Joyce Taylor

I paint landscapes, seascapes and still life in a variety of media, depending on subject matter or whether I am working en plain air or in my studio. In the past I have worked mainly in watercolours or oils, however in recent paintings I have experimented with acrylics on canvas and wooden panels. Although I live in a rural Aberdeenshire I find myself constantly drawn to the coastal villages of N-East Aberdeenshire. My creative process begins by walking around with my sketch book and sitting for a while to really look and absorb the atmosphere of a place, while studying the colours, textures, forms and deciding how to compose a piece of work to bring attention to a detail that has caught my eye or to convey the atmosphere of a fleeting moment in time. Many of the coastal villages of my childhood which hadn't changed much in hundreds of years are now ghost towns off season. These once busy communities which were supported by local industry and where everyone knew everyone are now predominantly second homes or holiday destinations . Visiting off season, one is often alone to explore or paint without interruption, however this also emphasises the vulnerability of being alone in an empty place but also the fragility of these beautiful villages. Not only vulnerable by the loss of permanent residents but to climate change, rising sea levels and recent increasingly ferocious storms. I believe my strengths come from a lifetime of observing and drawing and painting