Gord Walker Studios
Welcome to Gord Walker Studios!
Eighteen years ago Gord Walker’s lifelong love of cars, motorcycles and racing collided with a rediscovered interest in sketching and painting from his teenage years.The result was his first automobile painting. To his surprise, Gord won an award in the first national automotive art competition he entered.
“A friend who had seen my work and was a member of the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada suggested that I should enter the AJAC sponsored Art of the Automobile competition. He said the chief judges of the competition were Jay Koka and Ken Dallison, both internationally renowned automobile artists. That got my attention since I was a real fan of Ken Dallison’s work in particular, going back to my teenage days when I subscribed to Car and Driver magazine, where Ken’s artwork was prominently featured. He had such a spectacularly unique style in pen and ink.
I gave an acceptance speech at the awards ceremony, thanking everyone especially Ken, who I said had always been my inspiration, and explained how honoured I felt to be considered part of this group. Ken’s parting words that day were: 'Don’t get too good', but I was already hooked on automotive art.”
Since then he’s published illustrated articles, exhibited his art in galleries and at autoshows across Canada. His work has been featured in dozens of online and print publications and newspapers throughout North America. A collection of Gord’s paintings of classic Jaguar automobiles was on display at the Toronto launch of the 2003 Jaguar XJ sedan. His paintings have been commissioned by collectors in both Canada and the U.S. In addition, Gord has exhibited his work at the Concours d’Elegance of America as well as the Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance, a breathtaking venue on Georgian Bay north of Owen Sound , Ontario.
When Gord first attended the Cobble Beach Concours as a featured artist three years ago, he fell in love with the area. He now makes his home in nearby Thornbury on Georgian Bay. He has used the spectacular scenery of Georgian Bay and the Grey Highlands as a backdrop on some of his recent paintings.
Gord prefers acrylics and canvas for his paintings. “My style uses highlights and reflections to create a special mood. I try to be as realistic as possible, but whatever I do has to LOOK like a painting when I’m finished. The area I live in is full of awe-inspiring scenery, but it’s also populated with a number of really superb landscape artists, so I tend to focus on a semblance of movement in my landscape paintings. For me the automobile is a perfect symbol of movement, not just from point to point but through time as well."
"I think my style is still evolving. A journalist friend once jokingly referred to me as “the Norman Rockwell of Canadian automotive art”.
I have a lot of favourite artists, but I think the one who has the greatest influence on me is the nineteenth century American, Winslow Homer. My family doctor used to have a Winslow Homer print in his office. I found I could stare at it forever, it was so calming! If I can get anywhere near that feeling with my paintings then I know I’ve been successful.”
