Art and an artists life are interpolated.
Here we offer you extracts from the book Major Artists Development of the selected artist: English painter 'Denis'.

    Denis (Taylor) was born into a typical environment of an English working class family in Manchester, UK  in September 1951. At an early age he displayed a passion for painting and drawing. Encouraged by his first art teacher (Miss Johnson, St Barnabas Church School c.1956-1967) his parents agreed for him to attend the Manchester High school of Art.  A school in the United Kingdom which specialized in teaching art (methods) to children from the age of eleven and up to eighteen years old. He was accepted as a student in 1962.

      The School had innovative teaching policies, in the main, practicing artists were its lecturers. Born from the senior Art school in central Manchester it was developed by its first and only headmaster (E.A Goodman MBE. BA. ATD).
The curriculum included, painting, sculpture, print making, drama, music, poetry, graphic and textile design and encouraged experimentation with new technologies of the day. The school was unique with form sizes of around eight or ten pupils per class. This enabled a one on one teaching regime and gave the lecturers the time to test varying teaching methods in art.  A typical example was an exercise that composed of the pupils being blindfolded, asked to smell a specific item or liquid which they then had to translate as an abstract painting. The school badge of exploramus seems an appropriate symbol for the artist.

 

        Denis left the Art School in 1967 ( same year as the death of his father) despite his families wishes that he remain there until the end of his studies. He elected to gain a diploma in commercial art and design at  'Art and Design College Ashton'  (a small  town Ashton-U-Lyne located to the north of Manchester). Here he was educated by David Young and John Cale, two artists who ensured him obtaining a diploma within two years. He graduated in 1969. In 1970 he entered the advertising industry, finding employment within a Manchester City center agency (Crane-Wood, Bloom Street, Manchester). In 1975 he left the advertising world to join a company who were engaged in the import and distribution of timber and building materials (J & D Raynes and Sons Limited, Salford). It was here that he became educated in modern materials that would shape the interior and exteriors of the commercial and private building industry in the 70's and 80's. He also received the business acumen from the Directors of Raynes to enable him to pursue an ambition to establish his own company. In 1981/82 he created a design and furniture manufacturing company. In between the years 1975 and 1986 the artist had married and fathered two children and was divorced.  By 1986 the company had become successful and renown for innovative designed furniture. At the height of its success the artist resigned as a Director and moved himself and his belongings to a Greek island in the Saronic Gulf (Aegina) to concentrate on painting and developing his art (c.1988)  After a year on Aegina he traveled to the USA staying over in New York where he mixed with artists in the 'down town 'Chelsea' area. He returned to the UK and set up a studio in a converted industrial mill (New Brown Street, Manchester). Here he worked on a single painting for around a year (now destroyed, see below) and experimented with photography and digital art. He socialized within the underground society and for a short time and led a bohemian life.

He made close contact and many friends among leading contemporary artists including:
David Miles, Terry Ffyffe, Prebin Saxild, Peter Tillberg, Villu and Hanna Jaanisso and Professor Nigel Whiteley.