Nuance Galleries is proud not only to represent Taylor Ikin as an artist, but also to call her a friend. This relationship that began over 15 years ago, has continued to grow. We have witnessed Taylor transition from a traditional watercolor painter working on paper, who then moved to working on a smooth illustration board, and finally to a new medium, Yupo, whose slick surface allows her to create beautiful fluid landscapes. Taylor has achieved fame known affectionately as the “Queen of Yupo” and has many articles in many prestigious art magazines like Watercolor Magic, American Artist and The Artist Magazine. Her work is widely collected for corporate and private collections, including the Vatican.

 The Hillsborough Collection

After representing Taylor Ikin’s work in several shows over the past years Nuance Galleries was proud to be the leadoff event of Taylor’s six-city museum tour. The show represented works painted in the Hillsborough County Environmental Land Acquisition Program. The gallery opening in April 2004 was filled with many of Taylor’s collectors and friends, as one patron stated it felt like “sardines in a subway”. All works purchased were sent off on this exciting tour. Taylor Ikin is a Tampa artist, past-president of the Florida Watercolor Society and a member of the Artist Advisory Committee of the Arts Council of Hillsborough County. She is a self-taught artist who began painting while living in the West Indies being surrounded by lush landscapes, brilliant flowers and coral reefs. Her current work is represented in the Hillsborough Collection, which depicts various nature scenes from places that are legally protected and virtually inaccessible to the general public. Her work was displayed in the Florida House in Washington D.C., the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee and will be in numerous museums throughout Florida.

Ikin is an accomplished painter whose medium is exclusively watercolor on YUPO. A synthetic material, YUPO is “tree free,” which appeals to Taylor who concentrates on painting pictures about environmental conservation and preservation. This show comprises of approximately 30 paintings and tells the story of the artist’s journey to observe the natural land and water resources, wildlife habitats, flora and fauna throughout the County. For the Leepa-Ratner Museum part of the tour, Taylor will be painting some of Pasco Counties protected areas to recognize the effort their to save these properties. “I am touring, researching and photographing pristine places. Accompanied by dedicated and knowledgeable Hillsborough County park experts, it is amazing to see indigenous rare plants, such as the Golden Astor, the beautiful Scrub Jay bird, along with Spoonbills in clear water within precious lands that are protected for future generations. I am so enjoying preserving these images in my paintings.,” commented Ikin.