Master painter: Never too late

Compared to Eureka Springs painter Zeek Taylor, most artists are still novices. He’s been making art since he won the grand prize in the first-grade art contest at 6 years old. He expanded from his first set of Prang watercolors — seven little pots of paint and one brush in a tin container, he remembers — to a career as a professional artist that culminated in being the recipient of the Arkansas Arts Council Governor’s Art Award for Lifetime Achievement.

“When I was a student at the Memphis College of Art, I took courses in pottery, sculpture, print making, weaving and other media,” Taylor reveals. “I enjoyed getting to experience other ways to create, but I always came back to painting. I consider myself to be a colorist, and I felt that painting offered the greatest way to use color.”

Taylor says even though he started as a child, nothing should keep an adult from pursuing art.

“Art has no age requirements, and one is never too old to get started,” he says. “Beginners need to realize that like all art disciplines, getting better requires practice. Don’t expect to do perfect work from day one. I would recommend that some time be spent on learning to draw. I feel that a good drawing is the framework for making a good painting. I’ve been making art for many decades, but I still practice, and I still learn. I still have ‘aha’ moments.”

Taylor says start with “student-grade” materials.

“Purchasing sets of paints is a more affordable way to obtain a range of colors rather than buying separate tubes one at a time,” he says. “Art supplies can be expensive. I do recommend using the best brushes a person can afford. As one improves, then one can begin adding more expensive grades of paint and paper, and in time create an ‘art tool shed.’ Having the proper tools on hand does make a difference.” Taylor says as a professional, he considers painting to be his job, and so he works at it full time.

“I realize spending hours a day may not be possible for most, but I do encourage spending at least some time each day making art, even if it is just 15 minutes to do a quick drawing,” he says. “Years ago I would take some time off during the summer. When I returned to the studio, I was rusty, and it took me a while to get back into the groove. Since that time, it is rare for me to not spend all or part of each day in my studio.

“If possible, even beginners or hobbyists benefit from having a dedicated space,” he adds. “I like being able to leave everything ‘out’ and not begin my art day setting up.”

However, he adds, “if one doesn’t have a dedicated space, don’t let getting set up be a deterrent. Get out those supplies and put them on the kitchen table or wherever, and go to work.”

“During the ’80s, there were a couple of years when I had pretty much quit painting,” he says. “One evening I was watching a PBS ballet version of ‘Streetcar.’ The man dancing the part of Stanley was a guy I had danced with when we both were members of Ballet South in Memphis. I immediately had a feeling of regret that I had not continued to pursue dance. I thought, ‘Too late.’ I then made a mental list of things that I might regret not doing. Pursuing a career as an artist was at the top of the list. Almost immediately I started painting again with a vengeance. A couple of years later my work was being carried by the Franklin Company of Chicago and was being marketed nationwide.

“The best day for me as an artist was when the call came to inform me that I was a recipient of the Arkansas Arts Council Governor’s Art Award for Lifetime Achievement. Receiving that recognition was a humbling experience, and the highlight of my career.”

Zeek Taylor