Maybe Tara Burnley’s life as a surfer prepared her for a successful fine-arts path in the construction industry. Think about it: Growing up in the subtropical waters of her native Florida, with a big move to sun-soaked Southern California, she learned a lot about color, lines, detail on the horizon, and — what any good surfer grows to appreciate — patience.
After moving to the Golden State and working as a lifeguard and junior-lifeguard instructor at Point Mugu and Leo Carrillo state parks — while living in her 1965 split-window VW van — she landed at UCSB to major in art, with a minor in art history. Her peers — even some of her professors — said she would never make any money with an art degree. Then, Burnley said, an older woman who specialized in home finishing saw some of her paintings.
“She took me under her wing,” Burnley said. “The next thing I know, I’m up on scaffolding in a Montecito mansion with an ocean view. I never even knew that line of work existed.”
