CUTTING CREATIVE

By Anna Valencia Tillery

Reserve, this business savvy man is always on the go and takes each task delegated to him by his only daughter on with pride and it gets done fast! Doug’s famous quote is “I don’t want to marry the job.” Both Tara and her mom enjoy teasing him for that stance in making quick work of jobs big or small; though Tara is convinced the strategically placed Hersey Kisses helps keep her father motivated.

“Whenever I have a question regarding my business, my father is the first person I call. Whether it is money related, or about new equipment and services, he always gives great advice. He is so smart when it comes to technology too! Before the 3D printer was a popular thing, he sent me links about it. Now he is on top of the AI trend and seeing how it can help my business grow.” Biek Robinson beams with this notion.

For the past several years, the smell of freshly cut wood and paint has wafted through the store locations Tara Biek Robinson has utilized prior to finding her new home for Crafted the store inside the Harbor Bay Plaza.

“I love making people’s ideas come to life. I like working with the client about the piece and ways to make it special for the person receiving it. It is all about the little details,” Tara highlights pointing out dozens of examples that line shelves showcasing her talent for wood working ranging from custom key chains and jewelry to large cutting board adorned with bright colored epoxies, all as artistic as the next.

Inside the bigger retail space, this busy artist also was able to have more space for a large laser allowing her to now cut material as big as 24X36! In fact, with these new tools Tara was able to create a 2 foot by 5-foot art installation for the interior of a sailboat. As a young couple who lived on a sailboat that had just ushered into life their first child, the husband commissioned the piece to showcase their life together as a family and as it grew. “We all cried when she saw it. It was very special.” Though her drive for creating bigger and more elaborate pieces will not stop there, this graphic designer by trade, will be adding to her laser collection this summer with a second large scale laser as well as a fiber laser that will be able to cut metal

“Since starting my entrepreneurial journey 23 years ago, my parents (Ann and Doug Biek) have been my biggest fans and support system. I would not be where I am today if it were not for them.” In honor of Father’s Day and the new storefront, this wood working artisan, graphic designer and publisher of this publication wanted to pay a tribute to him for being such a strong support system in her life. Having served for 35 years in the Army

Of course, if you did not know of Tara’s love of lasers and wood, metal, and paint; perhaps you know her best as a local publisher and editor. In 2012, she bought into the Real Estate Book which was a national franchise. Yet, prior to the launch, she worked as a graphic designer and helped many real estate agents with their direct mail campaigns, thus it was a good fit with her connections to create the new publication. In no time, the book was a hit and continued to build. For almost eight years, she was able to meet some incredible people both in the organization and as advertisers; some she still works with today always impressed with the care and time she puts into the customer mailers and ads.

However, when COVID hit she did what we all did; pivoted. No more small book that focused on just Martin County, rather a full-size high gloss piece that covered the entire Treasure Coast was what she envisioned; and now it is celebrating its fourth season!

“Home on the Treasure Coast is going to be the new name of our growing magazine and I love seeing the book take on a whole new life. The addition of the editorial content has been such a value add for all our advertisers. Our readers love the hometown content and the businesses we featured are seeing an impact. So, we are taking it a step further and will continue to adapt to the needs of the new and existing residents and visitors that discover where we call home.”

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