We recently connected with Steve Walker and have shared our conversation below.
Steve , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?
I’m very lucky to have found this passion at the right time soon after retiring from the corporate world. I kept busy creating artwork which was very therapeutic and kept me busy for hours. Being in lockdown during the pandemic I was able to finish a large amount of artwork which got me through those difficult times. This allowed me to share my artwork at solo art shows with communities across Long Island and showing people how I evolved as an artist. I also entered juried exhibitions and to my surprise won awards for a number of my pieces.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m a self-taught charcoal artist and civic minded individual. My inspiration was my mother who dabbled in art and did some incredible drawings while being legally blind. It wasn’t until after retirement that I started drawing as a hobby in 2015. I love using charcoal which allows me to produce detailed images that are visually bold with an element of drama. I eventually introduced pastel into many of my pieces for color and additional contrast and vibrancy. My main focus was landmarks and architectural structures on Long Island and New York City but includes scenes from Europe as well. My artwork continues to be on display in Library Gallery Exhibits across Long Island. I publish a calendar annually on social media so my followers know where they can find my work.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Reinventing myself during retirement and discovering two passions.To find art without any formal training and create award winning charcoal drawings from photographs on my adventures while discovering a second passion through volunteering are both fulfilling and rewarding. After retiring from the corporate world I joined a non-profit, Rebuilding Together Long Island, as a volunteer. The charity utilizes volunteers to provide free safety repairs to homeowners who are financially and physically unable to maintain their homes. Clients are mostly low income seniors and people with physical disabilities. Constructing wheelchair ramps, converting bathtubs to walk in showers along with many more safety repairs are provided without paying labor or materials once they qualify. Initially I was a home visitor, then Outreach Coordinator, became a Board Director and I am currently helping the organization run as Vice President. I have also intertwined my art with volunteering using my art for fundraising to help the charity.
Have you ever had to pivot?
The pivot was what to do with myself now that I was retired. I wasn’t ready for retirement and my biggest fear was will I have enough to keep me busy. I asked myself some questions. What made me happy or inspired me when I was younger I’d like to revisit? Do I have skills developed over the years that I can re-use to benefit others? Do I have a hobby bucket list? What about giving back and volunteering my time for a cause or an organization that resonates with me? After months of mulling things over I decided on Volunteering & Exploring my artist side. When I graduated high school I chose to pursue accounting although I really wanted to be an architect because of the enjoyment I had in my architectural drawing class. I chose the safer route that a teacher convinced me to do so I stored all my architectural drawing tools away along with a cheap drafting table that I acquired. When I retired I dusted off my drawing table and started using my T-Square and other tools I saved to experiment with charcoal as a medium for drawing. It turned out to be a very forgiving medium as I was learning to create some artwork. That was a pivoting moment for me where a hobby has blossomed into a fulfilling passion. Now you can find my artwork in library art galleries across Long Island NY and I have become a premier member artist at the Firefly Artist Gallery in Northport Village LI where my artwork has found a new home.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.artpal.com/SteveWalkerArt
- Instagram: LongIslandCharcoalArtist
- Facebook: Steve Walker Art
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rball13