Tanya is the daughter of artists Paddy Bird (deceased) and Eileen Bird. Her grandmother is the late Ada Bird Petyarre, a highly respected senior artist from Utopia. Tanya grew up surrounded by the habitual routine of painting and first began painting herself as an early teenager. Ada, who passed away in 2009, was a strong influence in this; Tanya was very close to her grandmother. In 2010, Tanya began using black, grey and white designs to depict her subjects.