Behind the Scenes with Suzy Taylor

16th August 2014: This month we are interviewing the talented paper-cut artist Suzy Taylor whose intricate artwork immediately attracted our attention. Read on to find out what inspires her and why Suzy doesn't drink lemonade anymore!

What's your favourite design/piece of work & why? My favourite piece of work is Hillside Village, it was a really complicated piece to draw and cut but it worked out really well which was very satisfying.

Which part of the process do you like most? The most exciting part is the beginning of the cutting, my hand actually shakes every time!

Which part do you like the least?! Mounting the work, it's boring

What would your dream project be? Being commissioned to do the poster for the Lord Mayor's show in 2012 was pretty amazing as the poster was all over the London Underground network. However, I'd really like to illustrate a children's book as it's longer lasting.

Who would be your dream client? I'd love to do a big installation somewhere, like a department store window or a museum - Selfridges would be nice!

Who or what is your biggest source of inspiration? I'm inspired by all types of folk art from all cultures.

Which is your favourite Yellow House Art Licensing artist & why? I love Jane Robbins, her style, her colour palette, her subject matter - just lovely.

Which is your favourite Yellow House Art artist & why? www.yellowhouseart.com is our closely-associated site selling original artwork...I love the textiles of Elizabeth Cook, beautiful shapes and clean lines. Her colour choices are perfect and I'd happily live with her work in my home!

Do you have your own work at home? Yes but not exclusively, the Lord Mayor's poster has pride of place.

When designing your studio, what was the most important factor? Natural daylight. I'm very lucky that my studio faces north. It's a converted garage so we put windows in the pitched roof as well, I rarely turn the lights on during the day.

What's been your biggest mistake/cock-up?! I once spilled a whole glass of lemonade over a piece of work, I don't drink lemonade anymore.

What's on your drawing-board/ in your kiln / on your easel / etc. right now? I'm working on a tall tree.

What is the last book you read? Marks out of 10? The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver 9/10

If you could own a masterpiece, what would it be? People in the Sun by Edward Hopper

What’s your proudest achievement? On a personal level, my three kids - without a doubt. Sorry if that sounds corny. On a professional level, being asked to design the Lord Mayor's poster.

What’s been your biggest challenge? Working hard over many years to create my own style and then having to defend it in a copyright case, I won!

What attracted you to/attracts you about working with Yellow House? The personal touch, I want to feel that i matter to the people who represent me. I also really like the other artists who are represented so I feel like I'm in the right place.

Have you always wanted to be an Artist/Illustrator or did the vocation find you? I always wanted to be an artist, since a very young child. It did take me a while though to find the medium that I loved. I was 38 when I started papercutting.

How did your style evolve? I’ve always been a big fan of folk art and that is reflected in my own natural drawing style. Papercutting was the perfect marriage of style and medium. As I’ve become more proficient with the scalpel, my style has become much more intricate.

Where were you brought up? I was brought up in Stanmore (North London) but we spent many weekends and school holidays in our cottage in Middleton-on-Sea in Sussex. We shared the cottage with my cousins and grandparents, so there was often 12 of us there together!

What was your favourite subject at school? Art and English

Do you carry around a sketch-book at all times? No, but I’m always taking photos for inspiration.

What’s your favourite thing to illustrate? Trees and flowers.

As well as being an amazing artist, do you have any other hidden talents? I love to crochet.

Do you have any top tips for being an artist that you can give us? To become really good at what you do takes a lot of hard work and effort. I’ve had to be persistent and patient. Trying to fit work around raising a family isn’t easy and can be extremely frustrating – but you work when you can. I’m very fortunate to be able to work at what I love.

Do you have a favourite paintbrush or tool? There are only 3 essential tools for a papercutter – a pencil, a self- healing cutting mat and a craft knife.

What’s your favourite joke? I’m completely useless when it comes to remembering jokes but I’ve got quite a dark slapstick sense of humour. I find it funny when people walk into lampposts and stuff like that! 

Suzy Taylor is a highly skilled artist who invests deeply in her artwork, applying a lot of thought and time to each idea and individual cut of the paper. We are proud to be working with Suzy Taylor and please do contact us if you would like to commission Suzy to create bespoke artwork for you.