ARTIST’S STATEMENT

Sketching requires process of distillation and simplification. It can be both freeing and challenging at the same time. When successful it has an engaging life quality, and is able to highlight a particular physical aspect or mood, without the distraction of extraneous elements and detail unrelated to the work’s focus. I find that when I sketch instead of photograph while traveling, I visit fewer sights in a day, but see much more. It’s often said that the critical element of drawing and painting lies in the art of seeing. I was thoroughly enchanted by so many places I visited in Japan, and I hope thee sketches convey at least a portion of that excitement.

THE ARTIST IN JAPAN

I became fascinated with Japanese architecture, art and culture after taking a course in Japanese architecture while in college. Several years after graduating, I traveled from my home in New Hampshire to California. Then I impulsively decided to go on to explore Japan, since I was already part way there and had good friends living there (thank you Clee and Suzanne). As I traveled about in Japan I relied on a sketchbook rather than a camera to record interesting sights and experiences. Upon my return home a friend who was in the publishing business heard about the sketchbook, and upon seeing it he said he would like to publish it. In order to make the work more comprehensive, I decided I should return to Japan to explore areas of the country not seen earlier. With generous support through the Japan National Tourist Organization and JAL, I returned with a national rail pass and proceeded to go from one end of Japan to the other – from northern Hokkaido to southern Kyushu. Upon my return to the States, I found that the original publisher had gone out of business. I then packed up my Japan sketchbooks and went to New York to knock on doors at publishing houses. As luck would have it I happened to connect with Jim Mairs, an editor at W.W. Norton, who liked the work very much. After discussions with other editors the conclusion was that it was not a good time for a work devoted solely to Japan, but they were interested in the type of work. With that in mind Jim and I collaborated to craft a proposal for a book using the same informal sketchbook format but broadened to encompass folk architecture from around the world. The resulting book, Commonsense Architecture, was first published in 1983 (W.W. Norton, NY), and included a large number of my original sketches from the Japan trips, as well as hundreds of other sketches illustrating folk buildings from around the world and throughout history. Soon after, it was published in Spanish, German and Japanese. It was later republished as A Shelter Sketchbook (Chelsea Green Press, VT.1997). Both books are temporally out of print but copies can be found through resellars via Amazon.com. John's original Oil Paintings may be viewed at: www.johntaylorstudio.com

ARTIST’S BIO
John received a degree in Architecture from the University of Virginia and maintained a residential design practice for more than thirty years. He authored and illustrated Commonsense Architecture, a collection of over 600 original pen-and-ink drawings describing practical folk building ideas from around the world (later revised and republished as A Shelter Sketchbook, Chelsea Green Press, VT). He taught at the middle school level for several years and continued his involvement in education by founding Children’s Design Collaborative, a program to develop and present hands-on architecture-related projects for K-12 students. He also created an educational card game called ERG: The Energy Resource Game, in which players are prompted to apply an understanding of the pathways connecting energy resources to end uses in and around the home.

ARTIST’S PAINTINGS
John also has done graphic design work, including advertising, identity and promotional materials for clients ranging from small local businesses to Union Carbide Corporation. He has been involved in drawing and illustration for more than thirty years and recently has moved to painting, following a fortuitous encounter with a wonderful painter and teacher from Maine while traveling in Italy. His primary interest now is painting landscapes on site, or en plein air, as well as some still lifes. In addition to many local subjects, John has many paintings from travels in the US, Europe and Asia.

John's original Oil Paintings may be viewed at: www.johntaylorstudio.com