Tanya Mikaela
Contact:
Phone: 818.400.3959
Mail: lifsogd@gmail.com
artlanow.com
artslant.com




Tanya Mikaela
Artist Statement:
My collages are my creative expression of the spirit, passion and interconnectedness of all life. I began experimenting with this medium as a student at Parsons School of Design in 1985. By tearing paper and applying it to canvas as a painter would apply strokes of paint I found a freedom of expression that has continued to evolve over the years.

In my collages, I incorporate recycled magazines, wrapping paper, newspaper and more, transforming them into new works of art.

It is my goal to always create consciously; to preserve and enhance the beauty of our planet. I believe that we are all constantly growing, changing and evolving; that we are the sum of our life experiences, of our connection to the world around us and to a higher power. This is what I reflect in my art. This is what feeds my soul.



Tanya Mikaela
Artist Bio:
Born in Connecticut in 1963, Artist Tanya Mikaela grew up in an environment where her artistic talent was both appreciated and encouraged from an early age. Surrounded by artists, inventors and creative thinkers in a thriving artists community, she was exposed to a wide variety of artistic mediums throughout her childhood. At the age of eight she received a gold key award for artistic merit from the Hartford Courant.
As a teenager, while continuing to study fine art and to draw, she discovered a love of dance and theatre. Immersing herself, she danced with several local dance compaanies and with the American Dance Festival, going on to study theatre and dance at Syracuse University before returning to her first love – Art.

She transferred to Parsons School of Design in 1983, where she received her MFA. During her studies there, she retained her connection to the theatre, designing sets for cabaret shows throughout New York City and Connecticut. It was at Parsons, in an attempt to free her artistic voice, that she first began to experiment with collage. It soon became her medium of choice.

After graduation, Tanya remained in New York. Her collages were shown in several galleries in the East Village, receiving notice and positive reviews from “Artspeak” and others.

In 1989 Tanya Mikaela married actor Al Rodrigo, and they moved to Los Angeles to take their careers in a new direction.

Once in L.A., Tanya continued to create and show her collages, in response to a growing demand for her work. At the same time her career as an interior designer began to blossom, and in 1995, along with fellow designer Jimmie Steele, the Steele-Mikaela Design Group was formed. Under that banner, Tanya has designed homes and unique living spaces for such Hollywood notables as Will Smith, James Cameron and Dr. Phil, among many others.

Tanya has recently completed her most personal design project to date – designing and building from the ground up a beautiful new home for her family which, along with husband Al, now includes two highly creative daughters, Maya and Daniela and their dog Bodhi.

With the completion of her dream home – in which she created a private Treetop Artist Studio – Tanya has been able to return her creative focus to her collages. Environmentally conscious, each and every collage piece is comprised of “found materials”, recycled magazines, newspapers and more which she then crafts into highly textural and passionate works of art. As an artist, Tanya Mikaela is pleased to be a continuing and dedicated part of the Green Movement on this planet.



Tanya Mikaela
Shows:
Recent Shows, Publications, Awards and Associations


AMERICAN ART AWARDS 2009:
americanartawards.com

Tanya Mikaela is the recipient of 12 Prestigious Awards:

1st Place PORTRAIT OF SOMEONE FAMOUS “With Great Love”

2nd Place EXPRESSIONISM HUMAN FIGURE “Moses in the Bed of Reeds”

2nd Place SPIRITUAL “Release”

3rd Place INNOVATIVE “With Great Love”

3rd Place PORTRAIT OF SOMEONE FAMOUS “Peace is the Path”

3rd Place POLITICAL COMMENTARY “The Power of Change”

4th Place RELIGIOUS “Peace is the Path”

4th Place PORTRAIT OF SOMEONE FAMOUS “The Power of Change”

4th Place REALISM HUMAN FIGURE “Release”

4th Place INNOVATIVE “Moses in the Bed of Reeds”

5th Place PORTRAIT OF SOMEONE FAMOUS “The Dream”

Finalist INNOVATIVE “The Dream”


Gallery Show:
"12 Annual Faces Juried Online Art Exhibition" March 2010
Upstream People Gallery, Omaha NE
( awarded special recognition )

"Manifest Hope Show" 2009 Innauguration, at the Irvine Contemporary Gallery. Washington DC - Feb. 2009

"Reconstruction" collage exhibit, VIVA Gallery, Sherman Oaks,CA, October 2009


Publication:
Art of Obama (book of works from the 2009 show)
Now available at:
amazon.com

Association:
Member of "Collage Artists of America"
collageartists.org

Webdesign:
artlight-studio.com