Today we’d like to introduce you to Tara Crow Leakey.
Tara Crow, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am a self taught, multi-media artist with a focus on illustration. In my younger years it was all just some far-fetched dream to make art for a career, so I took my time gathering sketchbooks, many unfinished. The older I got, the more art I wanted to try, oil paint, acrylic, sculpting, and I even spent some time as a tattoo artist North of Kansas City. While I flourished there, it wasn’t meant to be as my hands grew too shaky. I still miss the liveliness of the people I worked with and the eclectic array of customers that came through. I really got to see all the colors, and I was ecstatic.
Like my home, my jobs changed frequently while I tried to find a place to call my own, a place to fit in, somewhere my art could thrive. There was definitely a fair share of soul-searching to figure out where my head was at before things really started falling into place. Around the end of 2018 I applied to my first gallery at Jones Gallery in KC where two of my acrylic paintings were accepted. I really think that was the final push I needed. The enjoyment I got from perusing the gallery space and talking with the other artists and all the people who came out to see our work, it felt so natural!
Every move from that point has been to get closer to being a full-time artist, working for myself.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t think any artist finds this career path smooth or easy to take. Making art in a meaningful way means you have to be real with yourself and what you want, and especially who you surround yourself with. I do believe that success has very much to do with who you know, but maybe not in the way we initially thought. What I’m talking about is our community. Without support, no one wins. If the person standing next to you doesn’t believe in your ability to grow then soon you start believing that for yourself. And that is a slippery slope to not trying anymore, and that’s when we fail.
If you’re not in your own way, life tends to do that for us. Grinding at jobs we didn’t want that drain us, in economies that continuously look more bleak each day, it doesn’t leave very much room or energy for creativity. And for that, being creative, doing something creative in spite of all that, because of all that, is my favorite form of rebellion.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
When I started really pursuing art as a career, I still had a lot of learning about composition, lighting, and color theory to do, so I started making digital fan-art illustrations to practice new techniques. That way I could focus on the parts I needed to work on and not get caught up in creating a whole new character. Most of my fan-art was of Pokemon since I grew up with that franchise and I find animal anatomy comes fairly easily in my mind.
Before long, my confidence really started growing and I was itching to test my self so I started entering art “competitions”. The first one was for the KC Renaissance Fair in their annual mural contest, and I won 2nd place! I had to keep going, it was thrilling to see my work appreciated in that way. I’ve since entered in the official Pokemon Card Illustration Contest twice, participated in Clip Studio Paint (the digital art program I use) community contests and well as XP Pen (the drawing tablet I use for digital work) contests. These are great platforms to use as a sand-box to play with their given prompts and to be a part of a community of people who are all passionate about making art.
January of this year (2025) I finally put in my two weeks to my “day job” to make room for my new career, and it was the best decision I could’ve made. This is not only my third year attending First Fridays for Artist Alleys with my own booth, but I’ve also now completed a two month showcase at the Apex Art Space in the Crossroads. For that I shared the space with a very good friend of mine, Socorro Reyes-Ramirez (Coco). We called it “Los Animals”, and we both made all new paintings and drawings of animals, real and imagined. Animals carry a connection and a spirit that calls to both of us and this was the perfect way to celebrate that.
I’ve also completed four designs for the Leavenworth Historical Society, “Spirit of the Buffalo” project. It’s similar to the KC Parade of Hearts, in that local artists are chosen to paint a sculpture. The Spirit of the Buffalo project, while it is to draw in tourism to Leavenworth county, is also an opportunity to explore Native American history and culture. For my designs I did as much research as I could so that I could respectfully paint images that would highlight local cultural values.
Next, I’ll be attending my first large convention and out of state event at the World Oddities Expo in Chicago, IL in December of this year. I never thought I’d be at an oddities and curiosities show, but the paintings and graphite drawings I did for the “Los Animals” showcase were the bridge I needed to get there. It all ties together in the most unexpected ways sometimes.
Art is diverse, I do everything I can to make sure that my work reflects that. This comes from years of building a community around me of people who inspire me to be better. When I can connect with someone, even a person I’ve just met, meaningfully, I feel moved to create, and when the people I connect with are also artists, I try and bring them with me wherever I go. Whether that’s boothing for Artist Alleys or featuring in exhibitions at a gallery. I want others to know, that if I can do it, they can too, and they don’t have to do it alone.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Your support system is your foundation, build that and no one will be able to take your art away from you. Art is hope. It’s there when the days get darker or you feel lonely or at your worst. It is up to you as an individual to create the reality you want to see and be a part of. If you surround yourself with naysayers, you’re gonna feel like crap every day. But if you have a team of friends and acquaintances cheering you on at every step, you’ll be unstoppable. If you want your life to be vibrant and full of culture and love, you need to focus on the quality of your community, and put in the work. You are the light that leads the way when you allow yourself to really pursue happiness. Let your community heal and restore you when you’re down so that when you’re strong you can make waves and move mountains. And listen to your intuition, it’s time to follow it, and trust the process.
No matter what profession you choose, if your foundation is strong, you will succeed.
Believe in the me that believes in you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.taracrowarts.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taracrow.arts/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaraCrow-j4v
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@taracrowarts
