Graduation Collage - MHT

This collage notecard celebrates my son Matthew H. Taylor as he graduates from Hofstra University with a bachelor's degree in Film Studies. The three hands at the bottom represent health, love, and prosperity. The main image represents a portal/path (sniff!).
My little boy's no boy anymore.

Kitchen Remodel, Waterloo, Iowa

Here are some pictures from my recent kitchen remodel, the most recent to the least. The upper cabinets are original to the house built in 1960, and I've kept them sans the cabinet doors. The lower cabinets were completely unusable, and the appliances were barely functioning. I like to cook, and I eat mostly healthy food. The old kitchen made that difficult at best.
Contractor: Mark McIlwain.

Feb. 7, 2010
Working in the Gallery.
Hanging "Tell Me a Story: Contemporary Narrative Ceramics."
Holding a figure from a Beth Lo installation.

There are few pictures of me at work, probably because I'm usually rushing toward completion and much too busy to do anything else. Also, most UNI Gallery of Art pictures are taken after the show is up and guests are arriving. Hi ho the glamorous life!

Portable Collages

Bookmarks - some favorites

Bookmarks - a closer look

Notecard: Mark's birthday card

Notecard: an homage to St. Petersburg, Russia

Mark's 50th. Gorgeous!

Pictures from the house in Waterloo, Iowa. Mark's fiftieth birthday.

Pumps with a Purpose Project

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

Pumps with a Purpose Project, 2009 (Sponsored by the Courier newspaper, Waterloo, Iowa)

Seeds of Hope makes prominent on its web homepage the phrase, “A nurturing world free from violence.” This is precisely the world I want to live in, but I never kid myself into feeling too comfortable. As a gay man, I am always alert to the smile that is too calculating. I know that a joyful laugh can precede an epithet and a friendly handshake can become a chokehold.

The piece I have created for this project and fundraiser is my vision of the dexterity, power, and authority of flight. In this case, the sculpture invokes the alert posture prior to takeoff, that moment before movement, and the exhilaration of feeling boundless. The colors, patterns, and textures are deliberate. To me, they represent the bounty of life and the colossal will of nature to be shamelessly brilliant.

This composition resonates with me and helps tell my own story. It is also an image that makes me happy and hopeful.

Darrell and Mark's July Wedding

Happy Couple

Presentation by Officiant Gypsy Dolgos

Darrell and Mark flanking my mom Nancy

Mark and mom Bev

Here are some pics taken by Crawdad Lavely on the day of my wedding to Mark McCusker. The ceremony and party took place on Sunday, July 19, 2009 at Old Brick in Iowa City, Iowa. It was a colorful event with great music, much dancing, and just a little drama - what public event isn't? Much love to all who came, partied, and supported us.