Inspired by people and animals, Tam is known for her detailed, life-like, confident photorealism paintings and drawings. Studio visitors enjoy the intricate elements, expression of who they are, and understanding apparent in her works. The modern oils, watercolours, acrylics and pencils snag attention from a distance and charm the viewer up close with fine components. Aside from the meditative process of building a portrait from an outlined sketch, she greatly enjoys the color and tone interplay. She says, “Portraits can be made in so many ways, drawing from details, mood, lighting, history and context, and often multiple photographic sources. It becomes more exciting when I can draw together fun and interesting elements that create a story beyond their original setting."