Taylor Ikin

The West Indies island of Antigua, filled with colorful and tranquil surroundings, is the companion muse of Taylor Ikin. In 1972, living on this island inspired Taylor to capture and recreate her surroundings through her paintings. This self-taught artist's vivid landscapes, waterscapes and brilliant flowers bring the tropics to you. In 2002, she started work on The Hillsborough and Fragile Florida Collection, a unique journey through Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco Counties, Florida. With over 43 interpretive paintings in that collection, Ikin illustrates various nature scenes that are legally protected and virtually inaccessible to the general public. Through the exhibition, she has been able to educate the public about the responsibility of protecting the lands in our community, and hopes to further build this interest for Florida's parks, rivers and large waterways. Her use of watercolor media applied to a synthetic painting surface called YUPO, which doesn't require the use of trees for processing, further supports her interest in preservation and conservation.