Visual Poetry: Alumni & Current Student Artists
Taylor Wick
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/merlotartist/
Bio:
Taylor Wick is an American artist born and raised in Stockton, California. With over two decades of dedication to the medium of colored pencil, she has embraced its vibrant yet delicate qualities to bring her artistic vision to life. Her work spans a wide range of themes, from playful and lighthearted to deeply introspective, aiming to captivate viewers, spark thought, and evoke emotion.
Artist Statement:
Pain is an inevitable part of the human experience, but how we interact with it defines us. My work explores the delicate relationship between pain, perseverance, and transformation. The poem and accompanying artworks delve into the concept of masochism—not simply as an embrace of suffering, but as a way to find beauty, strength, and growth within it.
Each piece reflects a journey, and these stages mirror the internal dialogue we all face when wrestling with anxiety, vulnerability, and the desire to persevere despite the weight of our emotions. By embracing pain, we discover our capacity to grow. My work invites the viewer to reflect on their own scars and consider how they too can nurture their own bloom of resilience.
The Weight of Resistance (2024)
Colored Pencil
11” x 14”
$250
This piece captures the visceral chaos of resisting pain. The hands around the face and neck symbolize the suffocating grip of anxiety, while the exposed mouth reflects the raw vulnerability of confronting inner turmoil. It is a raw portrayal of the internal battle to break free.
“It grips me tight, an invisible hand,
The panic swells like sinking sand.
My breath, a whispered, fractured plea,
In the grip of pain, it swallows me.
I claw, I fight, I try to flee,
But the darkness holds, refusing to set me free.
Each heartbeat echoes, a thunderous roar,
As fear curls tight, demanding more.”
– Anonymous
Embrace the Break (2024)
Colored Pencil
11” x 14”
NFS
Shards of a fragmented mirror reflect both clarity and distortion, symbolizing the pivotal moment when light pierces through the darkness. The fractured imagery represents the breaking down of old fears and the revelation that growth can emerge even amidst pain.
“A whisper coils around my core,
As everything I knew before
Shatters into fractured glass,
Reflecting truths I dare not pass.
The scars I wear, they crack and gleam,
Fragments of an endless dream.
I feel the break, sharp and clear,
An ache I once denied, now near.
In the pieces, I see it all—
The siren’s call, the painful fall.
Shattered, yet still holding tight,
I crave the break, embrace the fight.”
– Anonymous
Acceptance (2024)
Colored Pencil
11” x 14”
$200
Flowers bloom from the scars on hands, a quiet testament to resilience. This piece illustrates how pain, though ever-present, becomes a foundation for renewal and beauty. It is a gentle reminder of the strength found in embracing one’s scars.
“Now here I stand, the hurt in place,
I wear the burn, I like the taste.
It fuels the fire inside my chest,
Devotion—my unspoken guest.
The tear that falls is made of light,
Softening the darkest night.
From scars, new blooms begin to rise,
A garden born beneath the skies.
The pain remains, and yet I see,
It feeds the strength that lives in me.”
– Anonymous
Exhibition Season:
Alumni Artists Files