Beautiful Tamara Portrait of Tamara Johnson by Nathalie Miller

From the artist Nathalie Miller: Going into my second year with the Souls Shot portraits, I am so struck by the fact that not only are we creating portraits of victims of gun violence, but we are also creating portraits of our children, our brothers and sisters, our parents, and our friends.  When Tamara passed away, she was a sister, a daughter, a mother, a girlfriend, and a friend, surrounded by love and excited about life and its possibilities. 

Meeting Terrez, Tamara's mother has been such a privilege.  Her work in providing support for other families, as well as her efforts to end gun violence is only to be admired and something I am convinced we should all do.  My heart goes out to Tamara, and to her family and friends.  In this piece, I strive to honor her, and, as requested by Terrez, I have painted a portrait of Tamara, her boyfriend, and her daughter, at her last celebration of their daughter's birthday.   

From the curator: This very small portrait is three dimensional with several layers. Some of the flowers leave the frame as does the gaze of Tamara’s daughter, looking us right in the eyes as her mother’s are cast downward. It is a lovely and heartbreaking work, small in size but so powerful.

Beautiful Tamara Portrait of Tamara Johnson by Nathalie Miller acrylic paint 14” x 11” 2018