How Sports Murals Came to Be

Taylor has been painting and drawing athletes since he was very young. Taylor has always had a love of portraiture, and figural work, and images of athletes fits the bill perfectly.

He began with pencil sketches and watercolor paintings of John Elway (He grew up outside of Denver), Michael Jordan, Cobi Jones and Alexi Lalas (He played soccer throughout his life until an injury sent him on his current path of Yoga and Surfing.). On into high school he continued painting standout figures from all sports. With these images he got to practice lighting, shading, color, detail, expression of emotion, anatomical intricacies, and more.

Taylor then went to study art at Colorado State University. There he recieved a double concentration in Drawing and in Painting. Fully diving into these two disciplines helped develop his skills of observational drawing, seeing and depicting special elements, mark making, and then also color theory, and the use of paints and mediums. The cherry on top was his semester abroad in Tuscany, Italy where we has able to study the Renaissance Masters in person. These formal training elements later became the bedrock for the artwork he came to develop on large scales for large audiences.

After college Taylor continued to practice his craft, painting on canvas, experimenting with new creative ideas like Live Art for events like festivals and weddings, small one off mural projects, solo shows, curating group shows, and more.

Then he was introduced to the world of professional murals. He was hired by a full time muralist in San Diego to help with production of her projects. With that position he learned about the world of paint products, best mural practices, and the business of murals. After a year as an apprenctice, he was ready to branch out on his own.

In the past 10 years, Taylor has done countless murals of all shapes, sizes, design styles, and concepts. He obtained a C33 Painter’s Contractor’s license, and with that he’s bonded and insured. He’s worked with top level brands and organizations, bringing their visions to life. He’s now represented by nationally recognized gallery, Hotwater Gallery, based in Carlsbad, CA. Taylor has become the artist we know today.

And in recent years, he’s found his way back to sports artwork. The difference now is that it’s larger than life. His recent works have become iconic, intricate, powerful imagery representing top level teams and organizations. These murals depict memorable moments that conjure legendary greatness in human achievement. Athletes are portrayed in their glory, expressing their passion for the game.