Shane Walker’s father always jokes, “you’ve been doing your apprenticeship for 28 years.” Walker, a painter from the small coastal town of Waihi Beach, at the northern end of the Tauranga Harbour, describes himself as a lover of art from a very young age. However, it has only been recently that he has turned his artwork into a career.
“The painting went on the back burner for majority of my teen years and early twenties. I would complete one or two paintings a year and a few charcoal drawings in the mix just for fun. It’s something I kept falling back into, usually when I had some downtime”.
Initially a career as an artist appeared to be an unrealistic path. After high school, Walker moved between numerous jobs, finding nothing provided quite the right fit. After some time spent overseas, he found himself back from Europe and jobless. A foot in the art door came as a request from a friend to paint a mural for the Beaches Motel.
“One mural led to three, which then turned into a few commissions. The job I had at the time hit a quiet spell and I realised that I needed to get stuck into something true to myself. The art was there all along, and I just couldn’t see it.”
Putting all his energy into artwork was challenging at first, but Walker decided early on that he had to approach it in the same way as any other job if he was to make it work.
“It has been a massive learning curve, financially and emotionally.”
“The painting went on the back burner for majority of my teen years and early twenties. I would complete one or two paintings a year and a few charcoal drawings in the mix just for fun. It’s something I kept falling back into, usually when I had some downtime”.
Initially a career as an artist appeared to be an unrealistic path. After high school, Walker moved between numerous jobs, finding nothing provided quite the right fit. After some time spent overseas, he found himself back from Europe and jobless. A foot in the art door came as a request from a friend to paint a mural for the Beaches Motel.
“One mural led to three, which then turned into a few commissions. The job I had at the time hit a quiet spell and I realised that I needed to get stuck into something true to myself. The art was there all along, and I just couldn’t see it.”
Putting all his energy into artwork was challenging at first, but Walker decided early on that he had to approach it in the same way as any other job if he was to make it work.
“It has been a massive learning curve, financially and emotionally.”
I am pretty hard on myself, but to be an artist I believe you have to be very disciplined. You have ups and downs and there have definitely been times that I have thought about chucking it in for a normal nine-to-five, but a big support crew keeps me on track.”
“I am pretty hard on myself, but to be an artist I believe you have to be very disciplined. You have ups and downs and there have definitely been times that I have thought about chucking it in for a normal nine-to-five, but a big support crew keeps me on track.”
Walker works across a variety of subjects and mediums, with a focus on detail and realism. He particularly enjoys painting murals, landscapes, portraits, and incorporating kiwiana into his work. His creations capture elements that he considers to be central to the classic kiwi lifestyle: surf-culture, breathtaking scenery and kiwi stories.
“I work with a variety of mediums including oils, acrylics, ink, watercolours, and charcoal. I like the characteristics each medium offers and try to incorporate different textures, blends and techniques within my works. I feel working with a variety of mediums adds to my overall style. I have been very experimental, painting on timber, using epoxy, blow torches and layering.”
Thinking about other people getting started with a career in art, Walker says not to be afraid of asking for advice. “I have been picking peoples’ brains for some time.”
Whether talking to friends or contacting established artists, he says that people are usually more than happy to answer a few questions from an aspiring artist. And, as for his own advice: “produce work that is true to yourself; work that you’re proud of. Then get it out and seen.”
Walker works across a variety of subjects and mediums, with a focus on detail and realism. He particularly enjoys painting murals, landscapes, portraits, and incorporating kiwiana into his work. His creations capture elements that he considers to be central to the classic kiwi lifestyle: surf-culture, breathtaking scenery and kiwi stories.
“I work with a variety of mediums including oils, acrylics, ink, watercolours, and charcoal. I like the characteristics each medium offers and try to incorporate different textures, blends and techniques within my works. I feel working with a variety of mediums adds to my overall style. I have been very experimental, painting on timber, using epoxy, blow torches and layering.”
Thinking about other people getting started with a career in art, Walker says not to be afraid of asking for advice. “I have been picking peoples’ brains for some time.”
Whether talking to friends or contacting established artists, he says that people are usually more than happy to answer a few questions from an aspiring artist. And, as for his own advice: “produce work that is true to yourself; work that you’re proud of. Then get it out and seen.”
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