My Journey

Hi everyone,
My name is Tamara. As a child, I always loved painting. But in Iran, my mother, Taji, raised me, and we didn't have enough money to spend on painting classes.

Taji, a single mom, was the center of my universe. Even while working in my 20s, I would give my entire paycheck to my mother so we could survive. so there was no opportunity to pursue my creative passion.

I was amazed at my mother's strength, emotion, and beauty as an adult. At the age of 24, I applied to become a US resident. At age 34, I was accepted as a US Resident and moved to the US. I became a US citizen at age 39, and I am proud to say that Taji was with me every step of the way, and naturally, my painting could not be a priority during that time.

While in the US, I worked several years of long hours. Retail jobs were challenging, and I worked hard to make ends meet for Mom and me. But we developed a fantastic relationship since I had the opportunity to live with Mom for so many years. We knew everything about each other and how the other one thinks. We could even finish each other sentences. You could say that building our relationship and caring for Mom was my new passion.