Andrew Walters
With creativity in his bones, Andrew has loved making art his whole life. Yet it’s only been in recent years he has felt comfortable calling himself an artist.
“When I was growing up, my parents owned an offset printing business, so I grew up with offcuts of paper and a crayon in my hand. That was the best way to keep me quiet!”
“It’s only been in the last few years when people ask what I do, I say, ‘I’m an artist’. That was a big step for me, to just be proud of it and own it. It doesn’t matter who you are, or what your occupation is, if you create, you’re an artist. That’s who I am.”
Andrew delivering one of his paint and sip workshops (Supplied: Andrew Walters)
In further cultivating his artistic side, Andrew has been working with mobile paint and sip company, A Painter’s Dream, running art workshops around Brisbane. It’s a fair departure from his day job working in a law firm, but one that feeds his creative zest for life.
“I still get nervous before each class, but I always ease into it and really enjoy watching people explore the creative process. I like to give the people in my classes options and encourage them to really break out and have fun.”
“I find people are often surprised by what they can do. During one of my portrait cubism classes, someone chose to work with these oranges and browns – it had a real retro feel to it. I’m staring at it thinking, ‘how did you pull that off?!’ It’s a great joy seeing people discover their capabilities.”
After his work was first featured at the Brisbane Street Art Festival at the Powerhouse six years ago, Andrew’s craft has gone from strength to strength. Not one to lock himself into a particular artistic style, Andrew’s hunger to learn and stretch his boundaries is apparent.
“If I don’t keep pushing myself and trying different things, I find that I get stagnant and restless. I’ll show you the ten pieces I’m proud of, but you don’t see the hundreds where I’ve made mistakes. That’s an important part of my process though, to make sure I’m still growing and moving forward as an artist.”
Andrew has just hosted his first big solo exhibition at The Loft Gallery and Coffee House in Redcliffe, as well as being a part of various group exhibitions at Et Al Gallery and Studio & B.Lowe Hair/Art Space. He’s also keen to return to the Recovered Futures Art Exhibition for a second year, having taken the plunge to exhibit for the first time in 2023.
“I work in the city and walk past the Recovered Futures exhibition every year, often going in for a look and posting about it on my Instagram page. Last year I finally thought, ‘let’s do it!’ Art has really helped me through some challenging times in my life, so I thought being involved in this exhibition make a lot of sense.”
Andrew Walters
Looking Back, Looking Forward
Acrylic on canvas
2023 Recovered Futures exhibition
“For me, art is a form of meditation; I get to just zone out and enjoy the moment. When you’re looking at colours and patterns, you can sort of just exist. It acts as a stress release and helps me slow down and be in the present moment.”
“This year, I’m applying with something completely different. I’m wondering how it will be received but if you don’t try, you’ll never know. Putting yourself out there and being vulnerable goes with the territory of being an artist. It’s nerve-wracking, yet there’s a lot to be gained from it.”