VIRGINIA TAYLOR
Virginia Taylor is most well known for her Landmark Series, paintings originally commissioned by the New Canaan Historical Society from 1994 – 2003 that depict New Canaan’s small town traditions in her signature folk art style. The paintings of New Canaan’s Train Station, Ice Cream Social, The Christmas Village, Caroling on God’s Acre, and Skating on Mill Pond, to name a few, were printed as greeting cards and framed prints then sold to benefit the Society. These original paintings, as well as many other traditional New Canaan scenes and activities will be available at Handwright Gallery.
Virginia Taylor was born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts. Taylor started drawing as a young child, was editor of her middle and high school yearbooks and won the Scholastic Art Award from Boston University’s Annual Student Show. Taylor studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and received a degree in Fine Arts from Lasell University. She experimented with oil paints, watercolors and gouache before working exclusively with acrylics. She concluded that acrylics “rendered the brilliant colors I desired and were very fast-drying which was essential as I painted layer upon layer.”
In 1970, while working in New York, Taylor met her husband Jon, and as newlyweds they bought land and built a house in New Canaan. This would be their home for the next 35 years while they raised their two daughters. Taylor had “always wanted to live in Connecticut because of its charming towns, meandering stone walls and beautiful homes.” In 2005, they moved back to Taylor’s home state to be near family and spent winters at their second home in Vero Beach, FL. For many years, while driving back and forth between homes, the two would stop in New Canaan to visit old friends and reacquaint themselves with the town.
Taylor’s most productive years were spent in her studio at home. For much of her career, she painted portraits of some of the most beautiful homes in New Canaan and surrounding towns. Local architects and real estate brokers commissioned Taylor to paint house portraits as gifts for their clients. These were painted in a traditional manner but often a favorite item or family pet would be added as a personal touch.
In her own words, Taylor describes her painting style as Folk Art. “This style does not heed to realistic perspective but, in fact, takes great liberty as to proportion, color, and size of the subject matter. My aim is to portray a scene as fun, whimsical, and filled with great detail. My work is greatly influenced by some of the wonderful contemporary folk artists of our time such as Michel Delacroix, Charles Wysocki and Jane Wooster Scott.”
Handwright is pleased to present these original paintings of New Canaan and its traditions. We hope that as you and your family gather for the holidays, you will be able to stop by and enjoy these works of art. If interested in purchasing, please contact us for information on pricing.
New Canaan Society for the Arts, Carriage Barn
New Canaan Library
New Canaan Historical Society, Hanford- Silliman House
Powerhouse Theater Performing Arts Center @ Waveny Park
The Whitney Shop, New Canaan, CT
Handwright Gallery, New Canaan, CT
The Wilton Bank, Wilton, CT
Olin Corporation, Stamford, CT
Vero Beach Museum of Art, Vero Beach, FL
“Art By The Sea” Vero Beach FL
Sea Oaks Beach & Tennis Club, Vero Beach, FL
John’s Island Club, Vero Beach, FL
Plymouth Center for the Arts, Plymouth, MA
Pinehills Art on the Green, Plymouth, MA
Winslowe’s View Meetinghouse, Plymouth, MA
Pinehills Gallery of Art, Plymouth, MA
Cover Art: “New Canaan, Texture Of A Community”
“Living in New Canaan”
“Living in Fairfield”
New Canaan Historical Society, brochures
Other Commissioned Work: “Landmark Series” for the New Canaan Historical Society. A series of 10 paintings, each depicting a New Canaan historical landmark or event. Limited Edition Prints and holiday cards of these paintings were sold to benefit the Society. Limited Edition Prints of “The Ice Cream Social” were also sold by the society.