“The world will be saved by beauty.” – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Biography
A 4th generation Floridian (although they were all from up North), born in Jacksonville, Florida Lacey moved to Ft. Myers, Florida at age 8. In Ft. Myers, Lacey became a friend of the dolphins, hoping from island to island on the weekend boating trips. While at play, she took full advantage of her tropical paradise environment and crabbed in the canal behind her home, built tents with friends in the banana trees and wrote a book in school with classmates about being shipwrecked. Being shipwrecked in a tropical island paradise became the common thread of fantasies that filled her head.
Spending holidays in Jacksonville with her large family, she was inspired by the growth of two relatives as local artists over the years. She was in awe of their talent and held close the memory of watching them work in their amazing studios. Eventually taking a course with and from one years later.
Her high school artwork was acknowledged by being submitted into art shows and winning. During school her art was featured at Nemour’s Hospital, Cummer Art Gallery and UNF’s Gallery Art Show. Her passion for art motivated her to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of North Florida in Graphic Design.
During college, she took her easy breezy, yacht rock attitude and became President of the UNF Sailing Club. She was the first in years to organize a week long trip to the Marquesas and Dry Tortugas via a 36ft Kat. She draws inspiration for her artwork from her time living in North and South Florida amongst nature.
She continues to enjoy a successful career in digital design and marketing and opened her own business helping other businesses GROW.
BA, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida
Exhibitions:
St. Augustine Art Association, Wild Florida, St. Augustine, FL
Ellen Corse Gallery, Art of Trees, Jacksonville, FL
Ponte Vedra Cultural Center, Member Art Show, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
Reddi Arts, Robert Leedy Student Show, Jacksonville, FL
University of North Florida, Student Annual Art Exhibit, Jacksonville, FL
Cummer Art Galleries, UNF Student African Mask Exhibit, Jacksonville, FL
Published:
The Ponte Vedra Recorder, Local artist’s focus: Rediscovering nature, July 2020
Artist Statement
Having lived in Florida her entire life (but traveled to many countries), Lacey explores her gratitude for it’s tropical flora. “After returning to South Florida after being away for many years I noticed the vegetation change on my drive down. When I saw the sea grapes, emotions came over me. They were my long lost friend. They spoke to me and said “where have you been?” A flood of memories from my childhood, during innocent times returned to me and I felt at peace. I never knew I could miss the tropical vegetation and almost have a friendly familiar connection to it.
It is my belief that if something touches you emotionally, one should use that connection and produce something from it, turning a passion into the motivation that moves us through life and shows us our direction. I had to take the sea grapes home with me, I snapped a photo and later painted them.”
Personally timid, her studies in the movement and energy of her paintings express bold statements. “I paint to wake up the viewer to the flow, movement and powerful energy nature and a higher power has for us. It’s calling us to step away from our screens and beckons us to connect in a new/old way.”
“My work is a reflection of how my day-dream life meets my natural world and touches and inspired me to live in the real world. I find inspiration in nature where the water meets the land. I feel alive and grateful when I can communicate this awe of nature to others through my artwork.”
Follow J. Lacey Taylor’s art on Instagram @j.laceytaylor.art