Meet Skye Walker | Artist, Muralist, Designer & Creative Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Skye Walker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Skye, why did you pursue a creative career?
I have been an artist since I could hold a crayon. From a young age, I was always drawing and sketching. When I was 9 years old, I wrote a letter to the creator of Garfield comics, Jim Davis, and told him how much I loved his cartoons and sent him some of mine. To my disbelief, he sent a letter back, on his official Garfield letterhead and told me to keep up the good work. I was so elated that I looked at my mom and told her I was going to be an artist for the rest of my life.

So I have always had art as a main focus in my life and it evolved into my focus for a career. I never faltered or wanted to be anything else. I just wanted to create art and design and that continues today. My dad was an artist and designer, plus he taught me how to do murals when I was in high school. So, 12 years ago when I left my job as an Art Director for a big company, I shifted my entire focus from being a graphic designer back to doing large scale mural installations and that is my main focus
as an artist right now.

I love painting on a large scale and bringing art at that scale to communities all over the place. And every mural is satisfying but it also teaches me new lessons on every new job. So, from an early age I knew I wanted to be an artist and I never changed my mind.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is really diverse. While I have a major theme of the environment, the human form and Mother Nature elements in my art- I also do some really bold and graphic work as well. I’ve tried to keep myself flexible as an artist and muralist so I can work on a variety of projects and installations. But I really love working with the natural forms, shapes and elements nature provides and surrounds us with daily.

I know I haven’t created my best work yet… but I know I’m working towards it. I am very proud of a lot of projects I’ve done and I’m always focusing on making each one even better than the last and not to leave anything left to be desired… but in that path,
I still make mistakes and trip over myself. But that is the lifelong balance of being an artist, getting better and being humbled as you do it to become the best you can be.

I’ve been running my own business as an contract & commission based muralist and artist for 12+ years. It’s not easy by any means, but I love what I do so it fuels me to keep going. Some of the most important things I can relay to other artists and aspiring artists are these things:
• Always get a contract for the job.
• Always get a deposit.
• Be patient and calm with clients and people.
• Never burn bridges- people can be difficult to work with, but always take the higher road. You never know when it can come back and turn into something amazing.
• It’s okay to walk away from a job you don’t feel good about.
• Don’t worry about what other artists are doing… do your work and you will succeed.

I really want people to know that I love art. I respect so many artists out there and we all have an unspoken knowledge about what we have to deal with to be creative, especially in a public space. One thing people don’t understand is how I toil internally on most projects to make sure it comes out looking amazing. And if it’s not looking how I want, it takes a toll on my psyche because I want it to be great every time.

I’m becoming better at allowing myself space to grow, learn from each project and make sure I apply all lessons to the next job and continue to create the best work I possibly can- and not be too hard on myself. I’m not hurt if someone doesn’t like my art for their reasons, art is subjective and that’s ok. But I do hurt if I didn’t create that art to be how I envisioned it. But if I did my best, and I know it, then I’m all good. And people will like it or not, but knowing I put my best efforts into it is the most important aspect to me.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
San Diego has so much to offer that traveling soul. Good food, surf, insane weather… there’s too much to do!

Well first off if I picked them up at the airport we are heading to Little Italy to get lunch at my new favorite spot, Ironside. Some fresh fish and lobster rolls there will make your day! I’d certainly take them up to Balboa Park to check out the botanical gardens so we can geek out on amazing plants. We’d probably pop into a museum too, of course.

Then we’d bounce over to North Park to check out the latest art show at Visual Gallery- it’s a rad art gallery and art shop. Jason, the owner is super rad and great to chat with about the art scene.

North County is my area, so we’d cruise up here and hit El Pueblo in Cardiff for some tasty Mexican food before going to surf at my favorite spot in Encinitas (can’t say where LOL). As surfing would be an every day thing, we’d probably work in a rad hike to see how beautiful San Diego county is from some elevation… maybe Mt. Cuyamaca to get those 360 degree views!

We’d definitely do a bike ride up and down 101, grab some coffee & breakfast at Lofty and pop into the surf shops and eat our way up and down the coast. Then surf again of course. Then we’d go down to Scripps pier and snorkel a bit to see some leopard sharks cruising the lineup in some crystal clear summer water.

There’s too much to do in San Diego, you need a lifetime here to check it all out. That’s why we love it here.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I always give so much credit to my parents and sister for their love and encouragement of my art… my dad taught me so much about painting, doing murals, logos and working for yourself. Tools and information I have used to build my business and brand up today that I couldn’t have learned anywhere else.

But I was just thinking about this recently, I want to give a shout out to my high school art teacher, Mrs. Knipe. My sophomore year of high school was in Florence, OR and Mrs. Knipe was my art teacher and of course, it’s the class I enjoyed the most. Not just because it was art, but because she cared about us becoming artists. My biggest takeaway from the class is that she showed us how to watercolor properly.

She was an accomplished watercolorist and she imparted that knowledge to the class, and I soaked it up. To this day, I love watercolor and use the things she taught me then in my current painting practice. I would really like to find her and thank her for her kindness and genuine interest in teaching me how to become a better artist when I was 14-15 years old… it will stick with me
forever. Thank you Mrs. Knipe!