David Taylor

In conversation with Humph Hack - Curator

I asked David about his earliest memories of making art.

“In primary school, we all had plastic aprons and actual easels with powder paints....I remember liking daubing paint on big sheets of white paper - the freedom just to paint!”

But he told me, “Secondary school was where I had the best grounding; structured teaching about perspective and drawing” David’s teacher made it clear that drawing was the foundation of making art and demanded homework, meant to take hours. “I made a drawing of some old books and my teacher was impressed”.

The art teacher who he liked best, was more open to progression in art and was also the teacher of a class for sign-writing, which he also loved. They made Heraldic designs. “I was encouraged to take “A” level art a year early, and left school with a good range of GSCEs, as well”.

David applied to College of Art but was turned down because he didn’t have a French qualification. I expressed my surprise at this decision.

“My parents wanted me to get an apprenticeship.” He joined BT but art remained important. So, selling painted custom motorcycle designs to a company in Putney was a way of keeping himself involved.

Daviid’s break-through came when a colleague of the big bank he worked for, at the time, asked him to do a painting for him. Success with that led, to commissions from other bank staff.

When I asked David which artists he admires he told me, “so many -- but Pissarro, Munnings, Dali, Cabot, Turner, Richard Wright the Younger , Rembradt…..and I am in awe of the statue of David in Florence by Michealangelo”

David did sculpture at college in Woolwich in the evenings at one point, and still does some sculpture now and again.

His artwork features varied subject matter, including landscapes, animals, rock stars and movie icons, surrealism ideas, architecture, seascapes, portraits, abstract scenes, steam engines......He really likes to make large paintings, of rock icons, in abstract style.

“I work in acrylics when I want to do more free painting quickly, but when I need to do something more precise, I use oils though they do take long to dry. I am keen to get on and do it...its very frustrating to wait .....I also like to work with Pallette knife and brush work on larger canvases”.

Since retiring David has converted a detached garage Into his studio. “ I can leave it all set up to be able to return and carry on later”.

Asked about the future, David said, “As you probably know we artists are never satisfied with our work -- so I would just like to paint one masterpiece before I check out.....”

He also told me, “I don’t paint to sell – but sell to paint another day.”

He’s not alone with that thought!

December 2024