Artist Biography
Ralph Taylor is a native of Columbus, Georgia, but now resides in Phenix City, Alabama. He began drawing at an early age, and at fifteen was selected for a scholarship to the Columbus School of Art where he studied for five years.
Working in oils, he painted for several years as a “Sunday Painter”, selling on rare occasions. He discovered acrylics painted on canvas at age 35, and participated in his first Arts Festival, where Taylor’s work sold well. Three years later he switched to watercolor, which initially proved to be quite frustrating. Now it has become the artist’s favorite medium.
Traveling to art shows throughout the United States over the years, Ralph has won numerous awards. Several museums and art associations have purchased his paintings including: The Columbus Museum of Arts and Sciences, Columbus, Georgia; The Chattahoochee Valley Art Association Museum, LaGrange, Georgia; The Art Association of Macon, Georgia; and The Art Association of Fort Deposit, Alabama.
Taylor conducts art classes and art workshops in various cities. His original paintings and prints are distributed in galleries nationally.
“I have always had a great love of nature. From my early childhood I have spent many hours alone in the woods, hunting, fishing or just wandering in the fields, woods and streams. I have spent countless hours studying ducks from blinds in rivers, beaver ponds, and streams, or sitting in deer stands observing and photographing nature.”
“Nature fascinates me. Hiking mountain trails or strolling through formal gardens, taking time to sketch, photograph and study everything I observe, is a great enjoyment. I admire and have great respect for people whose way of life is so close to nature. Seeking them out, learning from them, and sometimes painting these people are usually the only portraits I paint. In the past, I have spent most of the summer and fall doing art shows in the mountains of North Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia, living in a tent at high elevations, coming down only to do the shows on weekends. Painting at my campsite, I paint more paintings than I would back home in my studio. Working in the natural light of the outdoors and being inspired by the scenery around me, I often produce my best paintings.”
“I worked for more than twenty years in the printing business. My experience as a dot etcher, color separator and film stripper has given me a better understanding of color. Now, after being a full time artist for many years, I still have a strong desire to become a great artist. I know that this ambition requires a tremendous amount of work, but I am willing to put forth every effort to achieve this goal. I do not ever expect to be completely satisfied with my work, for to capture even a small part of God’s creation is the great challenge of my life.”
Ralph Taylor
