Tara aka tms is an illustrator/author. Who just happens to be a dyslexic, Italian American, beachcomber living in eastern Pennsylvania.
I grew up in a small New Jersey town known as “The Children’s Town” and home to the historic Gingerbread Castle. Just minutes away from the legendary Action Park. It was here in my hometown where I fell in love with all aspects of art. In my childhood room laying on the green carpet with my dog at my side while coloring in gigantic coloring books to enjoy Saturday morning cartoons and a big bowl of Cheerios to the magic of the Muppets to the art tests in the TV Guide. This is what sparked my love of art.
It was in my elementary school where I was introduced to art history. Our hallways featured prints from Andrew Wyeth’s Christina’s World to Leutze’s Washington Crossing the Delaware to sculptures to sports jerseys.
I was introduced to the idea of illustration at Penn State University and then as a children’s book specialist at Waldenbooks and Borders. There was something about the voice , color and page turns in children’s books that kept calling to me.
Why picture books, because I want to be part of the reason someone pulls the book off the shelf and turns the page. I would love to be part of a team that wants to make learning fun and engaging. Helping lock those unique facts into a child’s brain. To allow my geek-i-ness to shine and encourage a child’s geek as well.
Email me at TaraMSantoro13@outlook.com with any inquiries.
Education
Mentorship with Leeza Hernandez 2024
NJSCBWI Summer 2024 event
Highlight Foundation Artist Retreat run by Kelly Light, Courtney Pippin-Mather and Aram Kim 2022
Mentorship With Kelly Light 2022
Illustration Dept Character Design Course with Kelly Light 2021
UC San Diego Illustration and Writing Courses 2020/2021
Highlight’s Foundation online course So You Want to be an Author Illustrator June 2020
Illustration Dept.- 12 week Mentor Program, April 2019 - June 2019, February 2020 - June 2020
Highlight’s Foundation Writing for Illustrators Sept 2019
"Craft and Business of Illustrating Children's Books" class with Mira Reisberg, Summer 2018
Illustrator Intensive at Highlights Foundation, July 20 - 23 2018
Illustration department 3 - week illustration with Guiseppe Castellano
- Gamblin paint lecture, Fall 2016
- Pan Pastel talk, Summer 2017
- Copic certification Level One and Flowers, 2016
Webinars
- Alyson Stanfield Art Biz Success Teaching Art Online Summit - March 31, 2020
- SCBWI MD/VA/DE Webinar: Dummy Book Development with Mike Marlbrough - April 18, 2020
- SCBWI: Picture Book Camp With Marla Frazee - May 10, 2020
- SCBWI FRANCE webinar, “A Map to Draw From: Charting a Multi-layered Illustration Career” with Leeza Hernandez
- Mike Malbrough’s Dummy Book Development
Group Exhibitions
- Ann Kullberg's Color Magazine 20th Annual Juried online show and print issue for “The Reunion”
- Featured in Banana Factory's Art of Storytelling for “The Reunion”
- 19th Annual Ann Kulberg Color Magazine online competition for " Family Day", winner of People's Choice Award
- 12th Annual Morning Call Juried Show at Baum School of Art
- Art Pop Online Gallery 2017 & 2018
- 11th Annual Morning Call Juried Art show
- Awarded honorable mention for "The Moments That Matter"
- CPSA online show, 2017
Conferences
- EPaSCBWI Illustrator Day 2018 and 2020 Spring 2023
- SCBWI Day Hone Your Skills 2017, Bethlehem PA
- Illuxicon 2017
- NESCBWI Conference 2014
- EPaSCBWI Conference 2010
Volunteer Work
- 2022 & 2023 Lehigh Valley Book Festival
-2017-2021 - member of the Emmaus Art Commission
- Scholarship chair
- Fundraiser and Hydrant restoration co-chair
- Treasurer
Feature on 6 ABC News Philadelphia https://6abc.com/paint-a-hydrant-fire-art-community/10964323/
- Lehigh Valley Book Festival: Volunteer Coordinator & Kid's Fest co-coordinator:
www.lvbookfest.com
-Emmaus Art Commission Gnome Fundraiser 2019/2020
-Emmaus Art Commission SnowBlast 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2020
-Emmaus Art Commission Best of the Nest Fundraiser 2018
-Emmaus Art Commission CHAIRity Fundraiser 2017
-Lehigh Valley Arts Council Art Matters
Guest Speaker
-Forks Art Society Monthly Meeting June 2018
Online Features
Eastern PennPoints's “50 Years of Earth Day Celebration” Feature:
https://easternpennpoints.wordpress.com/2020/04/22/celebrating-50-years-of-earth-day-sneak-a-snack-by-tara-santoro/
EasternPennPoints’s #LoveMadeVisible Feature: https://easternpennpoints.wordpress.com/2019/02/16/lovemadevisible-the-bond-by-tara-santoro/#comments
EasternPennPoints’s #Vacation Feature:
https://easternpennpoints.wordpress.com/2019/07/25/vacation-frogs-only-by-tara-santoro/
I am all about birthdays. Why, because that’s the one day out of the year all about you. As for me sometimes it’s also about Easter or Good Friday or Holy Thursday or Easter Monday.
