Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Stoneman.
Hi Taylor, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started painting four years ago as a pandemic coping mechanism. Doing so opened up my vision, unlocking a new part of my brain and helping me see the earth and her unending colors, textures, and patterns in a new light, and I quickly fell in love. Since that gentle beginning, I have expanded my practice by taking classes, painting on bigger and bigger canvases, experimenting with new mediums, applying for and being accepted into exhibitions, and marketing my work both at small artisan markets and large fine art fairs. Embracing a career as a creative and channeling my energy into making art that represents who I am, what I feel, and how I dream feels limitless, like what I can make is only bound by what I deem possible.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’m not sure that any career presents a smooth road but working as an artist certainly does not. The journey is far from linear, with exhilarating highs and debilitating lows peppering the path. What I have found, though, is that often it is the desire for a linear path, rather than the ups and downs themselves, that can bring disappointment. We can only control the effort we put into an endeavor, not the results.
I regularly need to remind myself that art is inherently subjective: I’ve been fortunate to have had my paintings accepted into a dozen or so exhibitions over the past year, but what folks don’t see are the dozens more rejections that come along with those acceptances. To not let those rejections get to your head, you have to fully love the art you’re making and be a little stubborn about wanting to share it with the world. Being creative requires seeing the long game and not quitting when someone tells you you’re not a good fit. Because someone else might say that you fit perfectly, but they can’t say that if they haven’t seen your art in the first place because you were too scared to apply.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My art is rooted in my emotional connection to the wilderness, which heightens my awareness of societally-introduced natural and structural additions to the environment. My latest work uses oil paint on linen canvases to closely examine the trunks of eucalyptus trees, a project that stems from my aesthetic interest in the physical intricacies of their bodies and my intellectual interest in the debate over their geographical presence here in California. The paintings themselves look abstract at first glance, but anyone who is familiar with the unique qualities of the eucalypt would know that the organic movements and patterns I am emulating track closely with reality.
The visual image of any art piece is just the beginning. I am proud that both online and at fairs this collection has begun conversations about the nuance in our past, present, and future actions, and how our human presence on the land we inhabit affects and changes it for future generations (of not only humans, but all living populations of earth). Patriarchal systems have always defined humans as other from the land, when really we exist within and among all that is around us. Human domination over land is a centuries-old effort. Ultimately, my interests stem from the failings in that story.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I’ll talk about the art world here, since that’s what I’ve personally been working to network in. My best advice is be open to anyone who your path crosses and to not hesitate to make the first move. Be forward about introducing yourself and saying you’d like to meet up sometime. (As a perpetual introvert, this can be hard for me!) Take advantage of social media—if I’ve just met someone I’d like to stay connected with, I’ll often follow them soon after we meet and then use that medium to initially reach out. I’ve also begun artist friendships first on social media that then transition into real-life friendships, which can be super gratifying.
I’d also highly recommend starting to go to events in your community to meet local artists and art lovers. I recently went to First Fridays in Oakland and bopped around a lot of the galleries and studio collectives down there. That trip led to a networking coffee date with an artist I met and vibed with, and it also gave me an opportunity to check out an artist-run gallery I had been wanting to see in person for some time. Finally, applying to local exhibitions is also a great way to connect with other artists in the exhibit, the owners of the gallery or institution, and the juror(s) (if it’s a juried exhibition).
Contact Info:
- Website: www.taylorstoneman.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorstoneman_art/