year have celebrated my first solo show, Small Sentiments.
In the coming years, I’ll continue following the same curiosity that led me to collect forgotten lists and paint late into the night. My work has always been about finding meaning in the small, ordinary things—whether it’s a childhood Tamagotchi, a crumpled grocery list, or a half-used paint tube. These objects tell stories, just like we do. As I move forward, I want my art to remain a space for play, reflection, and connection.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’ve discovered so many amazing artists online that I would have never known of otherwise, so I understand the importance of an online presence. I found it hard to market myself and manage the business tasks of being an artist.
It can be difficult to balance authenticity and strategy when trying to promote yourself and your work. After stressing about the algorithm for far too long, I realized the content I put out where I was just having fun, ended up doing better anyway. These were the ones I enjoyed doing, the ones that included a non-trending song that was more personal to me, the ones that I don’t cringe about later.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a self-taught acrylic painter whose work explores the interplay of memory and identity, using still-life painting as a way to honor the emotional weight of objects. I specialize in highly realistic forms paired with rich, playful color palettes that invite reflection on nostalgia—how it distorts, softens, and shapes our memories.
A common object that shows up in my paintings is gaming handhelds; Tamagotchi, Gameboy, Nintendo 3DS, and others. It feels like everyone my age has some story about an influential childhood game, and I love it when a painting can be a catalyst for sharing memories.
Other common themes in my work besides gaming devices are portraits of hands, still lives of studio objects, and goldfish.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Small silly things mean a lot to me. (Ex: lost grocery lists) Gifts are my love language so it’s no wonder I gravitated towards still life painting. I’m always happy when I can paint an object, and find that it not only looks like the real-life object, but I’ve been able to convey some of the emotion attached to the subject.
Pricing:
- Grocery List Zine- $40
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Robinson-Art.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamagotchiface/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarathepainter/
- Other: https://bsky.app/profile/tamagotchiface.bsky.social
Image Credits
August Henry Moerke
Bethany Birnie
