Mia Tarney

Mia Tarney

Experience the talent of Mia

At Whitehorse Gallery, we are proud to showcase the remarkable artwork of Mia. With her extensive education in Fine Art and a specialisation in botanical subjects, Mia’s talent shines through her captivating pieces.

A journey into still life

Mia’s artistic journey has led her to explore the intricacies of still life, with a particular focus on floral and plant subject matters. Her attention to detail and ability to capture the essence of these natural elements is truly mesmerising.

Since then, Mia has moved more so onto still life and specifically with floral and plant subject matters. She is able to create the most wonderful energy onto her canvas that is drawn from the sheer beauty and essence of the floral world, being utterly moved , mesmerized and captivated  by the ability of the plants and flowers to be both delicate and ethereal, yet remaining in appearance powerful and strong, long after the are picked for our enjoyment.

Mia is meticulous in her approach to her study of subtle shades, contrasts, forms and spaces throughout. She aims to capture the essence of her subject and allows it complete ownership of the canvas. By enlarging the scale, the nature of the subject is intensified and thus depicts concentrated areas to reveal a wall of life. In this way, the subject becomes an arresting landscape to be absorbed and inspired by.

Mia paints on vast linen canvases, enlarging tulips and peonies to colossal dimensions and attributes this preoccupation with the monumental to postmodern American art. ‘There’s impact and drama with such epic proportions,’ she says. ‘If my front door were bigger, I’d be painting larger canvases.’ In fact, one of her paintings had to be lowered out of a fourth-floor window because there was no other route out of the building.

Mia’s attention to detail is evident by her emphasis on composition, hence her use of anything from tweezers, tape, clamps and sticks to help tame the floral arrangement before she can begin. With no garden to call her own, she resorts to knocking on strangers’ doors on the odd occasion when she spots something rather beautiful…they are very accommodating but mostly she visits markets and florists.