75_Art Source.qxp_49/51 01/11/2024 12:07 Page 1
Art Source
Taylor Made Suzy Taylor is a folk artist and illustrator, originally from London, but is now loving living in rural mid Devon with her husband, 17 year old daughter and four cats. Art Source shares some snippets from Suzy’s colourful creative life. For 10 years I worked as a paper-cutting artist, creating designs for all sorts of products, from playing cards to gin bottles. The designs led to a brilliant commission for colouring books – the most successful one being The Colour of Love. I lost count of all the foreign editions! However, the intensive work took its toll on my eyes and I needed to find a new way of working. I then switched to working digitally, creating repeating patterns on Adobe Illustrator. Now, however, I produce all of my digital work using Procreate on my iPad Pro. I produce all of my patterns and digital illustrations this way as it’s so flexible and I can take it anywhere. Working on the iPad is so intuitive and has enabled me to increase my workflow. I enjoy the drawing apps and the beautiful textures that can be created. I love my job and am constantly working on new ideas. I have licensed designs for greeting cards, gift wrap, two quilting fabric ranges, cross-stitch and tapestry kits, phone covers, and colouring books - all drawn on my iPad. Of my recent ‘claims to fame’ I was thrilled when Oxfam selected my cat images for its 2025 slimline calendar. I always enjoy including cats into my work. I like to convey their personalities and I hope that the end result has a little Right: An example of Suzy’s acrylic work which involves underpainting. Below: Folkloric styling from Suzy. Below right: Suzy’s designs lend themself to being translated onto all manner of products and substrates.
WANT TO BE FEATURED?
Above left: Suzy Taylor in her studio. Above right: The front cover of Oxfam’s 2025 slimline calendar featuring some of Suzy’s cat designs. Below right: Some quilting fabrics based on Suzy’s designs.
taste of narrative, something that is always effective for greeting cards. The designs selected include many portraits of cats we have owned, which gives added meaning to me. During Covid I set myself the task of learning how to paint with acrylics. Physical paint had always scared me and it took me two years to get the courage to come out of just working in a sketchbook. Having recently moved into our country cottage some of my first paintings were decorative designs using the house as a canvas. Now I’m confident enough to paint canvasses and sell my work to the public. And I’m exhibiting at my first art show on Dartmoor at the beginning of November, which is an exciting step for me! In my acrylic work I create colourful abstract patterns as a base and then paint over the design, creating images from the negative spaces. As a folk artist I don’t feel I have to limit myself to just drawing or painting. More recently I have been learning freestyle embroidery and punch-needle embroidery. I enjoy translating my work in different ways. All my work, whether it’s digital, painted, sewn or embroidered is always inspired by nature and the beautiful place that I’m lucky enough to call home. You’ll almost always find folky birds, flowers and patterns in all my designs. I’m very fortunate to have a beautiful airy studio in my home. If you were to visit, you’d find me working on multiple projects from painting, to quilting, to embroidery - whatever I’m inspired to do. I like to keep things varied as I find more inspiration that way and often an idea from one medium will find its way into another. Licensing my designs for greeting cards remains a source of real pleasure. I always get a big kick out of walking into a shop and seeing my artwork on card display! l Suzy Taylor is represented by Sue Bateman at Yellow House Art Licensing.
If you are an artist, photographer or verse writer and would like to be considered to appear in Art Source, please contact PG’s Jakki Brown on jakkib@max-publishing.co.uk. This is an editorial feature and as such is free of charge. PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE 75