Meet Ronald Walker

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ronald Walker a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ronald, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

Purely by accident, when I was in high school I had a very poor registration time. The only class left at one point was art. At that point in my life art sort of scared me, no one in my family had ever gone into art let alone had much interest in it, it was alien to my thinking. In any case I wish I could say the class changed my life, however it did not. I did not like the class at all and was relieved when it was over. The following semester, much to my chagrin I got stuck with two art classes, the difference being this time something clicked and I not only enjoyed the classes but started to think this was the direction I wanted to go in my life.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I paint, I show art. That sums up my activity but it is much more than that. I feel that the visual arts are a form of communication, similar in many ways to other forms and yet different. First off is the visual arts ability to transcend language. A book, play and so on may contain some very important information which needs to be conveyed but if you don’t speak or read the language it is at best a delay in understanding that could even end up changing the meaning of the work if the translation is not great. In contrast a painting done by a french artist or German one or whatever could be understood by the viewer even without a grip on the language. The second advantage of visual art is it is immediate, a book, work of music, play all may contain some wonderful information but it takes time to absorb it. The visual arts such as painting gives you the entire content of the information it contains all at once. So to sum this up, I’m painting but also attempting to communicate to others through the unique power of the visual arts.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I think I have some natural inclination for the visual but mostly it is work. Not the type of work that is dreary and tiresome but rather one which is challenging and exciting. I work on art every day whether I’m in the mood or not, I think that habit is not only important but vital to creation.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

Even though my parents were not into art they were for the most part encouraging. My mom was very active politically and often brought home old posters from whatever cause she was involved in and my brother and I were allowed to draw and color on the backs of these posters as much as we wished. Later on, once I decided to go into art my mom was very positive, my dad was to a point but worried how I would be able to live. Despite his concerns I was largely supported through college and once I began to have some successes my father largely came around.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ronald-walker.pixels.com