I crumple up paper and do a lot of erasing.  It takes great concentration for me to get settled and into the flow, the zone, the peaceful place where one looses a sense of time.   I like to draw critters and people in fanciful, folksy clothes.  I often find myself going back to a place as a child where I was enchanted with miniature worlds of mice, doll houses, acorns, and tea cups.  I would fall asleep to my 8 track player on repeat to Harry Nilsson’s THE POINT, and Peter, Paul, & Mommy, and Schubert’s Noble  Waltzes. Illustration has been a  common thread throughout my creative career, although it has not  been a career in itself.

I met my husband Jason while working at Gardens.  He managed the outdoor nursery and I managed the retail shop.   Together we cherish two beautiful boys, Oliver (2007) and Theodore (2011).  We have lived in a 740 square foot house (aka the Hobbit House) on a half acre property  near the center of downtown Austin since 2004.  I made the choice to stick close to home with my children while providing office support for JBird & Company, our landscape (design, build, maintain) business that was founded in 2008.  We have learned a great deal about running a small, home (& backyard) based business and have an impressive portfolio of design work to show for it.   In addition to  mother and wife and Quickbooks keeper I  would occasionally  have the opportunity to wear my creative hat for freelance illustration and design work.  Many of these jobs I have are on this site for viewing. Studio sharing with my talented friends at Eye Like Design has been creatively refreshing!

Years ago (mid 1990’s), I had a drawing desk in the downstairs sales floor of Humphrey Summit Ski.  A note appeared on my desk saying Annie’s Omnium.  I liked the sound of it, looked  up OMNIUM in the dictionary and it stuck.  From that point forward my creative world was Annie’s Omnium~ one woman art exhibits, Extra Sensory Production’s Flagstaff Fall Music Festival concessions’ stand(s), and specialty made items were under the Omnium umbrella.  I received my BFA degree in textiles from the Cleveland Institute of Art and decided that I needed to strengthen my design skills and expand my portfolio. I packed my bags and went off to New York City to study Retail Design and Visual Merchandising at Parsons.  For this program I decided to funnel all of my education and big city experiences into developing Annie’s Omnium… a visual business plan.  I consider this chapter graduate school and equate it to a masters thesis in design.  I studied under vibrant professionals and created a prolific body of work and added great sophistication to my portfolio.  Most importantly, I developed a very in-depth conceptual vision for Annie’s Omnium.  It is continuously evolving and it thrills me to finally have a strong presence on the world wide  web.  Pop up shops will keeping popping up  and eventually a brick and mortar Annie’s Omnium will be around the corner. In the meantime keep Annie’s Omnium on your radar in the form of Fresh Configurations, my service business, Annie’s Omnium On-Line Emporium, my Etsy Shop, and other happenings and events here and there and everywhere.

At least that is what my Dad used to say!  My  childhood was curious, colorful, and full of adventures.  I grew up amongst beautifully creative people, my Mom, Nancy Taylor, being the biggest inspiration.  She banged away on her floor looms weaving exquisite vegetal dyed yardage which she transformed into finely tailored clothes.  Sewing, knitting, painting furniture… there was always something coming from her dexterous hands.  Our family (sister, Mary Taylor Miller and brother, John Taylor) was surrounded by a dynamic community (Flagstaff, Arizona) of scientists, artists, outdoorsy characters, and nurturing souls. My Father, Walt Taylor, was a family doctor for a great many in the community. The Museum of Northern Arizona, practically an extension of our backyard  had a dynamic research department  in addition to being  home base for talented Hopi and Navajo craftsmen.  I have always had great pride in the fact that ‘my homeland’ is the Colorado Plateau, one of the most beautiful places on the planet.  I have loved living in various cities over the years and feel so blessed to have amazing friends from all the different places (since 1968) that I have lived, but it gives me great joy to be returning to ‘my homeland’ as a mother, wife, daughter, sister, artist, and designer!