Artist of Month Taylor Shares His Talent With Others

By Arts Council Menifee

Jim Taylor uses his creative energy to produce works of art that are strongly influenced by the French Impressionists.

"I like to blend my images with color and texture so that most come out of the background as a sort of surprise," said Taylor, who has lived in Menifee since 2007. "I believe the word is pareidolia. An example of this would be looking at the clouds and seeing or recognizing shapes."

He joined Arts Council Menifee earlier this year and although it is not the first art group he has belonged to, it is one that has generated the most involvement. And it is this engagement that led to Taylor being chosen as Arts Council Menifee’s Artist of the Month for December.

"The board of trustees selected Jim not only for his artistic talents, but for his willingness to roll up his sleeves and assist behind the scenes to set up our gallery receptions and events. He’s a real team player," said Bill Zimmerman, past president of the art organization.

Born in Oakland on Thanksgiving day, Taylor has lived in California since 1961. His family lived at various military bases while his father served in the U.S. Navy. Taylor was a self-described "band geek" and played trumpet in high school and French horn in college. He was also in choir and played tenor banjo with a Jazz Festival camp in Mammoth Lakes.

"Music has always been part of my life, as it is with almost everyone," said Taylor. "With that in mind, we all seem to have some connection with the arts in an emotional or thoughtful way."

Taylor has created a series of artworks with dance and music themes and plans to do more. He has painted horses and landscapes, too. Taylor is also a photographer and has taught the subject at Calvary Murrieta Christian School.

"Mostly, I’m painting. But the desire for photography is still there and if I can capture something and then paint it, all the better," he said.

Taylor uses photographs for ideas, applying his paint style to the work.

"I work to create something other than classical/photographic work," he said. "Most artists are trained to do realistic work and then we have to break from that to create our own style. So if I get too realistic, I paint over it."

Taylor remembers copying cartoons such as Huckleberry Hound when he was young and his mother had him take some painting lessons. He took art classes in high school and majored in art in college.

"I work in just about every medium except welding and bronze. Not that I can’t do those; I’ve just not had the opportunity," Taylor said.

Taylor is glad to be part of Arts Council Menifee, which he feels is "supportive of all the artists." He has worked hard to devote much more time to painting in the past year because he felt he had to prove himself.

"There is an old saying: ‘Those who can, do, and those who can’t, teach’, and that just makes me boil a little bit because I’m a teacher," said Taylor, who has taught all aspects of art to students in grades 6 through 12. "So when I wasn’t teaching it, I wanted to prove I could do it."

He currently works as a substitute teacher for Nuview School District. He spends time with his wife of 42 years and their five grandchildren, who live nearby.

Taylor has a gauge for his art.

"If I walk into the room where the painting is and it makes me smile, I know I’ve done it right. If I look at the work and I see something not quite right, it needs a repaint," he said. "I hope anyone who has my art smiles the same way. It should make you feel something."

For more information, please visit www.artscouncilmenifee.org or call 951-290-2781.