Meet Toni Taylor | Fine Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Toni Taylor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Toni, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
‘Art Chose Me’ ~ From the time I was a child, I had a fascination with art and different forms of creativity. I was very sickly in my youth and had to be isolated a lot so I became best friends with crayons, coloring books and any painting materials I could get my hands on. As I got older, art became my ‘go to’ when I wasn’t engaged with school work or other activities. It was second nature to me. Although drawing was encouraged by my friends and family, I was never lead to believe that art was something I could make a living at.. my family wanted me to get a Real job after college for security. Instead of going to college to major in art, I went to the Fashion Institute of Technology as I also had an interest in fashion. I thought that might be a lucrative option. Over time, I didn’t find the world of fashion design to be a good fit, but throughout my schooling I continued to draw and paint on my own. It was my ‘happy place’. Through serendipitous events while unemployed, I became an artists model at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. It was a blessing in many ways. I was not only supporting myself but I also learned quite a bit through osmosis. While posing, information filtered in from the instructors, I befriended a few and found the courage to ask for critiques of my art. I was given considerable encouragement in doing so. One of the instructors, a professional illustrator, offered me the opportunity to be a paid assistant in his studio which was another step in my education. After working with him for two years, I felt it was time to spread my wings and strike out on my own. It was pretty challenging at first but I started to get commissions for editorial work, book and album covers. I began to branch out with my fine art as I wanted to speak with my own artistic voice and did art shows, festivals and sci fi/fantasy cons from Boston to New Orleans. In ’04 I was ready for a change and moved to Florida, one New York snow storm too many helped to make that decision! Once there, I met someone who turned me on to scenic work ie painting themed environments for Disney and Universal Studios. It was lucrative yet physically taxing work. I did that for 11 years but began to miss fine art, the labor of scenic zapped my creative spark a bit. As it was, my health was becoming negatively affected by working around a lot of toxic elements on construction sites and asthma became a problem. It came to critical mass when I had a bad attack, the inhaler didn’t help and I literally flat lined. Long story short, I recovered with a lot of care, moved to Georgia in ’16 where I currently reside and have re-committed myself to my art. I decided if I survived that trauma rising like a Phoenix, I was going to reinvent myself, work FOR myself and focus on what I love.. my passion, my art.. which I’ve been doing ever since. Starting over wasn’t easy, I’ve had a lot of hurdles to surmount but I’m proud to say that I’m making it happen (with a little help from my angels, ancestors and Divine universal energies aka God) and it’s getting better every day. With all of that, it is my firm belief that art chose me!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Though I resist categories, my artwork would best be described as Visionary and Fantasy. I’ve always been interested in esoteric and metaphysical subject matter and am quite fond of dragons and mythical realms as well! I have my own unique vision as I don’t believe in being a copyist, authenticity is important to me. Sometimes I feel as though ideas are being channeled to me and through me from the 5D realm in order to find themselves manifested in the 3D world. I’ve had many challenges, some I touched on in the prior segment, respiratory health being a big one. I have danced with the Phoenix a few times and it has empowered me. It has not been easy, I’ve also had my share of meeting with closed doors or closed minds. While it’s much less of a problem now, there were times discrimination played a role being a woman of color in what has typically been a business dominated by men. More women are finding their voice and being heard in a visual and energetic way. Regardless of one’s skill level, I’ve learned that perseverance is important for an artist. Things don’t always go our way. Sometimes when the bills are high and income is low or we face rejection, it’s tempting to give up but we can’t.. not if we follow through on our purpose as we’re meant to. I feel I have found my purpose and art is my vehicle to move through life, the journey being more important than the destination. I’ve had so many experiences both good and bad as a result of that but it’s helped me to grow, not just as an artist but as a spirit having a human experience. I have just taught my first 3 week workshop connecting with and painting our spirit totems and was recently Artist Guest of Honor at a Kansas City Sci Fi/Fantasy con.. I’m very proud of that. For my brand, I chose the name StarchildArt as ultimately we are all born from the limitlessness of the stars and to the stars we shall return!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There’s too many people to name individually because so many have been a part of my journey. I thank my dearest friends and family for getting on board to cheer me on as I pursue my creative dreams. I feel many, like my Mom, Grandmother and other close relations, are angels on the other side looking out for me.. I know their spirits are still with me. I’d like to shout out to the many clients I’ve had along the way who’ve believed in and entrusted me with commissioned work through the years and continue to do so. I’m grateful if my artwork has brought a smile, some empowerment or measure of healing to anyone who has been able to view it. Touching people in a good way with my art is a big part of my goal. I will offer a special nod to Donna Blue Thunder and Jim Peera of Healium Art Center in Atlanta for connecting me with Shoutout Atlanta!

Website: www.StarchildArtbyToniTaylor.com

Instagram: @StarchildArtbyToniTaylor

Facebook: StarchildArt by Toni Taylor