Rising Suffolk artist Danielle Taylor has taken a deep breath and has begun preparations to her first solo show at Aldeburgh’s Garage Galley during Easter.

East Anglian Daily Times: Poster image for Danielle Taylor's Swell exhibition Photo: Danielle TaylorPoster image for Danielle Taylor's Swell exhibition Photo: Danielle Taylor (Image: Archant)

Titled Swell, her semi-abstract paintings burst from the canvas with drama, texture and colour, a confident mix of traditional media such as acrylic and oil mixed with household paints and varnishes.

She said: “My inspiration comes from my surroundings, a feeling, a dream, the marks on an old workbench, nothing’s off limits! The painting I’ve just finished is inspired by the beautiful photographs of dried tears by Rose-Lynn Fisher.

“I think I’m quite a selfish painter, I paint to please myself. I bore easily which pushes me to try new techniques and styles, my paintings are very different as a result.”

East Anglian Daily Times: Study with Bitumen and household paints Photo: Danielle TaylorStudy with Bitumen and household paints Photo: Danielle Taylor (Image: Archant)

Danielle’s work reveals her interest in the manipulation of traditional and experimental mediums to create paintings, sculpture and digital works. When painting she is drawn to the way paints, varnishes and other substances interact with one another, layering and mixing to create depth and drama.

“The paint often leads me in a very visceral way, dictating my next action. The whole process is a rollercoaster ride, a struggle until a satisfying outcome can be achieved, a battle of confidence, anxiety, joy and frustration”

Taylor has a background in graphic design, model making and design education and utilises digital image manipulation programs to enhance her process, moving between the digital and physical to advance her compositions.

East Anglian Daily Times: Inside Danielle Taylor's studio with work inspired by dried tears Photo: Danielle TaylorInside Danielle Taylor's studio with work inspired by dried tears Photo: Danielle Taylor (Image: Archant)

She started painting in 2016, amidst a period of depression and panic attacks. Although from a creative background, she had not put brush to canvas since school.

“I’ve had many jobs from pub manager to graphic designer and lecturer, but I never thought I’d become a painter, let alone sell my work!”

She was introduced to painting by Suffolk Artist Patricia Colyer, they met through a mutual acquaintance and were soon working side-by-side in Colyer’s studio.

“Patricia was fabulous, she encouraged me to just ‘go for it’, to play and experiment, to understand the tools and the alchemy of mixing and manipulating paints.

I hadn’t realised how important it was to my wellbeing to have a passion outside of work or family life, something that was my own, that I could choose to focus my energies on”

“I recommend it to anyone, carve out some time that’s just yours”

Swell, a solo exhibition by Danielle Taylor, runs at Aldeburgh’s Garage Galley, off the High Street, beneath the Peter Pears Gallery, from April 18-24.