Tamara Johnson: The Grass-to-Grace Story of an Artist

1 About Tamara Johnson 

Tamara Johnson is a self-taught rural artist in Lake County specializing in fluid and mixed media works of art since 2018.  

Tamara uses resin and acrylic fluid art techniques from her home studio to create mindfully inspired wall art, home decor, and jewelry that embrace nature, invoke thought and bring real experiences with every piece created. 

Some time in her life, Tamara moved from a big city to a small town in the State of California. Although she calls herself a Bay Area native, Tamara was born in Berkeley, California, and lived in the San Francisco Bay Area most of her life.  

After living in San Francisco, Tamara wanted something better for her and decided to move to Sacramento in 2010.   

Sacramento was great, Tamara says, but she wanted to be close to nature. She had dreams of having a farm or a homestead of her own and wanted to live in a small town as well, something she said would benefit her two special-needs adult children.  

Tamara immediately moved to beautiful Clearlake in California when her last child graduated from high school. Tamara recalls that it was a huge change for us all, but we have settled in quite nicely, and this is now home. 

2 Her Artistic Journey 

Tamara’s artistic career was inspired by Mr. Brown, her 7th-grade art teacher, who introduced her to drawing with the brain’s right-hand side. Mr. Brown later introduced her to artists like Claude Monet, Mildred Jean Thompson, and Jackson Pollack, all of whom have had a huge impact on her. 

Before her inspiration came, Tamara said she had never thought of herself as much of a painter or drawer because she didn’t have very much art skills, but she still loved art.  

“In 2017, I discovered fluid painting and the art of working with resin. This opened the door for me to be creative from the inside-out using fluid art as a way to express myself and share it with others,” Tamara recalls. 

3 Rule Your Rural 

Tamara started Rule Your Rural after moving with her family, away from the hustle and bustle of city life in San Francisco and Sacramento, to a quieter small rural town like her hometown, Clearlake. She then decided in her own wisdom to share the beauty of nature and her personal experiences about life in a rural neighborhood like hers.  

Tamara uses her Rural Your Rural platform to talk about simple rural lifestyle, home décor, and gardening from a modern perspective. 

Moving, in general, can be challenging for anyone, Tamara says, but moving from a fast-paced city to a small town can be quite the shock, even more so if you decide to live in a rural community.  

With the opportunity offered her by Rule Your Rural, Tamara says she has been able to share her story. She has also realized her dream of having her own home.  

Tamara saw the need to share the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of her “crazy journey” to help someone out there who may be going through some difficulties moving to a rural area. Hence, Rule Your Rural was born.  

“I have a lot of fun sharing my adventures in growing my own food, what happens with the wildlife around me, and my fabulous small-town life,” Tamara says. 

4 Rule Soul Collection   

Rule Soul Collection was created as a way for Tamara to share her creative pieces, Tamara explains. “I love to create pieces with natural influences like leaves, rocks, and glass and soulful pieces that are dramatic and captivating and maybe ring the tone of the day. I share behind-the-scenes of what inspires me to create a piece and my process,” Tamara reveals. 

5 Challenges as a CEO   

As a female entrepreneur, Tamara has her own fair share of challenges inherent in running a business. Tamara acknowledges that her main challenge is understanding that not all people see her vision the way she sees it. “And you know what? That is OK. It is not their vision. To understand that and continue to move forward was even the hardest,” she admits. 

6 Goals for the Future

Notwithstanding these challenges, Tamara still has plans for her business. “My goals for the future are to expand my business, train my children to be artists, and teach my skill to others in person and virtually. I also hope to use my skills to teach others how to use art to relieve stress like PTSD,” she explains. 

7 Role Models 

Many people, not just Mr. Brown, have influenced Tamara’s artistic background in one way or the other. “Besides my mother, Maya Angelou has impacted my life positively. Her words and her story had indirectly impacted me because of the strength she showed in her life when things were at their worst,” Tamara says. 

8 Advice for Female Entrepreneurs 

Having had a lot of experience as a self-made woman, Tamara has the following pieces of advice for female entrepreneurs who are just starting out: 

• Work smarter, not harder.  
• Get help for the things you don’t know how to do.  
• Make sure you do self-care and spend time with your loved ones. 
• Make reachable goals to achieve your big plan. 
• Stay focused. 

9 5 Lifestyle Tips for People Moving to a Small Town 

From her own personal experience, Tamara shares the following five lifestyle tips for someone getting ready to move to a small town: 

• Get to know your neighbors because small towns are big families. 
• Get creative with shopping and shop in bulk. 
• Sign up or join local groups on social media platforms like Facebook. It is a great way to find out what is going on locally, from events to safety alerts. 
• Visit the town you plan to move to often and talk to the locals to have a feel for your new town. 
• Enjoy your adventures of living in a small town. 

Tamara believes that art lives within all of us and allows us to share just a little of our true beautiful talents. ”I would have taken more chances and been more fearless,” Tamara says, if she were to start all over again and do things differently.