TALIESIN SMITH
About Me
I was born in a village near Carmarthen in Wales and named after a figure from ancient Welsh mythology. I was told I had a young raven watching over me and was named after a figure from ancient Welsh mythology – Taliesin; so I was imbued with Celtic folklore from the very beginning.
I spent the first year of my life travelling round England, Wales and Ireland and also spent a month at Uluru in Australia.
I grew up on the Isle of Lewis in the Western Isles of Scotland and was inspired to draw and paint by my mother who was an established artist.
Taliesin Smith
Being home-educated from the age of 5-13, I had the opportunity to hone my skills in the arena of Black and White line drawing, the subjects usually being places and ancient monuments, such as Scotland’s answer to Stonehenge – the Calanais standing stones. I was still a child, however, and drew the things that interested me then. Dinosaurs in particular were a major source of fascination and I was inspired by the artist Mark “Crash” McCreery.
At twelve years of age I moved with my mother to live in Glastonbury, Somerset, in mainland England. Here I was immersed in the alternative cultures surrounding this pagan heartland and attended the “Goddess Conference”, an event aimed at unlocking women’s (and men’s) feminine spirituality. The feelings and emotions I witnessed being expressed, suddenly raised my line-work to the next level. I began creating forms out of abstraction and experimenting with tonal textures. I was also inspired by the work of H. R. Giger.
At Glastonbury I attended St. Dunstan’s School for three years, then went on to Strode College in Street where I obtained a BTec National Diploma in Fine Art and an A/S in Photography. I moved on to Somerset College of Art and Technology where I achieved a Foundation Degree in Graphic Design and then to the University of Plymouth where I obtained a BA(Hons) in Design/Illustration. I now live and work in Norwich, Norfolk.