Meet Tanya Tenorio | Tanya Chamain Art and Design

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tanya Tenorio and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tanya, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I’ve been working in healthcare finance for 30 years. It has been an interesting and challenging career but it has also been stressful. Creating art has always been a release for me, a way to find my peace of mind and to heal my soul. When I started to make art to sell and asked to do commissions, I realized how my art brought happiness to others as well. Especially sacred paintings of loved ones. These paintings bring a kind of magic to me and to those who commissioned the paintings. I’m at the second half of my career and I am ready to work hard doing what I love the most, and that is doing art full time.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
It’s strange to think of my art as a business because it’s something that I do to get away from the stresses of the world. I do hope to grow in this field, and I hope that my art continues to grow and become more profitable. I think that my ability to capture emotions, to make people feel something, and a lot of color is what sets my art apart from others. I am not doing this full time yet, that is something that I am working towards, and it continues to become more and more possible. This has not been easy, because both jobs require a lot of time and I often spread myself thin. Finding balance continues to be a challenge for me. It’s easy to get so busy that you forget to relax and spend time with the people you love. Social media, word of mouth and showing my art have been my main avenues to grow my art business. I also create digital art and have worked with others to create logos for their businesses as well as design websites. I love to create with real physical paint that gets all over me. When I create digital art, I love when the digital art gets printed and framed, because it gets a physical life this way. I would love to be a part of growing an art community in Broomfield, as many of us have to go outside of Broomfield to show our art and contribute to shows. I think our town deserves representation in the visual arts arena as well. Bringing art to people is important, especially in a digital world where we are addicted to our phones. Art is a different experience to see in its physical form, to experience it in person, that’s my goal. Whether I do this through commissions or shows does not matter, as long as art make people feel.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Colorado is known for its mountains. I’m about to show some favoritism here. I think that everything west of I-25 is amazing. I grew up in Southern Colorado and was fortunate to see the Spanish Peaks every day of my early childhood. My favorite places in Colorado reside close to the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range. San Isabel, Rio Grande, Carson, and Santa Fe National Forest are all located in the Sangres. The Sangre de Cristo, Wheeler Peak, The Great Sand Dunes, Latir Peaks, Pecos, and Spanish Peaks National Wilderness Areas are also located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range. These places are all so amazing. I would also recommend trips to Aspen, Vail if you can afford them. Shorter trips from metro Denver would be to Breckridge, Red Rocks Ampitheater, Telluride, Rocky Mountain National Park or Boulder. Mother Nature and the Universe are the best artists Afterall. If my friend wants to stay in the city, we would go to all of the art districts and the art museums in the Denver and surrounding cities of course!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Both my parents loved art and encouraged me to create while growing up. My mother still creates art and is one of my biggest fans as I am hers. I had many other adults; teachers, family, and friends who also encouraged me to create when I was young. To name them all would be a task. There were those teachers that realized early that I had talent but also that I needed art in my life. They are directly responsible for my love of art and showing me the process of creating. These were my art teachers, Mr. Galvan, Mr. Lucero, and Mrs. Betts. Mrs. Betts was especially supportive, and I owe so much to her, for her patience and for keeping me centered and in school. My friends and family have been supportive, especially my sons and my husband. Creative colleagues and creative groups that I have met and been a part of continue to be an inspiration as well and through them I made connections and found opportunities. This list continues to grow, and I am excited for the future.

Website: TanyaChamain.com

Instagram: @TanyaChamainArt

Twitter: @TanyaChamain

Facebook: @tanyachamain

Other: TikTok: @TanyaChamainArt

Image Credits
Photos of Art were taken by Tanya Tenorio owner of Tanya Chamain Art.