Windy City Artist Pearlie Taylor: Sensational, Satisfied and Sixty-something
By D. Kevin McNeir
Sr. Correspondent
& Editor
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Whoever said life stops at 60 has certainly never run into the likes of a phenomenal woman and artist like Pearlie Taylor. This Vance, Mississippi-born African queen and the second of nine children has made Chicago's Southside her home since moving there with her family when she was only three back in 1945. Before she could barely read and write she was already an artistic child prodigy.
She recalls doing drawings for her classmates for one nickel a piece when she was only in the third grade. And while she may have longed to become a professional artist, things just kept "getting in the way." It would take a tragedy in her adult life to give her the push she needed to pursue her lifelong dream and fulfill her real destiny.
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| "I had been busy working as a typographer for Sears, Roebuck and Company, raising a family and feeling content - then my husband was diagnosed with cancer and three months later he was dead," she said. His death in 2002 was not only a life-changing experience but the catalyst that made me take stock of my own life. I suddenly realized just how delicate and wonderful life is and fully understood the meaning of the phrase life is short."
As the days passed, Taylor continued to ponder what she should do next with her life. Then, upon experiencing a sudden epiphany during the wee hours one morning, she knew what she had to do.
"As an adult I kept telling myself I was going to develop my art," she said. "I took classes periodically and even did some painting but I never finished the pieces. There was never enough time.
I knew that I didn't want to die not having realized the full potential of my ability as an artist - I didn't want to just dabble anymore.
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So, I simplified my life - selling a successful franchise business, selling our large 100-plus year old home and even having a yard sale. The only things I kept were my bedroom and dining room furniture and a few artsy odds and ends. I didn't want anything around me that would make me sad. It was my message to God and my way of saying to God, "I'm here and I'm ready for a new beginning." I was finally on the road that God has intended from the day I was born."
Today Taylor's work can be seen across the Chicagoland area and throughout the country. Chicago Bear Charles Tillman, Daniel Parker and the JP Morgan Chase Corporation are among those who are collectors of her work.
Her work has been in exhibitions at the University of Illinois in Chicago, the National Black Fine Arts Show in New York City and Embrace the National Arts Festival in Atlanta as well as other venues around the world. And she is currently represented by Chicago's prestigious Gallery Guichard. Not bad for a second career grandmother.
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| "I found my niche doing abstract art and paint from an emotional level," she said. "I never have a specific theme in mind - it's all about the structure and color at the beginning. And because I paint on the floor, I walk around and see how the colors are blending and merging. As I continue, I paint in layers, allowing the previous layer to dry before proceeding. You can see the layers from beneath the surface and that's what gives my work such vibrancy."
Taylor says the reception from the public has been wonderful - more than she could have ever imagined. She remains one of only a handful of Black female artists who do abstract paintings.
"I think the Blacks who admire my work want to see things from another Black's perspective but something that isn't so Afrocentric," she said. "I believe that's one of the reasons why my work continues to be so well-received."
Taylor has even added introduced a new art form for those whose pockets might prevent them from purchasing one of her larger, canvas paintings. She now does hand painted light switches and the demand has been so great that two galleries are currently selling her work.
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"Every light switch I paint is one-of-a-kind and I sign them as well," she said. "It really started when I began to paint the switches in my own home and a few friends saw them and asked if I would do some for them. The idea just took off and now you can even go to my website (www.pearlietaylorgallery.com) and purchase them. I have even done light switches for some of my clients' complete homes."
Taylor's work has earned her awards in several juried art exhibitions where she has been honored for her creativity. In addition, she received the 2004-5 Award for Excellence in Abstract Art from the African-American Alliance of the Arts and has had her work presented in publications including BridesNoir Bridal Magazine, Chicago's GRO Magazine and Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.
"Being an artist is just an important as being a singer or a dancer," she said. "And I love having the freedom to do my work and not worry about other responsibilities. |
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| I've grown in so many ways that every time I sit down to paint, unless it's part of a series, the result is always something different." So, is she happy about the decision she made almost a decade ago? "I am absolutely the happiest I have been in many, many years!" |
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