Kristine Taylor
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Kristine Taylor lives in rural Portola Valley, California, in the same house where she grew up. As a child she was passionate about animals and art. Her mother, an oil painter, encouraged her to develop her artistic talents, and her father, an engineer, taught her to use the many tools in his home woodshop and foundry.
Kristine graduated from Stanford University in 1973 with a B.A. degree in fine art, and spent several years doing machine work for a scale model/prototyping company. While raising her family, she focused on graphic design as a career, and painted with oils and watercolor for her own enjoyment.
In 2007, Kristine turned her focus to sculpture, which she found to be the perfect blend of her love of tools and the creative process. Her knowledge of animals is evident in her work, not only in the proportions of the subject but also in the personality revealed in each piece.
For 2011, Kristine’s sculpture of Barn Swallows has been selected for exhibition in Birds in Art at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, Wisconsin. The Preening Swan was selected for the Art and the Animal, the fifty first anniversary exhibition of the Society of Animal Artists, at Dennos Museum Center, in Traver City, Michigan and the following national exhibition tour.
For several months each year, Kristine works with local high school students who participate in an annual robotics competition. Teaching the next generation how to use tools and machinery, do welding, engineering and design is her way of sharing the skills that have brought her joy and a meaningful career.
Resume
Education:
1973 Stanford University, CA - Bachelor of Fine Arts
Memberships:
2010 National Sculpture Society, associate member
2010 Society of Animal Artists, signature member
Shows and Exhibitions
2011 Society of Animal Artists (juried exhibition) – Dennos Museum, Travers City, MI
2011 Birds in Art (juried exhibition) – Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI
2011 Joint Show “Summer Dreams” - Gallery House, Palo Alto, CA
2011 3D Group Show – Gallery House, Palo Alto, CA
2011 Silicon Valley Open Studios – Palo Alto, CA
2010 Joint Show “Opposite Attraction” – Gallery House, Palo Alto, CA
2010 Fur, Feathers & Fins (juried) - Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA
2010 Saratoga Rotary Art Show (juried) - Saratoga, CA
2010 3D Group Show – Gallery House, Palo Alto, CA
2010 Fresh Faces Show – Gallery House, Palo Alto, CA
2009 May Featured Artist – Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA
Artist's Statement
Animals have always fascinated me, especially in the way their behavior and movement reveals their character. Their pose can speak volumes about their personality. It is this silent communication that I capture in my work, using a simplified and refined style, rather than representational, which lets the animal tell its own story.
Inspiration for my pieces comes in many forms. Sometimes, the wild birds and animals that live around my rural home captivate me, or it is a photograph that gets my attention. Once inspired, I research the animal to understand its behavior and how that behavior reveals the essence of the animal. Ideally, I try to study a live subject, if one is accessible, but often I use photographs and sketches. I look for a pose or a subtle gesture that captures the animal’s beauty, grace, and even its plight. I enjoy getting to know the animal at an even deeper level through the sculpting process.
My sculptures are cast in bronze, in limited editions of 15. For the modeling of the original “master” form, I use epoxy clay, a self-hardening clay that can be carved, machined, sanded, and polished. As I work and become more familiar with the animal, I may change the original form to further enhance the pose. Some pieces just seem to know who they are and quickly take shape. Others I struggle with and end up putting it on a shelf for awhile. We may stare at each other for a long time, but then one day, we are ready to carry on.
When complete, I have the clay master cast in bronze at an artwork foundry. Casting is a very labor intensive, multi step process involving several artists doing the mold-making, wax work, metal pouring, finish work, and applying the final patina (coloration). I spend a lot of time working with these skilled and talented artists, making decisions and adjustments in order to bring the piece to “life”.