Artist Biography
Kel Taylor was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. At the age of 19 she relocated to the east coast of Canada. In 2012 Kel returned to her home province, settling in Kelowna.
Kel’s formal art training started within her Occupational therapy undergraduate degree, where art (copper tooling, lino cuts, pottery, weaving) was viewed as therapeutic and part of the curriculum. In her early 20’s Kel took up black and white photography and mastered the darkroom. This led to a two-person show in a local gallery and a national art prize for one of her photographs.
Later Kel took up drawing, which led to painting in 2016, first in oils and later acrylic and mixed media. Over the next several years Kel took part in art workshops both in Canada and the UK. She did not find her personal style though, as a contemporary figurative artist, until a year of full-time painting, sparked by a 10 week online live course called “Find Your Joy” in 2022.
Kel's initial reason for making art was therapeutic, a way to manage emotional upheaval within her life. When she later discovered that others were moved by and wanted to purchase her work, she knew that sharing and showing her art, and the stories behind it, was equally important.
Kel has displayed and sold her work as an exhibiting member of the Canadian Federation of Artists, where she has been awarded an honourable mention, a second place prize, and people's choice award. Kel has also shown and sold her work in two Open Studio tours on Hornby Island, in several Lake Country Art Gallery members shows, and at Penticton Art Gallery's under 500 show. Her work has also been discussed on CBC radio in an interview with a local curator.
Kel is currently attending a 7 month artist residency at the Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art's Studio 111 in Kelowna, BC. During this residency she hopes to push her work further, experimenting with more loose mark making and intuitive imagery. Following this, Kel has been accepted into the Similkameen Artist Residency where she will explore interpreting landscape. Kel also has several public art gallery submissions in the works for shows in partnership with fellow artist Paula Charter, titled “Beautiful Together”.
Curriculum Vitae
Academic History
2025 Master of Arts - University of Western Ontario
1981 Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Medicine (Combined Occupational and Physical Therapy) - University of British Columbia
Artistic Training
2023 Ongoing Mentorship with Lalitta Hamill - Vancouver, BC
2022 Plein Air Landscape - Newlyn School of Art – Newlyn, UK
2021 Find Your Joy: 10 week online course with Louise Fletcher
2021 Mentorship with Nicole Sleeth - Victoria, BC
2019/2020 Portraiture in Oils - Clae Eastgate, Shrewsbury, UK
2019 Introduction to Oil Painting: Shrewsbury College of Art and Technology – Shrewsbury, UK
2015 Acrylic Painting Coursework - Vancouver Island School of Art – Victoria, BC
2012 - 2017 Fundamentals and Advanced Drawing with Ken Campbell - Victoria Art Gallery, Ken Campbell Kelowna Art Gallery
2003 Folk Art Rag Hooking coursework (New Brunswick)
1983 - 1999: Black and White analog photography and Darkroom development of negatives and printing; Folk art carving
1978 - 1981 Occupational Therapy coursework: weaving, pottery, copper tooling, lino cuts
Exhibitions
Upcoming:
2025 Salt Spring National Art Prize Exhibition - Ganges, Salt Spring island, BC2025 Pop up Exhibition, curated - Lake Country Art Gallery - Lake Country, BCPresent and Past:
2025 Artist Residency - Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art – Kelowna, BC
2025 Closer to Fine juried Lake Country Art Gallery – Lake Country, BC
2025 Oasis Show - Canadian Federation Exhibition – Peachland, BC
2024 Under 500 Penticton Art Gallery – Penticton, BC
2024 Under 200 and Under 500 Juried Show - Lake Country Art Gallery – Lake Country, BC
2024 Ten Squared FCA Juried Show – Vancouver, BC
2024 Falling for Art – FCA Juried Show – Kamloops, BC
2024 Autumn Visuals FCA Juried show - Kelowna, BC
2023 Open Studio Tour – Douglas Studio - Hornby Island, BC
2022 Aging Well - Penticton Arts Council – Penticton, BC
2017 Kelowna Art Gallery Members Show – Kelowna, BC
1999 “Who are We” - Owen Sound Public Art Gallery – Owen Sound, ON
Achievements
2025 Salt Spring National Art Prize Finalist2024 Falling for Art - People's Choice Award
2024 Second Place prize for “Justice for Annas” and People's Choice award in Federation of Canadian Artists Falling for Art show
2024 Honorable mention for “Orphans” in Federation of Canadian Artists Autumn Visuals show
2024 Exhibiting Member with Federation of Canadian Artists
1999 First Place Photography award in a Lifeline Photo contest - International Year of Older PersonsMemberships
Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art
Federation of Canadian Artists, Exhibiting member
Peachland Community Arts
Lake Country Art Gallery