Tara Esperanza

Tara Esperanza, featured in both the Land and Longing and Time Capsule exhibitions, resides in Oakland, California, where succulents thrive year-round. When she is not painting, she is running and capturing images that live on through her art.

Esperanza earned a BFA in Painting and graduated cum laude from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. In addition, she studied plein air painting in Brittany, France. As a representational painter inspired by nature, she has dedicated years to meticulously portraying succulents.

Esperanza’s paintings have been included in several group exhibitions, as well as solo exhibitions at Mercury 20 Gallery in Oakland, CA, and Women's United Art Movement Virtual Gallery. Esperanza was awarded Best of Show in May 2025 for the Annual National Painting Juried Exhibition at Emerald Springs Art Center in Oregon. She has been featured in several art publications including Create Magazine, New Visionary Magazine, Art Seen Magazine, and Women United Art Magazine. She has exhibited her paintings in galleries and museums throughout California, and her work adorns the walls in private collections throughout the United States. All of the subjects of her paintings are seen through her eyes in nature.


Artist Statement

Creating art is a deeply personal journey for Tara Esperanza, a form of expression that transcends words. Over the past decade, her practice has centered on painting succulents as living symbols of resilience, transformation, and connection to the natural world. As an artist, she often becomes a vessel, channeling messages from beyond the tangible. The process of making art serves as a bridge to a liminal space where the subconscious engages in dialogue with a greater connection.

For the Love of a Butterfly marks a profound turning point within Esperanza’s ongoing body of work. During the creation of the first painting in the series, Feel the Love, she experienced the unexpected passing of her mother. Amid overwhelming grief, Esperanza continued to paint, feeling her mother’s presence and encouragement throughout the process.

Seeking guidance to finish the work, she was surprised to see hearts organically appearing within the image. Each heart felt like what her mother called “Italian mother kisses,” bringing comfort and signifying blessings from beyond. This phenomenon repeated throughout the series, as succulents began transforming into butterflies, a symbol deeply connected to her mother, who adored them.

Although Esperanza has painted succulents for more than six years, it was only during this period that they began manifesting in this symbolic manner. As a realist, she paints what she sees, and these emerging forms became both inspiration and connection, a way to remain close to her mother.

Each painting in For the Love of a Butterfly holds a part of her mother’s spirit, expressed through subtle symbols and the gentle energy of a mother’s love. This body of work became both a tribute to Carol Beaudoin and a transformative chapter in her artistic practice.


www.taraesperanza.com