Tamara K. Richel was born in Esslingen, Germany after WWII, of Russian and Latvian heritage. Tamara emigrated to the U.S.A. as an infant with her parents and older sister, where she spent her childhood in New Jersey. In 1993 she moved to Maine with her husband and son, settling in the Rangeley Lakes Region.
Tamara is a self-taught artist with a realistic style, who has been working in oil painting since 1981. In addition to oils, she also works in watercolor and gouache. Her specialties are still life and portraits, but she also enjoys painting landscapes and wildlife.
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"Although technically a self-taught artist, I had been exposed to painting at an early age. My mother always had an easel set up with some work in progress; always the smell of oil paints and turpentine in our house, for as long as I can remember. I grew up watching my mother paint, somehow absorbing the knowledge and the need to paint. I draw upon my life and surroundings as inspiration. My paintings are studies of color, shadow, light, and form; I am fascinated by the play of shadow and light on everyday objects, capturing the distortions and reflections in glass. In my paintings I try to create a peaceful, tranquil respite from the distractions of the outside world; engaging the viewer, perhaps evoking a sigh of relief, or a sense of nostalgia; creating a meditative state." |
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Tamara has won several awards for her work, and her paintings are in many private collections throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe.