Today we’d like to introduce you to Taylor Gallegos.
Hi Taylor, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m an artist; I work mainly doing murals and paintings on canvas. My philosophical focus is about our connectivity with the world around us both the physical and the metaphysical. I was born in Boulder, CO, grew up there, graduated from the art department at Colorado State University. I moved to San Diego in 2011 and have lived here ever since. I love living here, having North County as a home base. I make murals throughout Southern California and also in the Bay Area from time to time.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t been easy, but I would also say that I’ve been lucky to have the opportunities I’ve experienced. The road to becoming a professional artist isn’t a clear or direct one, which makes it a challenge. Art school prepares a person to make art, but they have a hard time preparing one to “make it” as an artist. There’s a sort of sink-or-swim experience right out of the gate after graduating. I wasn’t picked up by any galleries right off the bat (I think most don’t), so I had to figure out other ways to make an income. I bartended, served tables, working in construction, and made my art on the side. I stayed with it, though, making painting after painting, selling on small scales to the community I was creating around myself. Murals ended up being a breakthrough, where my skill sets all came together. This has been a space where I’ve been able to thrive, and that energy has now been infusing back into my paintings on canvas.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Again, I paint. I use acrylics, oils, and also latex acrylic when it comes to murals. A specialty of mine is portraiture and figural work. I’m now leaning into the niche now of doing sports murals for my custom artwork offering to the world. This is a niche that I’m perfectly set up for. I always use the metaphor of my professional art as a boat that I’ll use to navigate the world and my life. My custom art is like the motor on the boat that’s getting me going out of the harbor. My fine art is like the sail. This is my free-flow art; it feels like riding the wind. So, while my custom art is what I do for others, I’ve been deepening and developing my fine art. I recently did an artist retreat with the intention of exploring and experimenting with my own creations. I ended up making 9 new paintings that week, which I’ll be showing at my solo show at Hotwater Gallery in Carlsbad in the fall.
Alright, so before we go, can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
You can follow me on Instagram and watch Mystory to follow along as I do my projects, I like to post finished work as well as timelapses and explanations of my process. People can work with me by commissioning me to make art for them, they can allow me to paint a creative mural on their walls, or they can purchase my originals or my art prints. These are all available and accessible on my website or the Hotwater website.
Contact Info:
- Website: taylorgallegosart.com
- Instagram: taylorgallegosart
- Facebook: taylor gallegos art
- Youtube: taylor gallegos art
