May 5, 2022. By Marianne Mogon, Correspondent
Tammy Flanagan has led an eventful life, traveling and seeing various landscapes and experiencing different cultures which she explained,
“I’m excited to share those experiences through my art,” she said. And Park County Creative Alliance is pleased to feature Flanagan as its artist of the month for April.
Flanagan was born in a small town in Kansas to a mother who grew up on a farm and had never been any further than Missouri. Her father, a first-generation immigrant, didn’t know a word of English when he arrived in this country via Ellis Island at the age of 19. He was able to attend college, where he obtained a degree in chemistry. His subsequent job required the family to move to the Middle East when Flanagan was six-years-old.
“This was a wonderful opportunity to meet and grow up with friends from all different nationalities and backgrounds, and faces that changed quickly as families rotated in and out of the country; both civilian and military,” Flanagan explained.
They returned to the United States when she was a teenager, and her family searched for firm footing as they continued to move from state to state. Flanagan changed schools many times and ultimately graduated high school and then attended college. “I continued my family’s nomadic lifestyle by joining the Air Force and eventually settling in Colorado,” she said.
After graduating college, she continued her military career as non-commissioned and was later commissioned as an officer in the Colorado Air National Guard. Since military bases usually have hobby shops and over time, she learned how to build frames, and later to mat pictures and posters she had collected in her travels. She eventually took painting classes and found she enjoyed the calm and science of watercolor.
“I painted infrequently, but loved it when I did, taking the occasional class and practicing new techniques I had learned,” she explained.
Flanagan met her husband Steve, who was also in the Air Force. Not only did they fall in love with each other, but also fell in love with Colorado, and the dream of one day living in the mountains. Shortly after they were married, they found and purchased a small piece of property in South Park and set into motion plans to build their dream home. They designed and built their home themselves, over 10 years, and when finished, they sold their house in the city and became permanent residents of South Park.
Flanagan was able to paint more earnestly and joined an art drop-in group in the area. She developed a particular fondness of painting the beautiful landscape: aspen, pine, old homesteads, stormy skies, and the mountains. “Living in South Park is visually amazing,” she said.
The Flanagans built a studio dedicated to her art, and she starting showing her art in the Salado in Fairplay from the day they opened.
She enjoys refreshing the artwork on display every few months.
“Owner Kristin Farr is a patron to our local artists and a personal champion (second only to my husband), encouraging me to do more and allowing me to share and sell my art with tourists and residents alike,” said Flanagan.
“The Town of Fairplay is filled with influences of our PCCA artists. For many years, the town hosted an annual Plein Air Art competition and fundraiser for the local food bank. I was fortunate to be accepted into the 2019 event and learned how amazing painting on site can be. I hope to participate in similar events in the future,” she concluded.
Flanagan and her art can be found on Park County Creative Alliance’s web site under Artist’s Creative Directory. Park County Creative Alliance is an organization uniting Park County through the arts while helping to support and promote local artists from all genres such as writers, musicians, painters, photographers and so much more. Learn more about PCCA by visiting the website parkcreates.org. Be sure and pick up an Art in Adventuring Map found in various locations throughout Park County and a little beyond. PCCA can also be found on Facebook.