Sneaker Wave by Tamsen Armstrong was voted as the favorite for the June NCA General Meeting. Congratulations, Tamsen!

Sneaker Wave by Tamsen Armstrong, oil on linen

About Tamsen Armstrong

My goal as a painter is to find man made and natural creations, see them intimately, paint them honestly and hope the resulting paintings will touch people’s hearts. I respect the beautiful places as well as battered places; the expansive oceanfront and the old, tired storefront. I am drawn to distant horizons and bends in the road—literally and figuratively—where you can’t see where the next turn will take you.

Although my formal education focused on English Literature at UC Berkeley, I started painting in 2012 as a therapeutic diversion from teaching high school. My first teacher was my father, who was a talented illustrator and painter, and gave me my first set of paints. I slowly became a more serious student of landscapes, switching from acrylics to oil, discovering plein air painting and the many ways I could mix green. I moved here to Placer County in 2018 from the Bay Area, retired from teaching and am continuing my journey, practicing as much as possible the lessons learned from my wonderful teachers.  My favorite workshops are with Terry Miura, Randall Sexton, Philippe Gandiol and Marilyn Rose.

I believe that through keen observation and mastery of skills I will continue to improve. It is a life-long journey, one I am so grateful to be able to pursue.