Joanne McQuarrie, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter | [email protected]
International wildlife artist Tammy Taylor remembers sitting on her grandma鈥檚 knee when she was just four years old as the two drew pictures together in the kitchen of her Ridge Valley area home.
Taylor was surrounded by encouragement to draw.
鈥淲hen we went on holidays, my parents would buy me a sketchpad,鈥� she said.
Growing up on a farm, Taylor had subjects to draw right at home.
鈥淐ats, dogs, horses. Our neighbour would give me paper and some Western Horseman magazines. I鈥檇 draw what I saw in there, and he鈥檇 look at my drawings later.鈥�
She steered toward depicting wildlife, drawing from pictures and sketching still life.
Taylor is acclaimed for creating detailed work, and that attention to detail started early.
She remembered art class with teacher, Miss Lawrence, in Grade 7.
鈥淲e did a gridding exercise,鈥� she said.
鈥淚 picked a picture of a wood duck from a magazine. I matched everything in that photo. That pencil crayon picture is what pointed me in the direction that I went in鈥攔ealism.鈥�
鈥淚t was really important for me from a young age鈥攑robably about 12鈥攖o be accurate,鈥� she added.
鈥淏y (then) I was really able to do some pretty accurate sketches. I can recall stuff, and it鈥檚 an attention to detail as well.鈥�
Taylor鈥檚 ability to create works in such detail is noted in her brochure.
鈥淗er work is so detailed and life like,鈥� said Lois Hannan, curator and owner of Gossamer Gallery.
鈥淚 have watched people be brought to tears by her work.鈥�
Taylor does not simply copy exactly what she sees.
鈥淪ome people want a photo-realistic look,鈥� she said.
鈥淢y goal is to make it look real, but I don鈥檛 want to mimic the photo. I鈥檓 comfortable with having some gestural strokes and taking a bit of artistic license too. I鈥檓 working with softening things, leaving some stuff out."
鈥淭here鈥檚 elements that don鈥檛 work in the composition,鈥� she added. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e too tightly bound to your reference photo, you lose that emotion, that artistic quality.鈥�
Taylor started selling paintings, doing commission work, when she was a teenager.
鈥淚 sold my first one when I was 12 of a simple sunset. By the time I was 15, I had sold about 20, and that鈥檚 when I moved into wildlife, a mixture of landscapes and wildlife.鈥�
She added, 鈥淭hat neighbour who used to encourage me from a young age, he鈥檚 probably my biggest collector. There鈥檚 nothing more satisfying to me than having someone enjoy my work so much.鈥�
As well as selling her creations, Taylor has taught art classes for many years, including for a homeschooling organization, and in Edmonton.
She described art as a 鈥渢ough market.鈥�
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of artists out there. There鈥檚 more and more people in the field now, and it has changed too,鈥� she said.
鈥�(Years ago,) you had to go out and do shows, be visible to people, but now it鈥檚 online. It鈥檚 huge.鈥�
Taylor has shown in New York, Arizona, China and across Canada.
Her work is found in private and public collections around the world.
She is a Ducks Unlimited National Portfolio Artist and a signature member of Artists for Conservation.
During that venue in Vancouver, Taylor does live demonstrations.
鈥淭he great thing about that is I鈥檓 surrounded by the world鈥檚 best wildlife artists,鈥� she said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all like-minded.鈥�
Half the proceeds from sales at this event go conservation causes. Taylor鈥檚 is Ducks Unlimited.
It鈥檚 one of many ways she shows her love of wildlife.
鈥淚鈥檓 passionate about wildlife,鈥� she said.
鈥淭here is so much beauty around us. It鈥檚 worth preserving in paintings or drawings.鈥�
Taylor will be at the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum on April 9 at a reception, where she will give an artist talk at 7 p.m. about conservation.
Her work has been on display for a few weeks there, and she has had many chats with people during her visits.
