Di Taylor

Di Taylor

Born - Sydney NSW 1956

Secondary Education

Ravenswood Methodist College Gordon NSW
1974 - Higher School Certificate
1975 - Diploma in Art Qualifying Course -Hornsby Technical College
1976 - Diploma in Art - Alexander Mackey College of Advanced Education

Married with 4 children - Lived in Kentucky NSW, Sydney NSW, Gladstone TAS, Campbell Town TAS, Baldivis WA, West Perth WA and currently Menora WA.

Further studies

Launceston Technical College,
Claremont College of Advanced Education.

Colour Collision1994 Colour Collision Design and Colour Consultancy. The design and refurbishment of commercial premises. Completing instillations in Villa Cafe Leederville WA, Mondo Cafe West Perth WA, Ayers Rock Resort NT and Belmont Forum Shopping Centre WA and Warwick Grove Shopping Centre WA. Wall murals and colour coordination of private homes.

Colour Collision1996 Created Colour Collision Illustration Agency, promoting and representing 160 WA illustrators and artists to the advertising industry. Produced printed 40pp catalogue in 1996 and 1997, distributed in WA, Singapore, Germany and Sydney
2000 4 WA artists were nominated and published in the Luzers Archive Millennium Edition of the World.

Razoreye Design2000 Razoreye Design, Advertising agency, Small creative agency with boutique service and client base, now employees 7 staff Has worked with in the WA community with artists to help charities such as Telethon, The Lions Eye Institute and Touch the Sky Foundation.

Artistic Achievements

Community Projects
Baldivis Primary School- Special Art project of two oil paintings for the school library.
Judge and Co-ordinator Rockingham and District High School McDonald's Art Award WA
Belmont Forum Mural Instillation
Warwick Grove Shopping Centre Mural Instillation
Cafe Villa Leederville Mural and Restaurant Instillation
York Hotel- Mural Instillation

Artist in Residence

1990 - Canning College, Rottenest Island
1990 - spring in the Valley Festival - Talijancich Winery
1991 - spring in The Valley Festival - Westfield Winery

Teaching Workshops

1991 - 'Techniques from Drawing to Oil'- Baldivis WA
1991 - ' Working in the Environment' Baldivis WA

Awards

1990 - Rockingham District Arts Council- First Prize
1990 - Mandurah Festival of the Arts- Highly Commended
1990 - Matilda Bay Restaurant Art Prize - Finalist

Reviews and Publication

1990 - Weekend Courier -February
1990 - West Australian - 2nd December ' The Big Weekend Arty Facts
1990 - Weekend Courier - 2nd December 'Editorial.
1990 - Art Attack Mandurah- Murray Arts Council Award-4th June
1990 - The Weekend Courier - 28th May
1990 - The Chronicle - 29th May Matilda Bay Art Prize.
1990 - Sound Telegraph 14th February
1996 - Homes and Living Magazine - Review on Fabrics
1996 - ' You're Place or Mine '- Channel Seven - Documentary
1997 - Country Look Magazine- editorial
1998 - The York Chronicle-
1999 - The West Australian - Business Moves
2005 - The Box Magazine
2005 - The West Australian
2005 - September The Guardian Express -Arts
2006 - July The Sunday Times STM
2006 - Homes and Living Magazine- Front Cover

Exhibitions

1993 - The Terrace Art Gallery WA solo
1990 - Glebe Rd Gallery Sydney NSW
1995 - New Collectables WA- Solo
1991 - Gomboc Gallery WA
1991 - The Esplanade Gallery- Esperance WA
1991 - Yallingup Gallery WA
2004 - Telethon
2005 - July Tristan's the Gallery WA solo
2005 - St Hilda's - Artist in Residence WA
2005 - Perth Convention Centre WA
2006 - Celebrity Art - mentor
2006 - Variety Club WA-donation
2006 - September Tristan's the Gallery WA solo
2006 - Pink Ribbon Ball- Cancer Foundation WA
2006 - December Jahroc Gallery WA
2006 - December Elements Gallery WA
2008 - "Captured Passions" Jahroc Galleries Margaret River WA
2008 - Linton and Kay Perth WA

Commissions

1991 - Liz Roberts, WA - Portrait
1990 - David Harding Sydney NSW- painting
1993 - Margaret Kay , Sydney NSW- painting
1998 - Centurion Roller Doors , WA- Four Paintings for the board room
1999 - Steve Canning, WA - Mural Instillation

Collections

State Government - Rockingham City Council WA
Education Department WA
The Left Bank Hotel WA
Brave New World Advertising Agency NSW
Golden Bay Electrics WA
Abbey Dental Group WA
Centurion Roller Doors WA
Robert Juniper
James Llewellin

Di Taylor
Artist Statement

"Painting is an ongoing conversation between the surface of the canvas and the paint using texture, colour and movement to create expressions and images."

As a child I was surrounded by creative people who played an enormous part in my inspiration, filling my life with colour and vision.

My first success was in Year Five when I was given an award for a painting entitled 'Fishermen on a Cray Boat in a Storm." I still remember with great pride the teacher holding up the painting in front of the class, and describing in detail the elements which she believed made my painting so special.

I grew up in Sydney, where after gaining my HSC, I studied a Diploma of Fine Art in 1975. It was there I developed the technical skills which I still use in every aspect of my work. It was at the Alexander Mackie College of Advanced Education (The National Art School) where I developed my skills in sculpture and fine tuned my painting skills.

Painting has been my companion for the last 30 years, exhibiting in New South Wales, Tasmania and now Perth, Western Australia. I first arrived in Perth twenty years ago and joined the Claremont School of Art for six months before embarking on my own personal artistic journey. This journey led to exhibitions in Yallingup Gallery and the Terrace Gallery in Mandurah and Esperance Gallery in the South West of WA, Glebe in NSW, Gomboc Gallery in 1991 and many more. In the past three years, my exhibitions have been held at Tristan's Gallery in Perth, and have all been sold out on the first night. My art has won numerous awards and hang in private, corporate and government collections, including the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre..

Other notable achievements include being invited to be artist in residence at St Hilda's School for Girls in 2005 and being featured in Homes and Living magazine in the Spring Edition of 2006.

My inspiration comes from my surroundings, and the colour and life in the Perth riverfront and coastline including Crawley on the Swan River and the coastline at Margaret River. People also feature strongly in my paintings, giving character and life to my art. I would say that my driving goal is to use everyday scenes in an unusual way, endeavouring to create a figurative language that describes emotions in colour.

My most recent series is a collection simply entitled 'Angels'. Inspired by my personal experiences, when angels helped me, this series depicts the struggle between good and evil, and is an ongoing series, ever evolving and developing.

I feel that art is a snapshot of the time frame and emotional mindset in which it was created. Painting enhances my enjoyment of life and I hope that all who view my art share some of the pleasure that I receive putting my emotions onto the canvas.

Dianne Taylor