Taylor has been working in watercolor since childhood, learning the skill from her Italian grandmother. A highly prolific artist, Taylor has developed a style of painting that is distinctly her own, utilizing rich colors, layers of blending, dry-brushing, and pattern work, Taylor is constantly pushing and expanding on the possibilities of the medium.
Often conjuring the decorative and figurative qualities of the Pre-Raphaelites and aesthetic movements, Taylor’s work is an exploration of beauty. In her paintings, heavy indigo skies are filled with stars, and flowers bloom from the backs of languid, lovely women; the world that Taylor has made is gilt, prismatic, and lovingly wrought.
Shannon Taylor is a painter, illustrator, and educator based out of Oakland, California. She is the Assistant Chair of the Illustration Program at the California College of the Arts, and has also been the Director of Art and Restoration at Children’s Fairyland in Oakland since 2012. Taylor exhibits her work all over the US, including showing work with Spoke Art, Hashimoto Contemporary, and Modern Eden in SF and Arch Enemy Arts in Philadelphia (among many others). Taylor’s client lists include Pikchur Magazine, Monsa Publications, Nooworks, Cincinnati Magazine, Field Day, and Discount Universe. She has been featured on podcasts such as the Jealous Curator’s “Art for your Ears”, and was the final recipient of the Artist in Residency at Redux Gallery/St. Vincent de Paul.
A highly prolific artist, Taylor has developed a style of watercolor that is distinctly her own, utilizing rich colors, layers of blending, dry-brushing, and pattern work, Taylor is constantly pushing and expanding on the possibilities of the medium. Often conjuring the decorative and figurative qualities of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and aesthetic movement, Taylor’s work is an exploration of beauty. In her paintings, heavy indigo skies are filled with stars, and flowers bloom from the backs of languid, lovely women; the world that Taylor has made is gilt, prismatic, and lovingly wrought.
January 13–February 1, 2024
“Small Magic” is a body of work which celebrates the enchantment of the natural world. The scenic miniatures are a mixture of real and imagined landscapes. This collection of hand-cut, watercolor dioramas often pulls inspiration from the rich beauty of California. The use of antique and vintage cosmetic compacts harkens to the utilitarian qualities of American folk art, finding purpose in forgotten objects through reuse and revivification. Each piece is made from layers of paper, hand painted with watercolors. The layers are methodically and painstakingly cut to shape, and then layered inside containers which were former hosts to powder, blush and fragrance. These pieces are made to honor beauty, nature, and magic, small portals that can be carried in a pocket.