Explore the artistry of contemporary landscape painter Martin Taylor as Northants Mag visits his studio for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at his creative process.
by Sarah Becker
A contemporary landscape artist, Martin had studied at the Ealing School of Art, Wimbledon School of Art and Goldsmith’s College. His work reflects a love of nature, played out in detailed studies of the countryside which surround his studio, a converted stable on a farm. His work is characterised by the combination of intricate details and careful composition, celebrating nature on every scale from the twigs on the forest floor to the clouds skimming the vast skies. He has won two Royal Watercolour Society Awards, the Chris Beetles award and the Jeffrey Archer award. His work has been exhibited in numerous exhibitions.
My watercolours have always been incredibly detailed, layering and overlaying which creates great depth.”
I first met Martin at an art exhibition at the Rose Gallery in Bell’s of Northampton lifestyle store.
I later looked up Martin Taylor’s website:
http://www.martintaylorartist.com
and was immediately captivated.
His landscape paintings were so strikingly realistic.
I had the pleasure of visiting Martin at his studio in East Haddon where he slowly unveiled his craft to me.
Martin has spent decades honing his craft with dedication and commitment to artistic excellence. His signature style is deeply rooted in painting nature in detail.
He lives near the Northampton Racecourse and paints at his studio in East Haddon. Whether working with watercolour or oil, Martin uses meticulous layering techniques to create very realistic paintings of contemporary landscapes.
He exhibits and sells in the prestigious London gallery of Gladwell & Patterson which is based in Knightsbridge, London and Stamford in Northamptonshire.
At his studio he maintains a ledger that dates back to 1982 in which he meticulously records each painting which since that date number over 1,200.
He has had many dedicated exhibitions in Northampton, London and New York which significantly reflect his growing reputation and demand for his work.
Painting Nature in Detail
“My nature is that when I see something I try to depict it – as it is, but in reality, all painting is an abstraction of sorts. You might think it’s an exact representation but it’s not.
“I like being outdoors, and if you are outside and you want to paint a scene and focus you naturally see the details. I spend a lot of time planning and drawing, I have a box full of sketchbooks – it’s all about working out compositions, seeing something and figuring out how it will work as a picture.
“Working in front of the subject ‘en plein air’ is always better. You could take hundreds of photographs and work from those but it’s not the same though they can be helpful in capturing light and are useful when working back in the studio.”
Watercolour v Oil Paint
Martin uses a limited palette of only 12 colours. “These colours give me everything I need.” he says simply.
For the past 15 years, Martin has worked primarily in oil, but before that his focus was on watercolour.
“My watercolours are incredibly detailed, ” he explains.
“I am recognised for being unusual in this medium because of the layering which creates depth and intricacy.”
Behind the Scenes
Inspired by the Victorian watercolourists, Martin dedicates himself to perfecting natural compositions, ensuring they appear as realistic as possible.
He also developed a unique technique, using white and yellow acrylic in layers over watercolour which enhance highlights and also he meticulously layers his foregrounds to achieve maximum detail in, for example, grasses.
The Early Years
Born in 1954 in Hayes , Middlesex Martin always knew he wanted to be an artist. “I loved Art even as a young child” he explains. “ I was drawing detailed pictures even by the age of six.”
That passion led him to study at the Ealing School of Art, Wimbledon School of Art and Goldsmiths’ College.
A Brush with Criticism
At Wimbledon, Taylor achieved a BA in painting, photography and printmaking.
He recalls an early critique from a lecturer who disparaged his use of an ultra fine brush, suggesting it would lead nowhere. This was a time of abstract expressionism.
Ironically that level of detail has since become the defining characteristic of his work.
A transition at 23
After teaching in a comprehensive school and being involved in teaching recreational adult classes, Taylor gradually transitioned into full time painting.
“I was always drawn to painting scenes of Nature, though in the early days, when living in Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, in my twenties, I was drawn towards scenes of the Thames Estuary.
I was painting the old cockle boats and the sheds. The Cockle industry still thrives there. On the mudflats there were rotten boats and I was known for looking away from the scenic towards the more unusual, also including derelict buildings and the backs of old houses.”
Martin became a full time professional artist at the age of 23.
A masterpiece in the making?
I asked Martin if he had created his masterpiece yet?
To answer that question, Martin replied, “ I was thinking about the artist Constable and his painting of the ‘Hay Wain’ – one of the nation’s favourites and an undoubted masterpiece. Do you ever know when you’re creating something truly special? I recently have been working at a place where the sunset was particularly stunning – it made me wonder about those rare moments of artistic inspiration.” With that ambiguous answer he smiled and nodded towards a half finished landscape.
You can see more of Martin Taylor’s work on his website: martintaylorartist.com