Works
Walker is remembered as an unusually tireless artist who labored long hours in his North Royal Street studio in Mobile. His paintings reflect a passion for bright colors, which he acquired from trips to Cuba and Key West — a passion reinforced by subsequent trips throughout the United States and Gulf Coast region.
Heavy dark outlines and painterly brushwork characterized both his commercial and public works. Walker’s preferred subject matter ranged from Mardi Gras, fantasy and historical themes to landscapes and portraiture.
Walker's watercolors are still prized throughout the Alabama Gulf Coast region. His paintings are displayed in many homes throughout the St. Louis area and throughout Alabama. Along the Gulf Coast, he is especially remembered for his murals in the old City Hall building in Mobile (now the Museum of Mobile), for the Smith Bakery murals on Dauphin Street in Mobile (now lost) and for his mural designs for the Federal Building Courtroom. Walker paintings also are displayed in numerous public schools throughout the state.
Walker also earned an enduring reputation as a designer of floats, stage sets, and costumes for Mardi Gras. Many of the float designs, noted for their exquisite artwork, are still displayed in museums.
Many of his works earned numerous local, state and national awards. He was a founder and original member of the Mobile Art Guild, which he also served as an instructor.
Read more about this topic: John Augustus Walker
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