 I've been told that it is unusual for a person to know exactly what he wants to do in life from the early age of 8 years. It seemed pretty normal to me since that's the way it was. I never wanted to do anything other than art.My brother, who was 16 months older, was a naturally "gifted" artist who drew very well at an early age. I wanted to be like him, so I began trying to draw the way he did and found that, while what came so easily for him was a struggle for me, I loved it! I am what could be described as a "self-taught" artist, although I don't think that term is entirely accurate. Yes, I did teach myself a lot, but I was also very fortunate to have a lot of help from other artists I've met all along the way. |
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| My goal was never to become a fine artist. I wanted to become a commercial artist; first as a cartoonist, and later as an illustrator. I wanted to see my drawings and paintings published in some form. That was always my goal in life and I never wavered from it. In 1955, while still in high school, Nora S. Devine, a retired, professional illustrator, took an interest in me and my desire to become a commercial artist. She was a graduate of The Chicago Art Institute and had been an illustrator in both Chicago and New York City. She was the springboard to my career in commercial art. She taught me what I needed to know to transform my rather amateurish art into something more polished and properly prepared for publishing. When she was offered an art director's position with a local printing company, she declined the offer for health reasons and instead recommended me for the job. I eagerly accepted the job while still in high school. The summer of my graduating year, I began a successful career in commercial art that would continue, uninterrupted, for the next 45 years. After a year and a half at the printing company, I moved to Atlanta and became a staff artist with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspapers. After ten years on the newspapers' art staff, I left to form my own art studio in downtown Atlanta. After 10 years in the art studio business, one of my best clients, A. Worley Brown, President, Chairman and CEO of Rock-Tenn Company, (RKT/NYSE) a packaging company headquartered in Norcross, GA, made me an offer I couldn't refuse. He asked me to come into Rock-Tenn Company and build an in-house graphic design studio from the ground up. A great opportunity for any artist! During the next 24 years, I built and managed Rock-Tenn Company's graphic design studio. I was also fortunate enough to purchase the equipment and create a video production facility on the Rock-Tenn campus in Norcross. On the 31st of May, 2001, I retired from Rock-Tenn Company, satisfied and somewhat astonished that what I dreamed of becoming in life, from the age of 8, had become a reality. In retirement, I spend my time drawing and painting and interacting with other artists on the Internet. Thank you for visiting fredtaylorart.com. Please come again!   |
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