John W Taylor

About the Artist

TAYLOR JOHN WILLIAM TAYLOR, JR.

John was employed with the Division of Birds at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC, Served in the Army in Europe as a Cartographer, Studied Art at the Corcoran School of Art, worked as an Editor/Artist with The Maryland Conservationist. Commissioned by the National Geographic Society and the National Wildlife Foundation led to his self-employment of the last several decades as a wildlife artist.

He authored two books published by Johns Hopkins Press entitled, Birds of the Chesapeake and Chesapeake Spring. He designed Maryland's first deer and trout stamps and was selected as the artist for Maryland's first Waterfowl Stamp in 1974. He won the Duck Stamp contest in 1979 and was selected in 1984 as the winner of the Florida Duck Stamp contest. His life and work were documented on Maryland Public Television's, Maryland Outdoors. His later years were spent painting in his studio working primarily with oils.

He is known for painting birds, landscapes and marshscapes, often with a wildlife motif. He loved everything nature, baseball, playing old time music on his banjo and especially, birds. John loved to watch nature and wrote extensively about his experiences. His love affair with birds started in the fourth grade and never wavered. His skill as an artist led to numerous awards. His humorous charm and love for nature was always evident. He always had time to introduce someone to birds or entertain them with some banjo pickin'.