By Fran Schiavo
Artist Cathy Taylor and her husband, Scott Simmons, visited San Miguel de Allende in 2015 looking for their forever home. As a child, Taylor and her family vacationed in different areas throughout Mexico, and she fell in love with the country, the culture, the food, and its people. They moved permanently to San Miguel in 2017.
Taylor is a mixed-media artist and well-known workshop instructor. She has worked in watercolor, acrylic, collage, and, most recently, alcohol inks. She is a signature member of the National Collage Society and the International Society of Experimental Artists. She has written many articles for “Cloth, Paper, Scissors” magazine and is the author of the best-selling book “Pigments of Your Imagination, Creating with Alcohol Inks.”
Taylor is a featured artist on artacademylive.com and has created two DVDs: “Watercolor Collage” and “Mixed Media Collage.” She is known for her ability to interpret a subject in a variety of styles. From her colorful detailed alphabetical designs including the Florida “Shell-A-Bet” to her whimsical collages and multi-dimensional abstracts, Taylor’s work is represented in museums, nature centers, and private collections throughout the United States and internationally.
Her vibrant, colorful alcohol ink paintings reflect her love of nature—the textures, patterns, and colors found in the natural world. Rather than a realistic rendering of a subject, Taylor’s paintings represent the feelings evoked by the natural subject matter.
Her great joy is teaching and sharing techniques and ideas with others. She has taught several workshops in San Miguel and plans to teach more in the future. She volunteers as an art teacher and mentor for a promising young artist from the San Miguel School for Special Education who has already been featured in art exhibits, and his work is selling well. She also is very active with Ojalá Niños, an extracurricular program for local indigenous children. Currently Ojalá provides in-home activity kits to keep children engaged during the pandemic.
Visit Magenta to enjoy Taylor’s work, at Zacateros 26. Magenta is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 11am-4pm.
To learn more about Magenta’s artists—Steve Ellis, Patricia Miller, Lola Picó, Fran Schiavo, Cathy Taylor, and Fernando Pérez Vázquez visit www.magentagallery.com. Magenta is, of course, Health First certified and dedicated to the safety and support of all clients and visitors. Private and virtual showings can be arranged; let us know your interests via MagentaGallerySMA@gmail.com.