Steven Walker Studios

Show and Tell...Everyone

steven@stevenwalkerstudios.com (Steven S. Walker) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:59:00 +0000

"Firewood" - 24" x 30" - oil

Anytime I go to Richmond I know that I'll be in high demand between family, friends and work ...and this trip was no different. As I stated in my last post, I was really nervous about talking to several groups of fourth and fifth graders. Well, all of those butterflies left minutes after the first group showed up - and the day at Bettie Weaver Elementary was a success. No heckling, no biting and not one doodie head. What a great group of kids at Bettie Weaver... special thanks to Marie and Curtis Skolnick and Courtney Day.

Now for the opening. What a night! Normally at openings my head's all over the place with anxiety but this night was different. I was too busy schmoozing to have time to worry about anything like sales. I got to see some old friends and I also met some fans that I didn't know that I had. I'd like to thank everyone that came out to the opening. Also I'd like to thank the owners of Glave Kocen Gallery, BJ & Jennifer. They are not only good friends but they've done wonders for my career.

Although there was a huge turnout I know that there are still some folks that couldn't get to the gallery. There's still time... the show will be up until December 23rd.

Getting Schooled

steven@stevenwalkerstudios.com (Steven S. Walker) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:50:00 +0000

"Tucked Away" - 11" x 14" - oil

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I thought I'd post this blog as a last reminder for my opening at Glave Kocen Gallery. Although it promises to be a big night for me, I'm more concerned with the events that will take place prior to the opening. I'm scheduled to give a talk/demo to four groups of 4th and 5th graders at Bettie Weaver Elementary in Chesterfield, VA about art opportunities. This could be brutal. I could get heckled by little Suzy smartpants and never recover. If by some slim chance I actually make it through the afternoon... I'll see you all at the opening.

"Between Homes" new paintings by Steven S. Walker

November 6 - December 23, 2009
Opening reception, Friday, November 6th: 6:00 until 9:00pm
Glave Kocen Gallery, 1620 W. Main St., Richmond VA 23220

Pre-viewfinder

steven@stevenwalkerstudios.com (Steven S. Walker) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:28:00 +0000

"33 Mist" - 30" x 30" - oil

Available at Glave Kocen Gallery

O.K. so for the past four months I've been working on this solo show at Glave Kocen Gallery, and for the past month several people have asked me if I was going to post all 40 pieces. While I do intend to post the pieces to my website, the gallery has just uploaded images of all 40 pieces as a preview to the show. I'm sure that this will be appreciated by the folks that can't make it to the opening but don't let this sway the rest of you from attending the opening on November 6th from 6pm to 9pm. The link below will take you directly to the gallery page. Enjoy and tell a friend.

Glave Kocen Gallery - Steven S. Walker

"Between Homes" new paintings by Steven S. Walker
November 6 - December 23, 2009
opening reception, Friday, November 6th: 6:00 until 9:00pm

From Afghanistan with Love, part 2

steven@stevenwalkerstudios.com (Steven S. Walker) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:52:00 +0000

"At the End of the Day (James)"- 16" x 20" - oil

I've never been in an actual briefing, so I knew that I should pay extra close attention. I tried but I would have been better off learning french from a dog with a lisp. While explaining the rules and procedures of the base they must have used a thousand acronyms (none of which I knew). It didn't help that I was ridiculously congested from the change of weather.

After the briefing we went to get our IBA's (Interceptor Body Armor) and helmets. After adding this twenty pounds of protection we recieved the news that we would not be leaving for Afghanistan just yet. Since we did not expect to stay at Manas we were in need of some sleeping quarters. Before leaving the states we were all told that we would need to bring a sleeping bag with the expectation of sleeping in tents. Senior Master Sgt. Lynch of the public affairs office was right there to help us out. Because we were given the rank of Colonel's our sleeping arrangements were awesome.

There was a meeting at 10pm to discuss flights out to Bagram but that was several hours away. The next several hours were spent between the dining hall, the BX (base exchange) and my bed. - to be continued...

p.s. the above piece is part of the upcoming exhibition

Reminder:"Between Homes" new paintings by Steven Walker
November 06 - December 23, 2009
opening reception, Friday, November 6th 6:00 until 9:00 pm
Glave Kocen Gallery 1620 W. Main St., Richmond, VA

From Afghanistan with Love, part 1

steven@stevenwalkerstudios.com (Steven S. Walker) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:54:00 +0000

"The Distance" - 18" x 24" - oil

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Where's Steven at now? Well for the past two weeks I've been on a trip with the Air Force en route to Afghanistan. As a member of the Air Force Art Program I sometimes get called to go to different bases to document the current activities and later donate a painting based on the trip. It's always an honor to travel with the Air Force. I see it as my way of giving back. I would have posted this blog earlier but my mother reads these posts and would have lost sleep thinking about her son going to Afghanistan.

I met up with everyone from the program on Tuesday and flew out of BWI on Wednesday. I think that out of the two weeks, we spent one week in airports. We had a slight bump in the road when a fuel leak on our plane forced us to spend the night in Landstahl, Germany. If you have to break down somewhere... Germany's not a bad place at all.

By the time we landed in Kyrgyzstan it was Saturday morning. I had no concept of time or space at this point. I along with about 100 soldiers exited the plane only to board a bus that would take us to be briefed at Manas Air Base. - to be continued...

Reminder:
"Between Homes" new paintings by Steven Walker
November 06 - December 23, 2009
opening reception, Friday, November 6th 6:00 until 9:00 pm
Glave Kocen Gallery 1620 W. Main St., Richmond, VA

Collect em' All

steven@stevenwalkerstudios.com (Steven S. Walker) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:55:00 +0000

Click here for American Art Collector website

It's October and the countdown to the big show can begin. Just when you thought that you've heard enough about my upcoming solo show...here's more. In stores now is the October issue of American Art Collector with a wonderful artist focus page highlighting my show at Glave Kocen Gallery in November. My hope is that this will create a buzz on the national level. As November approaches more pieces will be added to the website.

Go pick up your copy today...no...stop what you're doing...go NOW and take a friend!

Pardon the Interruption

steven@stevenwalkerstudios.com (Steven S. Walker) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:15:00 +0000

"Hatch Show" - 18" x24" - oil

Well it's crunch time. I've finished 29 out of 40 paintings so far with a month left before the big solo show in Richmond, VA at Glave Kocen (plug). I don't like painting right up to the last minute but I've noticed in the past that I usually have a stronger body of work that way. Typically the thought of completing this many pieces doesn't worry me but lately I've been extremely busy. It wasn't always this difficult but somehow (out of nowhere) I ended up with a personal life. I honestly don't know how this happened.

In addition to teaching responsibilities and this crazy personal life I've got to keep the other galleries happy. The piece above was sent to The Arts Company a few weeks ago in an effort to keep them stocked with some Steven Walker pieces. If you enjoy vintage posters as much as I do then you should make time to stop by Hatch Show Prints in downtown Nashville, TN.

Take one down pass it around

steven@stevenwalkerstudios.com (Steven S. Walker) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 14:22:00 +0000

"Roadside View 1 & 2" - 24" x 24" each - oil

Despite my absence I have been busier than a beaver in a coffee lake. Let's see...earlier this month we took a trip to Richmond, VA to pick up some panels/frames and spend some quality time with friends and family. From there we drove to Nashville,TN to see more family as well as drop off a couple of pieces at The Arts Company (like the two above).

Although it was a work day in Nashville I found time to celebrate my birthday. We walked through downtown Nashville, spent time with family and had a great dinner. Despite being kicked out of the truck by my niece (because I'm a boy...duuuh), it was certainly one of the better birthdays of recent memory.

So what have I been working on recently? Well the big project right now is my first major solo show in Richmond, VA. The show is titled "Between Homes" and will focus on the beautiful sights between Ohio and Virginia. The plan is to have about 40 landscapes painted by November 6th. As of today I've completed 22 paintings with 9 in progress and a little more than a month left. IT'S GO TIME!

What the... (fill in the blank)

steven@stevenwalkerstudios.com (Steven S. Walker) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 23:14:00 +0000

"Tattoo" - 24" x 30"- oil

Although I haven't been posting regularly as of late, I have been hard at work. Most recently my website has under gone an extreme face lift (Joan Rivers territory). Take some time to visit http://www.stevenwalkerstudios.com/. In addition to a new look there are a few new images along with a short biography. Unfortunately many of the paintings that I've been working on as of late will remain under lock and key until November but I'll share what I can.

The painting above is of a Tattoo parlor, that once was a bank, in downtown Nashville, TN. As I walked past this building I noticed a sign through the open door that read "Absolutely no bad language." What the... This seemed awfully strange for a tattoo parlor. It wasn't until I was well into the painting that I found out that this was Nashville's one and only Christian tattoo parlor. Soon this painting will be on its' way to The Arts Company for Artrageous, a prestigious annual fundraiser for Nashville CARES.

What Labor Laws

steven@stevenwalkerstudios.com (Steven S. Walker) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 01:23:00 +0000

"Old Man Summer" - 5" x 7" - oil

click here to bid or purchase

I don't usually like to have people helping me in my studio because I have my own way of doing things and I want it all done right. Nonetheless, last week I had a little extra help in the studio. For the most part, things went smoothly but of course there were a few bumps in the road. I found myself doing more teaching than anything. This kid didn't know how to sand panels, use photoshop or even how to use a circular saw. He was more interested in playing fetch with my dog than anything but by the end of the week he was running the place. Oh...did I mention that he's my godson and eleven years old?

The above piece is my entry into this weeks Different Strokes from Different Folks Challenge. This may be the last challenge that I participate in for a while until I can get the works for my November show ready.

Ground Control to Major Tom, Part 2

steven@stevenwalkerstudios.com (Steven S. Walker) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:13:00 +0000

"Shelby Street Bridge" - 30" x 40" - oil

Available at The Arts Company

So as promised, I'm delivering the rest of the Air Force story. The reason for this trip was to document the space aspect of the United States Air Force. The folks in Washington noticed that there are hundreds of paintings of airplanes but very few pieces of art that focus on the space program.

During the next couple of days of our space technology field trip we visited Raytheon, Boeing, Northrop Grumman and Space X. Usually the artists on these trips take hundreds of reference pictures to work from once they get home. I said usually. This was far from a normal trip. We were not allowed to take any of our own photos and at Boeing, I couldn't even take in a lead pencil. A lot of the information that we were given was fascinating for a regular Steve like me. I would love to talk more about the trip but 70% of what we saw was classified and I can't even acknowledge 90% of what I didn't see (hush, hush). Don't even get me started on the little green . . . never mind.

Ground Control to Major Tom

steven@stevenwalkerstudios.com (Steven S. Walker) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:00:00 +0000

"Broad and High" - 36" x 36" - oil
Available at Art Access Gallery

A few weeks ago a fellow artist commented on how my life as an artist is so exciting. I've never considered my life to be anything other than drab and stressful. This leads me into today's post.

About two weeks ago I received a call from the United States Air Force Art Program to go to Los Angeles,CA to visually document the Space aspect of the Air Force. Now for those of you who are not familiar with the Air Force Art Program, let me explain. To create a visual history, the Air Force sends artists on trips to bases near and abroad to view the current event or exercise that is taking place. In return for the trip, the Air Force asks that the participating artists donate one painting that is based on their experience.

The trip started off with a few travel hiccups but nothing serious. There was a one hour wait for a rental car but on the bright side there was a woman that did the electric slide for about forty minutes while she waited in line. Although our dinner plans were thrown off by delayed planes, the few of us who had arrived were able to grab a bite at the Redondo Beach Brewing Co.

to be continued...

Hold the Olives

steven@stevenwalkerstudios.com (Steven S. Walker) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:19:00 +0000

"Shaken not Stirred" - 30" x 40" - oil

This is a friendly reminder of the "New Works" group show at Art Access Gallery this Friday (July 10th). The painting above is just one of the new pieces that will be on display. The artist reception is from 5 to 8pm. If you can make it bring friends and their friends or even people that just look like your friends. Just come, have a drink, and enjoy the work. By the slim chance that you can't make the reception, make sure you go before the end the summer.

Different Strokes to Move the World

steven@stevenwalkerstudios.com (Steven S. Walker) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:54:00 +0000

"Stroke! Stroke!" - 5" x 11" - oil

click here to bid or purchase

This is my entry into the Different Strokes from Different Folks Challenge. This one was a real challenge because the reference photo was kind of washed out but I tried to make the best of it. I thought about skipping this one but I felt obligated since my friend Clinton decided to start participating. Nothing keeps me going like a little friendly competition.

In other Steven Walker news... I'll be participating in a group show at Art Access Gallery (Bexley, OH) titled "New Work" for the month of July and August. The artist opening is this Friday from 5pm to 8pm. If you know of anyone in the Ohio area tell them to go to the gallery immediately. If they give you any excuses . . . start shaking them but not too hard, just enough to get the point across.

Disclaimer: Steven Walker is not responsible for any violence that may stem from this or any other blog, although there's nothing wrong with a little tough love.

Sobering Thoughts

steven@stevenwalkerstudios.com (Steven S. Walker) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 10:07:00 +0000

"The James #5" - 30" x 40" - oil

Available at the Glave Kocen Gallery

The past week has been somewhat boring for me. I finished two paintings for the The Arts Company in Nashville. I also completed two Columbus based paintings to take to Art Access next week. Lastly, the painting above was delivered to Glave Kocen a few weeks ago. I should have the mentioned paintings posted in the next week or so. That's enough about me.

In more exciting news my better half and partner in crime, at Davis Walker Creative won a design contest for the Boat Sober New York poster below. The poster was created out of paper collage. Evelyn's design efforts are primarily geared towards designing for non profit organizations such as the Civil Rights Memorial Foundation, Big Brothers and Big Sisters and any other charitable cause. She's definitely the goody good of this tandem and it works. If you have time, go check out our efforts at http://www.daviswalkercreative.com/

Steven and the Traveling Studio

steven@stevenwalkerstudios.com (Steven S. Walker) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:08:00 +0000

"Nature's Fall" - 5" x 7" - oil

click here to bid or purchase

I was reading an issue of Art Calendar a few months ago that focused on artists getting freelance work as illustrators. Getting work can be difficult but how you handle the process is even more important. Unlike creating work for yourself, with illustration you're often working to cater someone else's schedule. This often requires long hours, a wonky schedule and patience. I rarely pursue illustration work these days because of my fine art focus but it's nice every now and then.

So a few weeks ago I put everything on hold for a freelance project that came my way. Although it forced me to put most of my work on hold it was totally worth it. My project began shortly after Memorial Day weekend. For the most part the project went smooth because I was fortunate enough to work with a friend (hooray Summer). There were several revisions in the sketch phase before I got the green light to work on the final painting. Everything was on schedule until the day before we had to get on the road. I had just finished the painting when I got the call that some major changes were needed. What can you do? No point in having a hissy fit.

The project needed to go to print soon and so I took the show on the road. I could have postponed the trip but I had several obligations that I had to honor in Richmond too. I decided to take my paints, brushes, my laptop and lastly my scanner to upload the image to my ftp site. After a few hours of painting in the hotel room, I was able to get it all done and sent to the client. It put a little hiccup in the trip but these are the things that you have to do sometimes.

Seeing is Believing

steven@stevenwalkerstudios.com (Steven S. Walker) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 03:31:00 +0000

"On the Trail" - 6" x 6" - oil

click here to bid or purchase

So let me clear up the bridezilla comment that I made in my last post. No, I did not get married...yet. It's about Bridezilla the television show and the start of a wonderful weekend in Richmond, Va. So here's the story.

It was slow day for viewing television until Evelyn and I found ourselves hooked on a Bridezilla marathon. I've never seen such a train wreck...but anyway. It was shortly after an episode where the bride and groom found themselves short a best man and a bridesmaid when I got the call. It was fellow artist Clinton Helms calling with an important question...would I be his best man? The timing of his call was ironic but I of course said yes.

Clinton and I have known each other for about twelve years now. We survived the grueling art program at VCU together and even roomed together throughout our masters program. There are several wild and crazy stories that I could tell but I'll keep it rated PG. During those graduate years at Marywood University he often assured me that he would NEVER get married again. Each time I politely nodded and said ok. So when he told me last year that he had met the one, I knew that if there was going to be a wedding I've got to be there...if for nothing but to see it with my own eyes.

(Fast forward) The wedding was just beautiful despite a thunderstorm the day before, a flying patio set and crazy guy named Tony. Together Clinton and Ella have formed C and E Arts Studios. The wedding was one of the many highlights on my weekend trip to Virginia.

Lesson: Never say never.

Absent without Leave

steven@stevenwalkerstudios.com (Steven S. Walker) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:16:00 +0000

"The James #6" - 24" x 48" - oil

Available at Glave Kocen Gallery

So I've been missing in action for a little while. Does this mean that I've been slacking off? Does this mean that I've fallen off of the art map? Lastly and most importantly, does this absence mean that I've forgotten about the people that look forward to reading my posts? Don't stress your brain out too much. The answer to all of these questions is an emphatic NO.

Since my last update I've been working on everything from commissions to freelance illustration and even a few gallery pieces (like the one above). I'm not sure what to attribute to my sudden busy streak but I hope that this news is encouraging for other artists out there. I hope that it's a sign that the work is getting better and more desirable.

In the upcoming posts I'll fill you in on everything that has taken place in the past few weeks from toothpaste to bridezilla. You must be dying with curiosity.

Go to your Happy Place

steven@stevenwalkerstudios.com (Steven S. Walker) — Sun, 31 May 2009 21:24:00 +0000

"Aran Island #5"

click here to bid or purchase

The past few weeks have been extremely busy with creating works for upcoming shows as well as a few commissions. I'm certainly not complaining. Often when these hectic times come about I tend to think about where I'd like to go for a break. The number one spot so far is Inishmore Ireland. The island is part of a group of three islands called The Aran Islands. The painting above is one of the sights seen from Dun Aengus, a popular fort that sits on the edge of a cliff. If I ever retire...that's where you'll find me.

Showing Off...or On

steven@stevenwalkerstudios.com (Steven S. Walker) — Thu, 28 May 2009 00:30:00 +0000

"Cadmium Light" - 6" x 6" - oil

click here to bid or purchase

For the past couple of months I've struggled with themes and thoughts for my solo show. This past weekend, like much of America, we took a trip out of town for Memorial Day weekend. I had about seven hours on the road to think about this show and I still feel like I haven't made much headway. Half of the time I was distracted by the beautiful hills of Pennsylvania and the other half was consumed with visuals of my head exploding into a Jackson Pollock painting if I don't figure this out soon.

I'd like to make the very best of this show because it's my first major gallery exhibition. The plan is to have thirty to forty pieces of various sizes ..."no pressure Steven." I don't know how other artists develop a cohesive body of work. I'm finding it really hard to stay in one place with my work. I'm constantly learning from other artists as well as from my own experiments. I'd love to hear thoughts on putting shows together or what makes a good art show... sound off.

Between the Moon and New York City

steven@stevenwalkerstudios.com (Steven S. Walker) — Thu, 21 May 2009 18:02:00 +0000

"Madison" - 8" x 10" - oil
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Once again I waited until the last minute to work on the Different Strokes from Different Folks challenge. Normally, it's fairly easy to finish a painting in a day or so but this scene of New York City's Madison Ave. was a tad bit complex. During the painting process I found myself getting stiff and overly concerned with detail. I reverted to a drawing exercise from undergrad. I flipped both the reference and the painting upside down and proceeded to finish it upside down. This wasn't done to show off but to get my mind off of the complex scene. It wasn't long before I had a delightful moment of artistic clarity. The buildings turned into simple shapes and the traffic appeared only as dabs of paint. You could even call it a Matrix moment.

Back to You Ed

steven@stevenwalkerstudios.com (Steven S. Walker) — Mon, 18 May 2009 01:38:00 +0000

"The Hopper House" - 6" x 6" - oil

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Last week was a slow news week for me. With a couple of sales, I can report that the Art at the Mill event in Berryville, VA was fairly successful. I had reservations about entering the show again because I hadn't had any sales from the three previous times that I participated. Like so many of these events, it takes time to build up a reputation/fan base before buyers/collectors start looking for you.

Clair Huxtable 2.0

steven@stevenwalkerstudios.com (Steven S. Walker) — Sat, 09 May 2009 23:45:00 +0000

"A Better Day" - 5" x 7" - oil

click here to bid or purchase

I've always had an unusual take on Mother's Day. I'm not going to start bad mouthing mothers because mom is one of the very best. She puts up with all of my shenanigans. She almost always has a grill cheese ready for me when I come over. She supported my career as an artist even when many laughed at the idea. Mother's Day to me isn't about showing her that you love her and all of that mushy stuff but more importantly, for those of you who have siblings, it's about upstaging your brother or sister. It's about turning mom into an emotional pile of goo and realizing that you've won her over once again. I don't know what my brother has in store this year but I think that this year is mine. Here's to all of those moms that support the arts.

An Old Artist who Lived in a Shoe

steven@stevenwalkerstudios.com (Steven S. Walker) — Tue, 05 May 2009 22:14:00 +0000

"In the Clear" - 5" x 7" - oil

click here to bid or purchase

This past weekend I put aside an hour of time to work on my painting inventory. In the past all of the information about my paintings or their whereabouts was tucked away in the dusty part of my brain. Keeping all of that info in my head was like keeping up with a school full of kids single handily. As often as I paint I'm surprised at how long I've been able to keep up with all of these kids...I mean paintings.

Since I've been entering more shows and competitions, this spreadsheet thing seemed helpful. I'm certainly not a spreadsheet guy so for some assistance I hired/forced the services of Cindy, our local spreadsheet guru. Now I know where my paintings are, what's sold as well as how many pieces I've painted since last year (ridiculous). Hoorray for Spreadsheets!

For all of the Marywood alumni, checkout the back page of the recent alumni magazine before it finds it's way to the trash.

Stone Cold Fox

steven@stevenwalkerstudios.com (Steven S. Walker) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:13:00 +0000

"Diana" - 5" x 10" - oil
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This painting is my contribution to the Different Strokes from Different Folks challenge. I wish I had spent more time on this one but the deadline caught up with me. The challenge this week was to paint the marble sculpture of' "A Companion of Diana." With all of the paperwork and larger pieces that I've been working on, I was seriously tempted to skip this challenge. Then I thought to myself..."what am I a slacker?" I can spare a couple of hours to work on this challenge.