On the walls of Russ Taylor's pocket-sized studio inside his Indialantic garage hang two works that clearly illustrate his versatility.

Next to a meticulously rendered outdoorscape tha's brimming with Andrew Wyeth contemplativeness is a colorful copy of the painting Taylor designed as the poster for the 2006 Melbourne Art Festival.

While the former invites introspection, the latter exudes joie de vivre and is a refl ection of the artist's sunny philosophy.

"My art is meant to be joyful and uplifting, not disturbing or shocking," Taylor explains. "My work is made to make people happy."

In the richly textured "Canoe Buddy," the art festival piece, a self-assured hound glides up Crane Creek on a self-guided canoe.

When Samara and John Zitnik saw the original, they immediately wanted it.

"His style is fun and playful and always makes us smile," Samara says.

Because the piece is such a mood-lifter, the Zitniks strategically placed it in their Melbourne Beach home.

"We can see it from anywhere in the house," Samara says.

Taylor spent years working on tightly crafted watercolors before letting loose with his style, creating works that express his upbeat personality.

Brian Cheatham fell under the spell of Taylor's paintings at the 2005 Sarasota Art Fair, where the artist's "Blue Drummer" caught his attention.

"Being a drummer myself for some 30 years, the subject matter appealed to me," explains the Michigan resident. "But it was not just the subject matter that caught my eye. It was the whimsy and color and texture of the piece."

As a dog lover, Cheatham also was drawn to "Red Ball," a living room scene that features a dog. "We purchased it and it is prominently displayed in our kitchen. Every time we pass that wall we can't help but smile."

As a Christmas gift to himself and his wife, Cheatham commissioned Taylor to paint a Tuscan-like scene of a man rowing a boat down a stream. The painting includes Cheatham s two dogs, Sunny and Cheaba.

"Quite honestly, if my home were much bigger, it would house many more Russ Taylor works," Cheatham says.

Faith Everett, another collector, says she would be happy if every room in her house boasted one of Taylor's works.

"Every time we go to an art festival where he is exhibiting, we fall in love with his work anew," says the Georgia resident. "If we could afford it, we would have a Russ Taylor hanging in every room of our house!"

Art enthusiasts love Taylor in part because dogs and musicians, two species with a great gusto for life, are recurring themes in his paintings.

The pooches are possibly inspired by Jake, Roscoe and Ellie, the three mutts that arrived at Taylor's doorstep courtesy of his wife, artist Lee Claughton Taylor.

On the other hand, Taylor's brawny, energetic musicians represent the artist's wishful alter ego.

"I'm a frustrated musician," says Taylor, who indulges in acoustic guitar.

For years a successful commercial artist, Taylor veered toward fine arts as a way to explore uncharted creative territory.

"When my 40th birthday approached, it was one of those milestones when you decide you need to do something to shake things up," he recalls.

He first became serious with realistic watercolors, but eventually realized the style wasn't being honest to the real Russ Taylor.

Taylor credits Jerry Lanhan, a Central Florida artist he met during an art show, for helping him find the right direction. Lanhan's splashy works inspired Taylor to follow his muse.

"I spent a lot of time coming up with a unique style," he says.

Taylor's "newer" pieces feature richly textured surfaces that begin with the artist slathering his canvases with gobs of molding paste, a stucco-like substance he commands into submission with any available utensil, from putty knife to comb and even bubble wrap.

From there, he cuts loose with fluid - yet tightly knitted - compositions that seem effortless but are the result of years of study at the Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota.

Each painting is planned with sketches, which help him avert trouble.

"If I do some planning ahead of time, I can solve problems before I put them on the canvas," Taylor says.

Art lovers adore his masterful use of appealing colors.

Says Samara Zitnik: "He uses colors together you would never expect."

While some in Brevard County may take him for granted, Taylor is a hot commodity in Atlanta, Miami and Chicago.

Dr. Lisa Stanford chose one of Taylor's paintings as the focal point for a very large, music-themed room in her Chicago residence.

"His work appeals to me for both its content and boldness of color," Stanford says. "His paintings are alive, vibrant, passionate and soulful."

Stan Pelz agrees with Stanford's appraisal of the artist.

"Some of the words that come to my mind when I think about his creations are passionate and soulful," says Pelz, a collector who first encountered Taylor's art at the Mount Dora Art Festival.

Like many Taylor fans, Pelz has bought numerous Taylor paintings. At his New Smyrna Beach house, he displays the artist's "Island Angel" and "Surf's Up."

And five of Taylor's musician paintings jazz up Pelz's Longwood home.

"I feel great art should effectively convey mood and elicit an emotion, and Russ' paintings definitely do that for me," Pelz says.

One word never associated with Taylor's works is static. Even his interior scenes spring to life with a flick of a drape, a whimsical pose, or the quizzical expression on a pug's face.

Taylor collector Jamie Knoblock can't get enough of the artist's works.

Seven of his paintings reside at Knoblock's office in Melbourne, and when he goes home, several more are there to greet him.

"I have everything from the realistic stage to his current style," Knoblock says, adding the four words that epitomize the essence of Taylor.

"His art is fun."

Russ Taylor is represented locally by LoPressionism Gallery in downtown Melbourne. Contact the artist at 409-8373, or to see more of his work, visit www.rtaylorart.com