Artist Pat Walker has had a desire to paint since she was in elementary school. She has traveled throughout the United States learning from world-renowned artists such as Daniel Greene and David Leffel, and now she is sharing what she’s learned with others. “I love to teach because I feel that I am giving back and making it simple as possible for a beginner to understand,” Walker says.
Walker offers art classes at her gallery Tuesdays at 9 a.m. Choose half- or full-day sessions. She also hosts Pat Walker Workshops, a series of intensive oil-painting workshops and retreats. The workshops stand out because of the caliber of instructors presenting here in Mississippi—the series features several artists in addition to Walker, including Stapleton Kearns, Fongwei Liu and William Kalwick, Jr. Kearns teaches the fall workshop Oct. 22-26.
Classes are hands-on with lectures, instructions and demonstrations. The instructors answer questions and give advice about how to improve your painting style. The studio offers a wide variety of oil painting styles, from portraits, still life, plein air and landscapes.
When she’s not teaching, Walker is busy painting and setting up for the grand opening of her new gallery, which will be held the first week of October. “It’s my life-long goal and passion,” she says of painting.
Workshops are held at the Canton-Madison County Historical Society’s Old Jail (234 E. Fulton St.). For more information, email ritsartist@aol.com, or visit http://www.patwalker-workshops.com or http://gallery.patwalker-workshops.com.
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The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.