Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Black.
Hi Taylor, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My art journey started as a young child, I was always in love with drawing and creating. I took notice of my environment at a young age and learned to find inspiration in everything around me. Growing up I never knew the role that art would play in my life, and I honestly wasn’t even aware of the different paths art had to offer. I didn’t start painting until my 20’s. It was 2011 or 2012 and I had just lost my job, so I moved from my hometown in TX to Colorado to stay with family and get a change in pace for a bit. I remember following Shepard Fairey on insta and his work really inspired me to try out painting and spray painting for myself. From there I followed the painting rabbit hole, exploring new and old artists, trying new mediums, and painting at all times of the day. I posted my first painting on Instagram and it sold almost instantly, that’s when the light bulb went off and I realized that art could be a way to support myself and my family. I started taking it more seriously after that. I would paint in the morning before work and paint right when I got home, through sleet, snow, and rain lol… I had this little outdoor workspace and I’d be out there in the worst of conditions putting in work. Over the next 10 years, it was a game of consistency, time management, curiosity, stress, failure, success, and every other feeling in the spectrum of human existence. During that time I got married, had 3 kids, moved back to TX, started a clothing line, and picked up other skills like videography, photography, and graphic design.
All this while trying to maintain a family and a full-time job. I’ve been blessed to have a few gallery shows and have been asked to participate in some awesome art events. I think staying consistent and authentic has allowed me to create work that means a lot to me, which led to building a group of clients and followers who recognize my work and the meaning behind it. I paint what’s going on in my life. To step back and see how my pieces connect with each other and grow over the years as my talent develops has been cool. The better I get, the more I can depict my feelings and tell the story the way I see it in my head. Really my work talks about growth, change, resilience, and following your passions. I’m blessed to have a way to express my thoughts and release them through painting, and I’m excited for the future state of myself and my art.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Life is hard enough to navigate alone, as a singular human lol…. Add in marriage, kids, family/friends, passions, work, bills, and then all the crazy that life throws at us like covid and inflation… It can feel impossible to get ahead or even just be in a place where you feel comfortable. All that being said, I don’t know if I would be the same person I am today if I was comfortable in my early days. I know my work has been impacted by the “struggle” and my having to push to get where I am, has in a way, helped me to create some beautiful shit. I think it’s important to note that life will never fully be as we hope or dream and that there will be plenty of valleys on our journey. I think learning to love the process is the key.
There’s a quote I love, I don’t know who said it, but it goes like this., “the man who loves to walk will go further than the man who loves the destination.” This just nods to the importance of loving the process more than the end product or goal. That’s one thing that painting has really taught me about life. Fall in love with the process of life, be grateful for every step, enjoy the little moments and take a second to breathe and reflect in the most difficult times.
Nowadays, I can use all my feelings and emotions as inspiration and I can turn them into themes or objects in a painting. All this to say, forget about the smooth road, living a smooth life will keep you the same, it will keep you complacent, and will remove all growth from your life. You know you’re doing great in life when you’re going through shit with a smile!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a visual artist, and painter. It’s always hard for me to describe my work, but it’s a mix of realistic, naturalistic, and abstract realism. I use different objects, elements from nature/life, and symbols to tell a story based on what I’m going through in my life. I’m probably most known for my use of realistic hearts, ropes, flowers, butterflies, and birds. All of these symbols and objects show up in many different ways in many different works, and their relationship with the other objects in the piece depicts a situation or feeling in my daily life. I primarily use acrylics but would love to dive into oils.
I’m most proud of the way my art has been able to resonate with people. I’ve had people see my work and learn about the inspiration behind it, and quit their job to pursue their passions, start a new business, or learn a new skill. I’ve had people write to tell me how much a painting spoke to them and what they’re going through in their own life. I consider myself blessed to be able to have these kinds of conversations with people and that’s the power of art. It allows people, sometimes even strangers, to feel emotions so deep that they feel safe to be vulnerable or feel moved to take action and create for themselves. It’s really wild if you think about it… I’m not sure what sets me apart from others, I know a ton of amazing creatives who like me, are putting it all on the line in order to do what they love. I think I have done the hard work to build a distinct style and I think people know a “Taylor Black” painting when they see it, so I think that’s super dope.
Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I believe it’s important to take risks, but you do have to consider your risk appetite. I’ve always been a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of dude, and I used to just go without a second thought. However, as a father and husband, I have to consider the larger picture and weigh out the risks of a decision more now, than when I was a single 20-year-old. I think there are times you should jump without hesitation, and other times when taking a step back to reassess is the smarter choice. It’s funny because, right now in this movement of my life, I’m at this fork in the road.
I’m in a place where I feel moved to take a risk and go all in on my art, but making that leap is terrifying. I know that the greatest things in life are on the other side of your biggest fear, so I think I’m going in the right direction, I just have to make sure whatever I do, I set my family up for success. That being said, I have a plan in place to make art my full-time job and I’m trying to take steps to mitigate risk as much as I can, but when I do decide to take that leap, it will be difficult – and it will be scary lol… To my young artist (and young people in general) reading this, take the plunge early, go for it. To my OGs, there’s still time, make a plan and go all in.
Pricing:
- Pricing for my originals ranges from $2,000-$10,000
- Pricing for art prints ranges from $100-$200 dollars
Contact Info:
- Website: taylorblackart.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/taylorblackart?r=nametag
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taylorblackart
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC9paiTuFjnng9JlFJYbmxKA
