Young artist to watch in 2022
Eli Walters, Still Life With Two Oranges, oil, 12 x 16.
State in Which You Reside: New Mexico.
Art Education: Almost entirely self-taught.
Style: I’m a painter with a fondness for using still lifes to study light and the interaction of objects.
Creative Spark: The landscape’s changing light, color relationships, and constant state of flux.
Second-Choice Career: Carpentry. It always seems to scratch my creative itch.
One Thing People Don’t Know About You: I’ve always secretly wanted to be a troubled novelist, holed up in a Moroccan hotel room with a typewriter and a bottle of red.
Best Art Advice Received: You can learn everything you need to know about oil painting in 10 minutes; the rest is practice.
Biggest Fear: If my biggest fear isn’t the existential dread of death or a life devoid of meaning, it would likely be sharks.
Quirkiest Trait: I use only one spoon throughout the day. I hate using more utensils than necessary. The quality of the spoon is of the utmost importance.
Mantra or Motto: “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.” —Al Franken as Stuart Smalley
Favorite Studio Music: I change up my studio music to fit my mood.
Favorite Work by Another Artist: Giorgio Morandi is a favorite for his use of line and ability to keep things from looking overworked.
Future Goals: Just keep going, keep making paintings, and keep evolving as an artist.
Price Range: $300 to $4,000.
Representation: MoMo Taos, Taos, NM; Commerce Gallery, Lockhart, TX; Instagram: @elilwalters.
To read the full list of 21 Under 31 artists for 2022, click here.
This story appeared in the August/September 2022 issue of Southwest Art magazine.