We were lucky to catch up with Kim Walker recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kim, thanks for joining us today. Are you happy a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I love “my job”! I have enjoyed being creative my entire life but to be a professional working artist is a dream come true. My son Robby was a child prodigy and to facilitate his educational needs I drove him first to a community college at age nine to take math and science classes as well as core classes and then to Arizona State University when he was just barely 12 years old where he ended up with a PhD in Computer Science and a minor in math. All the while he attended regular school as well, even getting his first college degree before graduating from high school! It was a very exciting time in our lives that spanned many years. In the process of taking Robby to college I went from sitting and waiting for him outside of his classes to then actually taking some classes with him! It was so much fun and to see my son flourishing through higher education was the best! I had never attended college and this put me on my path to my own degree. Initially I worked toward a degree in teaching. I enjoyed imagining my life as a teacher. But then I chose art classes as my elective classes. I was very excited to be learning how to draw and to paint and to work on 3D artworks. I then switched to pursuing an art education degree. I enjoyed imagining my life as an art teacher. But the more I took studio art classes I knew in my heart that what I really wanted was to be an artist! There was no further debate in my mind and with great support from my husband and my family I am delighted to say that in the year 2000 I secured my first gallery representation. Then in December of 2001 I received my Bachelor of Fine Art degree and I am forever grateful for my career. First and foremost being a wife and a mom and a grandma has been the absolute best part of my life. In addition, being a professional artist for the past 22 years has been another of the greatest passions and privileges of my life.

Kim, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

During my fine art degree program at Arizona State University I tried my best to absorb the many phenomenal offerings of my instructors and I am very grateful for that experience. I always knew, however, that I wanted to find my own voice and style in my art creating. Beginning in December of 1999, in an attempt to assuage my grief over the untimely death of my mother I went on almost daily walks. One of those days while resting on a mountain trail, a breeze wrapped around me and it felt like a hug. It was a very spiritual and wonderful feeling! I looked up and all around and it became crystal clear that nature reflects not just beauty but also hope and inspiration and healing as well as many metaphoric lessons that can touch all of our lives in profound and limitless ways. We are all warmed by the same sun and held by the same gravity. And just as we see evident in nature it felt incredible to more deeply realize we are all a continuation of those who came before and it is my belief that nothing is ever completely gone. I knew I wanted to share these feelings as well as the actual botanicals with the world through my art creations. I stopped many times on my walk home that day and picked up random botanic elements, not knowing how, but still knowing without doubt that these elements would become part of my art. The collecting and pressing of botanicals is one of my favorite aspects of my art making. Time in nature and really looking closely at the beauty and the metaphors and the deeper meanings of what nature has to offer is truly heartwarming. I continue to evolve my processes of the inclusion of actual botanicals in my art, almost every day making new discoveries in my studio. I also write an original poem for each painting to further express my reverent gratitude for the gifts of nature. I hand-write my poetry on the back of each composition. I feel that my artwork is very unique and it brings me intense pleasure to celebrate and archive and honor the actual gifts of nature in an unexpected realm. I also use high quality paint mediums and supports and I do my best to always make sure the artworks are created with great integrity and attention to detail. My art is represented in galleries and juried and invitational exhibits nationwide and is included in private, corporate, and municipal collections all over the world. I also work very closely with clients who wish to utilize their own flora in an artwork. This can be done by including flowers from a wedding, a birth, a memorial, a graduation, etc. These private commissions become an archival and lasting and sentimental tribute or celebration of a person and/or a meaningful life event. A dear friend of mine refers to these as my “heartwork”. My career and my adult life experiences bring me full circle to a quote by Vincent Van Gogh that my husband and I actually had printed on our wedding invitation almost 40 years ago. It reads, “Love is eternal, the aspect may change but not the essence”. And another quote by Rebecca Wells, “Use everything in your life to create your art” is very meaningful to me also. These are the kinds of things that inspire my intentions as an artist. I hope it will be evident and that you will enjoy the meaningful connections to nature as you view my artworks and read my poetry.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

In my view society can best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem by simply enjoying and by showing an interest in art. In regards specifically to visual arts, people can visit art galleries and museums and they can attend art shows and exhibitions. They can share encouragement by supporting artists through the purchase of their artworks or simply by following artists on their journeys through social media and/or artist blogs or podcasts. People can introduce themselves and their children to the joys of art creation. They can participate in art programs in schools and through various venues that have art related opportunities and offerings. They can look for beauty in nature. They can enjoy a myriad of art happenings including but not limited to things like theatre, music performances, and dance performances. They can find time to enjoy architecture and literature and films. The possibilities are endless and the benefits are endless too!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is being able to do something I love so much almost every day of my life. I try to never take that for granted. I also often joke about going to visit “my therapist” when I spend time in my studio. The process of art making for me is one that allows me to feel and to express a great deal of passion. Studio time is also a safe place for me to share my secrets with my inner dialogue and to find healing from sadness and worries. Through art creation and also through my poetry I try my best to share positivity with my family and friends and those who follow along with me on my art adventures. I am often in a timeless realm when I am creating my artworks and studio time refreshes my spirit in a myriad of ways.

Contact Info:

• Website: kimwalkerart.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/kimwalkerart
• Facebook: facebook.com/kimwalkerart
• Twitter: @k1_kim