ARTISTS AT THE CENTRE OF BRITAIN
JOHN TAYLOR
The Main Restaurant features the work of John Taylor, born in Chorley, Lancs, but brought up in the Tyne Valley, his talent was only accidently discovered when at the age of 28, he suffered a serious fractured leg which needed three months immobilisation, during which time he started to while away the time by trying his hand at drawing. To his surprise he found he could draw any item he chose.
His portraits are his best work, with those on display depicting "MIA" only his third ever drawing, and his fifth - "DAD" (Yes, it's David!)
Educated at Hexham's Queen Elizabeth High School, John had no formal art education, having dropped Art at O Level. Upon realising his latent talent, John applied for Art College, but after showing his portfolio to the selection panel was rejected as "there is nothing we could teach you - we wish we could produce work of this standard".
John's work ranges from charcoal /chalk to oils with subjects as varied at portraits, landscapes and still life.
John now devotes his time to music, in which he is also a self taught - rounding off his muscial knowledge by achieving, in one year, a normally three year M.Mus. Degree at London's prestigous Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
John's speciality is modern Jazz. He now lives in Norway where he is a Lecturer in Musical Studies at Voss Kulturskule and runs Voss Jazzskule, where he, in turn, has discovered amazing young talent.
In 2010 John was voted "Personality of the Year" by readers of the Norwegian regional newspaper "Hordaland".
