Scott Taylor: Cloudscapes

This artist has been greatly influenced by Jon Schueler – an American artist who relocated to the Scottish Highlands to paint the sky.

- Trevor Lang

Scott Taylor was born in Meningie on the shores of Lake Albert in south-east South Australia. He spent a lot time at his grandparents’ farm located near Meningie – a predominantly flat part of the country providing an unbroken vault of sky which he believes was the catalyst for his current passion for clouds.

He currently lives and works in Adelaide’s CBD, in a studio apartment surrounded by the fruits of his labour.

“My art is my life,” says Scott. “Since I can remember, I have been passionate about art; though not always the same mediums. As a child and into early adulthood, I longed to be a fantasy book illustrator looking to the likes of Keith Parkinson and Boris Valejo for inspiration. I struggled endlessly, trying to capture the human form and create convincing mythical beasts – predominantly using pencil, pen and ink. At about age 21, I discovered oil paints and knew I had found my preferred medium. I completed a Certificate IV in Applied and Visual Art at O’Halloran Hill Institute of TAFE and continued to struggle with realistic representation.”

Following this course, Scott’s passion lapsed for several years and it wasn’t until a two-year stint travelling around Britain and Europe that he rediscovered his artistic dream.

“It was the awe inspiring vistas of the Scottish Highlands and the turbulent skies that reawakened me,” he explains. “Upon returning to Australia in 2003, I enrolled in the Bachelor of Visual Art at the South Australian School of Art and my career as an artist began to take true shape.”