The RAL Art Center Gallery Windows for November will feature the artistic dynamic duo of Ron and CarolAnne Taylor. This couple is truly gifted in each of their mediums: multi-media artwork for Ron and photography for CarolAnne. Their home must be a perpetual petri dish of ideas in action, evolving into creative works of art!
Ron Taylor has been working in various art mediums since the 1970's, as his work evolved from oils and acrylics to watercolor, pastels and colored pencil, and further to include sculpture, metal and wood. A career in graphic arts developed his digital artistic ability as well. All of these things came into play after Ron retired to the Northern Neck and began creating his own art. He has a vivid imagination, and this is the driving force behind all of his art. This is apparent in the variety of subjects and the manner of expression that Ron uses, often blending two dimensional and three-dimensional elements into his pieces." I see no boundaries", says Ron. "You will see my work in oils, acrylic, watercolor, wood, metal or anything else that best conveys the end result. Art is the Message, I am the Messenger.” One of Ron’s works on exhibit is typical of his being able to find Art in just about anything: A creative and pleasing collage arrangement of interestingly-weathered pieces of wood which are cleverly arranged on a black background, entitled Artifacts.
Ron exhibits his work at the RAL Art Center, Arts On Main in Gloucester, and at the Williamsburg Contemporary Art Center, where he has recently won an award of excellence in the 2022 Regional Juried Art Show.
The beautiful landscapes and water scenes that are so abundant on the NNK provide inspiration for CarolAnne, as well as the flowers and butterflies found in her gardens and those of friends and neighbors. Surrounded by the beauty all around her, it was second nature for her to pick up a camera, and this sparked her creative instincts.
As October comes around, CarolAnne captures the fall colors as the landscapes and her gardens turn to autumn. Using Photoshop software, she produces her creative images in her own unique style, sometimes blending realism with artistic expression. It is sometimes difficult for the viewer to determine that they are actually looking at a photograph, as CarolAnne expertly blends the lines between photo-realism and more painterly artistic impressions. But she doesn’t always aim her camera at landscapes. In her piece titled Dreaming in Blue, she somehow elevates the lowly (and sometimes detested!) Jellyfish to new levels of grace and beauty, and was the result of CarolAnne’s visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. While pushing her camera up against the aquarium glass she was able to capture the graceful movements of the jellyfish swimming underwater. Blue tint was applied to align with her vision and create just the right underwater effect.
A member of the Rappahannock Art Center since 2011, CarolAnne has taken classes at the RAL Art Center and at Rappahannock Community college. Since 2011 she has been a co-chair of the RAL Art Center Photography Group. Her award-winning images of landscapes, water scenes, flowers and sunsets have been shown at many of the RAL exhibits, as well as The Williamsburg Contemporary Art Center.