Steven Walker
Most people know artist Seven Walker for his illuminating, peaceful landscapes and bright, nocturnal oil paintings, but his newest body of work focuses on his battle with depression and anxiety through still lifes. He says, “As someone who battles and has seen the effects of depression firsthand, I know how hard it is to focus on the good times while drowning in one’s own angst. The glass container in each composition is a conceptual visual ‘constant’ symbolizing fragility as I become more open about my depression/anxiety to others. Each glass houses an object that represents a pleasant, successful or even lighthearted memory in my life.”
Walker adds that this year he’s made it a point to be more transparent about his condition. “With that in mind, the pieces that I have shared thus far on Instagram and Facebook include a story that discusses the history and origin of each painting’s concept,” he says.
This new body of work will have its first showing at Glave Kocen Gallery in Richmond, Virginia. “My plan is to exhibit the work throughout the country in art centers and mental health clinics to help those who have a loved one suffering from depression to understand,” he says. “It’s also meant to let those folks like me understand that they are not alone.”
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On October 16, RS Hanna Gallery in Fredericksburg, Texas, will welcome members and friends of the Oil Painters of America for their 29th annual National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils. The show, which has been postponed from its original May dates, will include all the regular fanfare that collectors have come to enjoy about this weekend of art.
Kicking off the event on October 16, the gallery will host the opening reception and awards ceremony. Collectors will get the first taste of the exhibition in its entirety and have the first chance to purchase the works of art. During the event, this year’s juror of awards, Rose Frantzen, will reveal her selections for coveted prizes such as the Gold, Silver and Bronze Medal awards. This year’s exhibition will include more than 200 juried works of art, while Master Signature members of the organization are invited to
submit work for the show as well.
Among the artists participating this year are Brian McClear, Charles David Alexander, Chris Kling, Deborah Allison, Jing Zhao, Julie Davis, Nikki Davidson and Steven S. Walker. Their works will range in subject matter and style, showing the range of the art available from the group’s members.
Brenda Coldwell’s juried work for the exhibition is a dynamic maritime scene titled Yellow Joy, featuring a bright yellow boat dockside. “In painting Yellow Joy, it was really about the color of the scene that excited me,” she says. “The beautiful shapes of the boats, reflections
and my memory of the warm, soft breeze inspired me as well.”
The Trompe l’Oeil painting Colt Special by John C. Moffitt is another work collectors will see on view. Explaining the piece, the artist says, “The title Colt Special refers to the Colt model 1849 pocket revolver hanging upside down from the lock on the Wells Fargo Strong Box. For reasons no one really knows, this model pistol eventually became known as the ‘Wells Fargo Special’ even though Wells Fargo never actually officially used the weapon. The drivers preferred a shotgun. A strong box on display at the Autry Museum—just like the one depicted in the painting—inspired the painting.”
The National Juried Exhibition will remain on view at RS Hanna Gallery through November 28.