Today we’d like to introduce you to Joseph Walker.
Hi Joseph, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I always enjoyed doing art while I was in school back in the early ’90s then life sort of got in the way. After school, I couldn’t afford college so, I started working in retail grocery. After a while, I realized that I wanted to do something more but I made too much for student aid to go back to school but not enough money to pay bills and school.
At that point, I decided to join the military to help change careers and help pay for school. After the military, I finished my Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering and started working in a local hospital. I moved to a traveling job and then came the pandemic. I stopped working during the pandemic as travel was difficult initially.
I had a lot of free time on my hands and I picked up a paintbrush and started painting my daughter. I finally had time to do what I always loved to do. After a while, I knew that I needed to do something to help pay the bills, and didn’t know how long I would continue to be out of work. I started thinking about what I could do to supplement our family’s income.
Then, suddenly, I thought about selling my artwork. From there, I started small at some local markets and kept reinvesting back into my artwork. I never thought that I would be a professional artist but it is funny how some things work out and I couldn’t be happier with what I am doing now.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It hasn’t been a smooth road for me. I worked for 16 years in retail and could get myself out of the rut that I was in. So, at 34 years old, I joined the military to help collapse the timeframes of learning a new career and getting an education.
The military is very difficult on a person’s body and I left the military with some physical disabilities. Losing my income during a worldwide pandemic and starting an art career when most events were closed or canceled due to health restrictions was a difficult choice.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am known as a pop art portrait painter. Though other painters and artists may paint more photorealistic artwork, I paint my subjects in a monochromatic style using only black, white, and grays. This comes from my time in elementary and high school where I mostly drew in pencil.
The shading in pencil work brings depth to the images that are drawn. Though it is an entirely different medium, the same goes for my paintings. Instead of blending all of the shadings in my new work, I make a definitive line between the monochromatic shades to bring depth and realism to my work.
I studied the work of famous pop art painters such as Andy Warhol and Peter Max and their use of bright, attractive colors. I draw from their influences and select a background color that makes the image stand out and pop. It is a style I haven’t seen much of that helps my work stand out.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I think that kindness is a great trait to have. I love to get in front of people with my artwork. I have a variety of artwork that appeals to a wide range of people. All of these people have their own stories of what these characters or icons mean to them and I love listening to every one of the stories.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/walkertexaspainter
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/walkertexaspainter
