Mountain Gorilla Painting

Daniel Taylor is internationally renowned for his expressive portraits and wildlife paintings in oil and acrylic. His paintings are built up in a series of subtle layers, making them breathtakingly realistic and giving the impression of the paintings coming alive. A self-taught artist, Daniel started drawing sceneries and portraits when he was 5 years old, with shapes and shadows that amazed art specialists. Actually he was drawn to painting at an age he couldn't yet talk. At 10 years old he already used sketching pencils, oils and pastels on paper and canvas. Although born in Vancouver, for the greater part of their lives Daniel and his family lived in the interior of British Columbia. This wilderness setting and the abundant wildlife which surrounds us has afforded him a continuous and insatiable thrill. Shadows, depth, color, warmth, smells and sounds - even the silence of falling snow in the crisp, cold winter nights - certainly sets an artist's imagination on fire! Daniel's earlier work can be found in both private and public collections internationally and he has had showings not only in Canada but also had his work displayed in countries such as Japan, US, England and Australia. A permanent exhibition of his art is on display in the JFK Center for Performing Arts, Washington DC. As an artist with a mission, Taylor spent most of his professional life using art to promote good causes. He was granted the Federal and Provincial Ambassadorship of the VSA Arts for assisting in the creation of art workshops for both children and adults with disabilities. He has also been working with celebrities and donated his work towards the Leukemia and Diabetes Societies. "I am now focusing on high realism painting in acrylic, in particular wildlife painting. I get my inspiration not only from the subjects themselves, the endangered animals, but also by creating opportunities for educating and raising awareness among the public, both adults and children. I enjoy the interaction with the viewers of my work."