ArtistsNetwork.com 19“I wasfascinatedbythem,”hesays,andhewantedtolearnmore.“Igot
reallyinterestedinJ.M.W.Turnerandthesailingshipshepainted,and
the sea,andanythingassociatedwiththesea.”Hedabbledinpainting,
tryingoilsandproofinginksbeforeeventuallyattemptingwatercolor.
He wasinspiredbysomeofAustralia’sbest-knownwatercolorists,whose
art heencounteredintheNationalGallery,inCanberra.“Istudiedfrom
booksandanythingI couldgetmyhandson,andstartedkeepinga diary
to recordthethingsI wasdoinginwatercolor,”hesays.
Tayloralsoadmiredthemanmadestructuresandvesselshespotted
alongtheshore.“Ilovethebeautyandcraftsmanshipfoundinboats
and buildings,”hesays.The artisthasspentmanyhoursexploringhar-
bors aroundtheworldandisparticularlyimpressedbythoseonthe
ChannelIslandsofEngland.“Forty-foottidescreatedramaticchanges
to thescenesinsidetheharborwalls,”Taylorsays,“andit’sgreatto
walk amongtherestingboatsatlowtideandsketchandpaintthem.”
Th eartistcompletesmostofhisworkonlocationinthemoments
whenhefeelstheconnectionstrongly.“It’simportanttofinishthe
paintingwhilethatqualityispresent,”hesays.Inhisstudiohe’llpaint
largerworksfromsmallerstudiespaintedfromlife.“Ifreferencephotos
are used,I stillwanttoproducethatspontaneity.I don’twantit tolook
like aphotocopy,”saystheartist.“Copyingisa skill;creationistheart.”
“In watercolor, a painting is
better when 90 percent fi nished
than 120 percent overworked.”
Toolkit
SURFACE- Arches or Saunders
Waterford 140-lb.
rough or cold-
pressed paper
PAINTS - Daniel Smith:
manganese blue hue,
cobalt blue, French
ultramarine blue,
phthalo blue, cobalt
teal blue, perylene
green, moonglow,
quinacridone
magenta, sepia,
organic vermilion,
aureolin, Aussie gold,
permanent orange - Winsor & Newton:
light red, brown
madder, burnt sienna,
raw sienna, raw
umber, burnt umber,
cadmium lemon - Holbein: jaune brilliant
BRUSHES - Various sizes of flat,
round and dagger
brushes, and the
David Taylor signature
brush sets by Escoda
and Neef