Tara was born in San Francisco in 1976 and raised in Los Angeles. She received her BFA with honors from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA in 2001 with an Illustration major and a Fine Art minor. She interned at Rough Draft Studios working on Matt Groening's "Futurama" during college.

She has been featured in The New York Times, Esquire, Vanity Fair, Playboy, Sony Magazine, Bust, Magnet, Elle, Marie Claire, Hi-Fructose, Juxtapoz, Clutter, Spin, MTV, Current TV, CBC Radio, Super7, NY Press, LA Times, PBS, HOW, Step, Communication Arts, Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, Metal Hammer, International Tattoo Art, Seattle Times, LA Weekly, Gothamist, Punk Planet and many more.

Some of her clients include Microsoft, DC Comics, Warner Brothers, Swatch, Rayban, Cirque du Soleil, Dark Horse Comics, Kidrobot, Strangeco, SXSW, Spin, Pepsi, Fanta, 1800 Tequila, Goldenvoice, Penguin, Harper Collins, Bloomsbury, Revolver, Knitting Factory, Village Voice, Dogfish Head Brewery, and Nike among others.