Interview with Ronald Walker

Meet NUNUM's Contributor: Ronald Walker

1/18/2026

NUNUM

Blending Flash Fiction & Art

Interview with Ronald Walker

What was the first book you remember reading by yourself?

First book, Go Dog Go by PD Eastman- Loved the hats! Also loved Dr. Seuss and his book Scrambled Eggs Super! The colors and patterns of the eggs were a lot of fun!
What was the last book you read that made you say damn, that was a good book?

Last book I read. Just finished rereading the Hornblower series by C.S. Forester, Fascinating insight to the times and amazing solutions to problems!

Which artists have influenced your current artistic direction?

Artist influencing current direction. I think at my age there are very few artist I look to for direction.

Perhaps my daughter Ryley who recently graduated in art from Cal Poly Humboldt and my brother Rob, who is a graduate in art from the University of Central Missouri, might have the most influence on me these days. I do very much like the art of Karl Knickerbocker from Florida and Reg Mombasa from Australia.

Is there an artist in your local community that you would recommend people check out?

Local artist to check out, Larry Williams, one of the finest abstract painters I know! and Jeff Armstrong, a photographer who does amazing drawings, abstract but somehow seem realistic.

What advice would you give someone just starting to send their work to journals?

Advice to artist concerning journals. Just remember rejection comes with the territory don't take it personally, your aesthetic simply was not what they were looking for at that time. Keep on working and improving and submitting don't quit!

What is the importance of art?

The importance of art. Aside from developing people who have a great deal of flexibility in thought it also transcends the limits of language, visual art can communicate ideas and emotions to anyone and quickly! In this day and age where we have weapons capable of destroying the world, anything that aids in our understanding of other people and cultures is vital to our continued survival.

Artist's Statement

I am an artist living in the Sacramento area of California. I work in a style | call "Suburban Primitive". This style combines my interest in the origins and functions of art along with life in the suburbs. For me the draw of art lies not in the depiction of physical reality but rather the representation of my emotional, psychological and intellectual reactions to the environment in which I live. In general painting, for me, is visual thinking. It is a way of making sense, finding connections and organizing the seemingly incongruent thoughts that bounce around within my head. Ultimately I hold the belief that all things, within our existence, are somehow tied together and my task, as an artist, is to find and explore these ties.

Mr, Walker’s work has been shown in more than 50 solo exhibitions as well as over two hundred group shows. His work has been published in several magazines and books and can be found in several collections .He holds an MFA in painting from the University of Kansas and a MA in painting from CMSU. Mr. Walker lives with his wife and two children in the Sacramento area of California, where he produces art for a living.