About – Takeyce Walter Studio

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Takeyce Walter is an award winning contemporary American painter (born Jamaica), art instructor, and media producer living and working in upstate New York. Driven to create from an early age, Walter has been producing art for as long as she can remember. Most recently, her focus has been on the natural landscape of her surroundings in the Northeast. Working with oil paint, pastels and gouache, Walter creates paintings that present the landscape in all its glory – flowing rivers, majestic skies, and picturesque lakes. There is a great sense of familiarity, tranquility, and reverence in each piece.

Inspired by the Daily Painters of the mid-2000s, Walter made a commitment to finishing at least one painting a week in 2005, and started blogging to help track her progress. Many years later, she has maintained that commitment and is currently producing art on a prolific basis. In 2014 Walter started Creative February, a daily creative project that has since inspired artists all over the world to create art each daily during the month of February. The inspiration and camaraderie gained from this project extended far beyond than twenty-eight days.

In addition to exhibiting her paintings online, she also exhibits in regional galleries in the Northeast. Her art has found homes in many private collections across the country, and internationally, as well these notable collections: The Adirondack Experience, The Saratoga Hospital Foundation, Hudson Headwaters, and the Brookside Museum.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Juried Member, The Oakroom Artists, 2016 to present
Juried Member, Adirondack Pastel Society, 2011 to present
Board Member, Saratoga Arts, 2014 to 2020
Board Member, The Nature Conservancy, 2018 to present

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ARTIST STATEMENT

The beauty found in nature often overwhelms me. I am driven by an ever-present and irresistible urge to capture that beauty and share it with others. My recent work reflects the beauty I see in the natural landscape around me. I am most inspired by, and drawn to quiet and peaceful scenes. I am forever intrigued by light, and its effects on colors in the landscape. The paintings are of places I’ve experienced with all my senses, composed with intent to reconstruct the sense of connection I feel with nature.
My process of creating art is nourishing, energizing, and exhausting all at once. My goal when starting a painting is to capture the impression a place or a moment has left upon me. I need not lay down every blade of grass to capture the mood and atmosphere that originally drew me to a composition. I work primarily with oil paint and soft pastels to capture these moments.
I am inspired, and I hope my work inspires others to take pause, and experience the beauty around us.

ABOUT THE WORK: Paint and Pastels

I work with both pastels and oil paint. I have an equal affinity for both mediums. Each serves its purpose.

OILS:

I use a variety of professional grade oils. My split primary palette consists of 6-8 colors colors including Titanium White, and warm and cool hues of red, yellow, and blue.

CARING FOR ORIGINAL OIL PAINTINGS

Oil paintings have been around for centuries. Finished oil paintings can be hung framed or unframed. A rule of thumb is to never hang your original art in direct sunlight. You can dust your painting every so often with a soft dry cloth. This will keep thick layers of dust from building up on the surface of the painting. Resist the urge to touch the paint, as oils from your fingers can affect the look of the painting over time.

I use professional archival grade paints, and grounds. Most of my oil paintings are done on stretched canvas, or canvas panels. I don’t usually varnish my work, but can do so if you would like.

PASTELS

Pastels have also been around for centuries. They have been used by notable old masters such as Jean Baptiste Simeon Chardin, Edgar Degas, and Mary Cassatt as well as modern masters Wolf Kahn, and Daniel Greene.

Pastels are made from the same pigments used to produce all colored art media, including oil paints. Instead of oils, a binding agent is added to the pigments to create a chalk-like stick, which is applied to a textured surface, usually paper. Pastels are available in an array of colors, and many paintings done centuries ago still maintain their original vibrancy today.

I am a huge fan of pastels because of its immediacy – no mixing colors, or waiting for paint to dry. I use a variety of professional grade soft pastels: Terry Ludwig, Unison, Richeson, Sennelier, and nuPastel. I use acid free sanded paper/panel as my ground: UArt pastel paper, PastelBord, and Sennelier pastel card.

CARING FOR ORIGINAL PASTELS

Pastels should never be placed in direct sunlight or in any areas prone to excessive moisture. I do not use a fixative on my finished paintings, so they should be handled very carefully. To avoid smudging, never touch the surface of the painting. Pastels should be framed under glass to protect the finished painting from damage. I recommend museum UV glass. It’s glare free, and virtually invisible allowing the art to be seen from any angle. Pastels can be framed with, or without a mat using spacers to separate the art from the glass.

I am happy to frame any painting – oil or pastel. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via email.