TIA FLORES
www.tiaflores.com

Tia Flores is a fourth-generation Nevadan.  She moved from Las Vegas to Northern Nevada in 1979 to study architecture at UNR.  Then a part-time job in banking turned into a 12 year career in the financial world.  Free from the distractions of city life, her home and studio is located on a 350+ acre ranch just a few miles north of Reno.  At the end of a three mile dirt road with no phone lines, mail or trash service (yes, she does have power and indoor plumbing), it's easy to get lost in your art work.

Although, she has experimented with a varied range of mediums, she found her true creative self when she began working with gourds in 1996, after taking a class from GBB member, Cheryln Bennett at the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno.

Spurred by a desire to know more about her ancestors, her creations have evolved into a new area of culturally themed works, including vessels, drums, masks and jewelry.  Her designs are a reflection of her two families.  From her mother's mother, she greatly influenced by the harsh beauty of the Nevada desert.  From her father's mother, she is drawn to the rich cultures of the Aztec and Navajo people.

Although, the gourd has become her canvas of choice, she views her work as a creative interaction with Mother Nature by simply accenting its natural beauty while maintaining the individual character of the unique calabaza.