Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Jiles.
Hi Taylor, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a 22 year old recent graduate and full time artist who is matriculating through the art community in Atlanta. My first experience painting that I can clock was my freshman year of college. My friends and I had a park date and painted one afternoon. That was in 2018. I started to paint as a way to cope with my feelings and later decided to repurpose an Instagram account that was dedicated to my love for cheese. This is now my Instagram page @artbytayj. Eventually, I discovered that I have a passion for painting and I started practicing almost every day in an effort to improve and learn the craft. I knew that painting was meant for me because when I first started, I was commissioned. I would watch YouTube videos about how to oil paint and all of the techniques that are required to successfully complete an oil painting. I marketed my Instagram page:@artbytayj to classmates at my university, and in a way studied the craft of painting.
I think 2020 had a huge impact on so many people’s lives and my experience was no different. I was depressed and anxious and painting became my main coping mechanism. I was in school virtually and I was failing my courses. Once that semester ended, I took off 6 months from school to focus on my mental health and getting my art brand off the ground. From January 2021 to this current moment my Instagram account grew from 200 followers to 900+ followers. During that rough time in 2021, I made what I would say is my most recognizable work “Self Portrait”. That work was featured in Underground Magazine at Georgia State. I started making prints and stickers of that painting, I submitted to open calls, I had those same prints and stickers in a boutique in Norcross, I started showcasing at art shows and in galleries in the West End and through all of that my mental health increased and I found that love for life again. I went back to school in August of 2021 to finish my degree in Political Science. Going back to school and focusing on something that was not what I pictured myself doing for the rest of my life (working in politics) influenced me to take 2 art courses during my last semester of school. Through those two courses, I learned discipline, conceptualization, and how to truly be intentional with my work and follow through with an idea.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Considering the fact that I am completely self-taught and I started my journey later than most, I would say a lot of my struggles stem from that. I struggled with harsh self-criticism. I had a hard time completing a painting for the first year I took it seriously. To overcome that, I worked on one painting for a whole month. I painted for at least 30 minutes every night until I felt like the work was done. Once I completed my first full painting “Self Portrait” it became significantly easier to finish the work going forward. I struggled with conceptualizing my work. I work based from emotion. I don’t have an idea or an image that I put onto canvas. Whatever comes out, comes out. Being able to make a piece or body of work that feels cohesive is essential as an artist and that is something I have been working on in my journey.
Being completely transparent, most of my struggles come from self-limiting beliefs. I never envisioned myself as an artist. I did not think I was creative at all. I used to talk down on people who pursued their creative endeavors because I never allowed my creativity to bloom and flourish. Since then, I’ve learned that giving yourself a chance to explore, experiment, and actually get good at something is the best thing you can ever do for yourself. Regardless of if you plan on making that hobby a career or keeping it a hobby.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
All of my work is an extension of my experiences, emotions, perspectives, and opinions. The way I express myself is like a riddle and I can say the same for my work.
It is interesting to answer this question because my automatic answer was “I am an oil painter”. While that is true, oil paint is not the only medium I experiment with. I have a piece that is made with concrete and acrylic paint that is accompanied by an immersive sound experience, I’ve been into making vases and filling them with dried flowers, I dabble in digital art and creating NFT’s, I paint abstract work and I’ve been dabbling in a body of work that is more along the lines of abstract figuration. Lately, I’ve been into photography as well. I specialize in oil painting. I fell in love with oil paint because when I started painting, acrylic paint was too thin and dried too fast. Oil paint is the opposite. It’s thick, it’s slow drying, it’s messy, and it’s interactive. I can’t really say what I am known for because I think I am still experimenting with what works for me. I am comfortable with abstraction. So that would be the thing I would say I’m known for. I make work that you have to sit with. Work that stays in the back of your mind and you have to stare at it for minutes or hours to really get it. All of my work is personal to me, so people may not always know the intention behind the image or why I painted it. You just know that you see this image and you feel something.
I don’t have one piece of work or even a body of work I am most proud of. I am most grateful for allowing myself to create these works and to take advantage of the opportunities afforded to me, all because I decided to not quit when I thought I had no confidence in my abilities as an artist.
I feel what sets me apart from others, is honestly my uniqueness as a person. There is no one like me. I am truly a unique being and that being said so is my work. Every creative endeavor I undertake is an extension of self. I don’t make work for the masses, I make work for people who can see and feel the emotions I’ve embedded into each piece. I’m not in this market for a quick turnaround, I’m here for the long term. I am creating something for myself and others that is stable, secure, enduring, and sustainable.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Vulnerability with self and others, drive, consistency, kindness to self and others, and most importantly, Gratitude.
Every opportunity I receive no matter how big or small, I express gratitude, even the rejections and no callbacks, I give gratitude. I think it’s essential to be grateful for all that one has and all that one is given.
Contact Info:
- Website: strokesbytayj.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/artbytayj
- Other: https://opensea.io/artbytayj
Image Credits
Yemaya Broadnax
