About the Artist

My name is Barbara Štancer, an artist of Slovene roots. My life is colorful, daring and full of challenges. My spirit is adventurous, full of love and contradictions. I hold within me as much gentleness and grace as I do passion and audacity. I am a seeker of truth and a warrior of light. I believe that life is magical and the world is such as we see it and shape ourselves. I am known in the art world as MAO-TARA, a pseudonym I was given on my journey in Brazil. Mao signifies a palm or a hand, while Tara is a goddess of harmony. The fusion of these two concepts – the hand of harmony – expresses my mission and me as a whole in that I want to awaken people and accompany them to a harmonious life.

I have devoted my past eleven years to creating Energy paintings, as well as to conducting personal growth and intuitive painting workshops. I have also devoted my creative time to writing. In 2016, I self-published my first book The Touch of an Angel, From Birth to Birth. A new project are Energy Clothes, when my energy art presented on clothes creates magic.

My paintings are renowned for their unique style and importance of personal messages that they convey. So far, they have been displayed at over fifty exhibitions in Slovenia, Switzerland, Austria, Germany and The Canary Islands. I am currently preparing for an exhibition that is about to take place on 10th March at the Stricoff art gallery in New York. There are, currently, over a thousand of my personal paintings distributed throughout the world. Various television reports bear witness to my work (Radio Television of Slovenia, RTS, NET TV, POP TV), as do the written articles (in Večer newspaper, Sensa magazine, etc.).

My first book The Touch of an Angel, From Birth to Birth, has just received its English translation. My second book, The Touch of Truth, Truly Free, is already in the making. It is, also, to be followed by a third book.

My readers’ reactions are beautiful and inspiring. They have exceeded all of my expectations. I wish for the inspiration, touch, and feeling that the book conveys, to be felt by people all over the world.

As I child, I was a mystery to my surroundings. My senses have been highly developed for as long as I can remember. My innate characteristics sometimes surprised or even frightened my parents and my wider surroundings; nevertheless, my presence was always accepted as a positive and inspiring one.

I began to explore the spiritual world, bioenergy, Eastern sciences and knowledge already in my girlhood, which was a difficult task back then, as you could only find very little literature on these subjects, especially in my language.

I took up meditating at the age of twelve, to manage to cope with the energies that the universe was bringing my way.

Throughout my life, my knowledge and wisdom have been constantly evolving. One could say that my spiritual teacher has been the Universe itself.

At the age of 26 I turned my life upside down. I let go of everything I had created and traveled to Brazil. I traveled without any money, material possessions, or command of their language. I visited a spiritual Fazenda, met a beguiling shaman, lived in dangerous favelas and found my true self. I started to follow my mission and use my gifts in order to create, and to help people. (I count among my gifts painting, writing, a capacity to conduct workshops and therapies.) Increasing my awareness of difficult experience resulted in even more light and inner strength in my life. I have been able to use these to help others.

I feel at home wherever I go, which is reflected by the fact that people everywhere take me for their own. Home is where the heart is and my heart belongs to the whole universe.

With Love,
Mao – Tara / Barbara Štancer

What others say about me

“A woman with an exotic touch, led by Angels in her life. Her paintings are voices of Angels, they are loaded with depth and powerful messages that are dedicated to each person individually.”

“Barbara is a gentle soul that is here with a special purpose. She is an inspiration to people, and she is always ready to help anyone.”

“The other word for Barbara is LOVE. Everything she does, she does out of love, and with the purpose of showing to people who we are, of showing us the way.”

“A friend with a big heart, who will always ask the right question, someone who does not judge, but understands."

“She is someone who brings people closer, raises their self-awareness and fills them with love.”

“A spiritual and inspirational person who will always bring out only the best in you, and in so doing let you know that you are your best the way you are.”

“A straightforward, laid-back, kind, understanding, and accepting woman, not immersed in the quotidian of an ordinary, static Earthling. Barbara is somewhere else, in spite of being among us. Maybe she is above us? She connects us! Listens to us and shows us the way. Without judging and accusing, without directioning us. But she gets us somewhere. Although no one knows exactly where.”

“Her beauty is in giving, not receiving.”

“If there are Angels on Earth, then they are Barbara.”

“Barbara is an angel whom even the Devil would grow to love.”

What others say about Energy Paintings

"Barbara, thank you for making both Energy Paintings, for my daughter and for my husband's company. Both of these Paintings are quite special and different to the point that they take your breath away. They are full of symbolism and your interpretation that you write along the Painting is realy exact and powerfull.... Without explanation, the Painting would only be beautiful, but indid is so much more. It contains message and energy ... You just feel it. My daughter has confirmed that she has been sleeping much better in her room while she has her own Personal Painting and she has very positive changes in her development and behavior. With your work, you help people improve their well-being and their lives. I wish you all well in your path. " Mateja

"Barbara, I just have to tell you, because I'm thinking about it for a long time, that you are one of the most feminine women on my profile, you are so beautiful and you express your beauty so well through your art, which is wonderful like you, I really admire you. " Susie

"My experience with you Barbara is, as if I met you exactly when I needed it. I really felt that you were brought to my path of the creator and that you will stay on my path to the eternity. I'm regularly following you work, but unfortunately I can not attend the exhebitions, even if I would like to. I'm a committed customer and I will stay your customer forewer, because your Paintings, which I usually order for the people I love , always achieve good intentions and always hit the essence of the person ... who or for whom the picture is made for. « Stanka Bratušek

What others say about the Books

“Barbara is a storyteller who took my breath away several times. Her life story seemed to me as if taken from a film. I gratefully accepted her story, because it opened my heart and calmed my turbulent soul. She enchanted me with her amazing, calming energy. With deep insight and light narrative approach to describing harsh life challenges, she penetrated my heart. In a relaxed conversation we gently opened our wounds and distilled from them, without fear, realizations.”
Danaja Lorenčič, journalist and writer
(Sensa magazine, August/September 2015)

“When, as a bibliophile, I began to read The Touch of an Angel, I noticed two things. The first one, which came as the most pleasant surprise, was that Barbara’s language and culture is a preciousness in itself. The language is fluid, correct, clear, and she says great things in plain words, which is the greatest art. This is a book that should be read by every woman, mother; not just women with traumatic experience, but all women with their wishes, hopes, desires, wants. But why should it be read by men as well? It would be excellent if all the men read it, but it is a false hope. However, it will be read by those men, who know how to appreciate a woman.”
Bojan Maroševič,
rhetorician and theater actor, representative of the book Psi

“Many women will find themselves in your story. Many will be liberated by you. I like the book’s clear, fluid, deep, very personal style. As it should be. Wonderful. It opens and you find yourself in it. This is it. You fall into its pages and it pulls you ahead until it opens you. A whole spectrum of emotions in each paragraph. You process, become aware and bless at the same time. I felt the messages of that profound.”
Toni Aloar, alternative musician (gong master and voice healer)

“Dear Barbara, I’ve just read the last page. Your story is amazing; actually, not the story, but your path through life, your life philosophy. Regardless of where you take the power for self-formation from, you have a lot of it. I am not yet mature, I cannot step out from the framework yet. But I am thinking. And, like you say, when the time comes, I will. I will probably read the book again. In a while. I have understood it, but I haven’t accepted it yet. Maybe I will, someday. Or not. But it is most certainly a pebble of the road to my future. Barbara, thank you, I wish you all the best. I will definitely follow your future work and we will, surely, keep in touch. Best regards.”
Bojanka Štern, MD

“Barbie, charmer, I read your book at the seaside this summer... And already photographed it, to publish my opinion on Facebook, it is a nice book... In the beginning, I was a bit lost, but then you drag us in and the story is really good... I often remember it... I wish you all the best.”
Zvezdana Mlakar, presenter, actress

"I swallowed the book in three hours and I read the whole book. This is the book I want on my bookshelf and I will be happy to read it again. I believe you will help many people. You will inspire and encourage them, you will give them faith, trust, self-esteem, love ... and I could still enumerate. You are an Angel with harmony and I am so grateful that you share this experience with me through the book. I laughed, I read and cried too much, because I breathed with you every sentence and experience. I believe in every step you make to your success. Even when you get to the point of break, you go on like many times. I don't finde the right words …only THANK YOU, which you understand very well. I can not wait for your second book. Marlo Morgan, in the book called The Two Hearts in Me, left me so powerful as Touch of Angela. I read many books. Everything leaves me behind. But such a powerful message, according to Marlo, brought only this book ... the hand of harmony (Mao-Tara). "
Tinka Dobaja

"I really want everyone to get the chance to have this book, which I would say that you can not read it just once, it would be good to have it and always peep into it ... to confirm your path, to recognition of the experiences of others, for the soul, and the preservation of a smile on your own face, for your children. I had this opportunity to personally meet Barbara (Mao - Tara) at the presentation of this book, where I was embraced from her. The tears that rubbed my eyes were not the tears of sorrow, not the tears of happiness ... I can say that these tears were some kind of realization ..." "I do not even know what to say about the book. 14 days ago I went on vacation and I took the book with me. I thought I would read it there, but I ended it on the way there. First part in the hotel in Auckland and other half in one hour on the plane, and it was »gone«. So sincere revelution , which touched me a lot. When I read the book, I cried several times. This is your story, your testimony, but I found myself in it, and I often felt like my old wounds would open up when I was reading .... those for whom I thought they were gone or that I " processed "them alrady. In short, the book is phenomenal, it will help many people, I know that, and I know that you know it too. I look forward to your success. You can not go wrong when you open up and sincerely share your life and soul with all the people . Since I read your book, it's happening a lot in my life ... "
Karmen Veronik

"I'm reading it now. Thank you, Barbara for the written book. "
Barbara Greifoner Gumze

"A beautifully written, real life story of a young girl's era that touches the heart and soul. Thank you Tara.«
Cvetka Kaisersberger

"Barbara thank you for the wonderful evening and the book, which I really read in the moment. My association was »from hell to heaven«. My admiration. I want you all well. Embrace."

"Barbara Štancer, I came on Presentation of the book by accident but I was sucking your beautiful energy. Amazing, i feel like that so rarely. It's really amazing. I will be glad if I can be in your company again. Thank you! "
Anita

"Barbara thank you for the special evening you prepared for us yesterday. It was nice, I'm still under impression. My mom "swallowed" your book at night and now is my turn ... I made a quick pause to eat something, but it's pulling me back to read it as soon as possible. Crazy, I do not know what else to say. You're unbelievable. "
Maja Keisersberger