Walker Moore's Biography - Frequently-Asked Questions

Some commonly-asked questions about Walker-Moore architectural paintings (with mercifully-
short answers):
Q. Where were these painted? Where are these locations?
Is this _____________________ (location)?
A. The artists seldom paint actual places. The images you see are composites made up
of bits and pieces from many different places. Often the artists start with something
as simple as the design of a doorway, or the look of a certain shadow and they build
the painting around it.

Q. What is casein (“kay-seen”) and will it last?
A. Casein the least used of the four watermedia and is a combination of pigments with a
milk protein binder (as opposed to the gum Arabic binder in watercolor, or the polymers
in acrylic). It is exceptionally durable, with early examples being almost two thousand
years old. To further insure longevity, the artists use only archival quality materials and a
protective varnish. In addition, they only use paint blends whose pigments are rated
“Wool Grade 6” or higher to guard against fading.

Q. How do the artists work together?
A. Usually by taking turns (it is more peaceful that way). One will start a painting and work
until they need a break, then the other will take over. The paintings are traded back-and-
forth from six to a dozen times and each painter has complete freedom to do what they
want — even if it means painting over what the other has done. In this way they end up
with a “third style” that is a thorough blend of each painter’s hand.

Q. How do they start a painting?
A. Each painting begins with a basic line drawing and a discussion that arrives at a general
agreement of what the painting will look like. Of course, new ideas routinely pop up in the
course of the work, so no one knows what the painting will look like until it is finished.

Q. How do they know when a painting is finished?
A. When both agree that it is done.

Q. Do they like doors and windows? (Or, “They sure must like…”)
A. Walker & Moore strive to eliminate unnecessary information that can clutter up a
painting. They simply focus on the point of greatest interest and simplify their compositions. The central purpose is to create the look of an ‘empty stage’ where each person can finish the painting with their own imagination.

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