Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Walker.
Hi Kelly, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I often feel I’ve lived several lives in my 50 years. I arrived in Baltimore at 18 while hitchhiking away from North Carolina. Though I faced early struggles with addiction, getting clean and sober became the first true success of my life. I have now been in recovery for nearly 32 years, which unlocked my dedication, drive, and creative potential.
Growing up around artistic friends, I enjoyed creative spaces but never saw myself as a traditional artist since I didn’t paint or draw in a conventional way. However, an entrepreneurial spirit was always there; I started my first small trash-pickup business at age 10.
In my early 20s, while working as a bike messenger in Baltimore, I delivered a package to a decorative painting company. Intrigued by the murals and finish work in their showroom, I struck up a conversation with the recipient. Recognizing my curiosity and strong work ethic, she offered me a job and became my mentor. Prior to this, I had worked in kitchens and warehouses, quickly rising to managerial roles because of my attention to detail, precision, and hard work.
Once I began decorative painting, the medium clicked for me immediately. It felt like preparing a fine dish, but on a much larger scale. I spent years honing my craft and apprenticing with major decorative painting companies and master artisans.
In 2002, I founded Artstar Custom Paint Works. Today, working alongside interior designers and architects to bring their creative visions to life is second nature. Helping people transform their homes and businesses remains deeply rewarding, and I hope every space I touch adds lasting value to their lives.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There have been many challenges along the way, most notably an internal struggle with self-esteem and self-worth—specifically, trying to remain balanced and maintaining an accurate perspective without feeling either superior or inadequate in the market.
Comparison is always there. Looking at what other people are doing and thinking about where I would like to learn new skills or develop new finishes, while also trying to figure out where to devote my attention in a way that is actually fruitful for everyone in my company. Where do I need to ask for help? When do I need to let someone else, whose strengths are different from mine, step in? What are my gifts, and where are others stronger than I am?
It reminds me of cycling, when you’re in a pace line. The person in the front is taking the headwind and being strong for everyone else in the pack, but they can only do that for so long. Eventually, they have to pace back to the end of the line and recover while someone else moves forward and breaks the wind.
Running a business is very much like that. I’m fortunate to have a strong staff that allows me to be in the front sometimes and in the back sometimes. I’m learning that I don’t always have to be the one taking the wind.
I’m also learning to hold back and not push myself to exhaustion. Not forcing myself to be creative just because there is a deadline. Listening to that call inside that tells me when it’s time to be creative and what form that creativity needs to take—and when it’s time to rest.
Sometimes rest means going to museums, seeing other artists’ work, reading a book, or just letting my brain have some space. And sometimes it means sweating alongside the team and getting my hands dirty.
I’m learning that there are seasons for all of it. There are times to lead from the front, times to follow, times to create, times to learn, and times to simply stop and recover. I’m trying to get better at recognizing which one I’m in, instead of constantly pushing myself to be everything all at once.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a creative painter specializing in abstract artworks and interior decoration. I create works of art on canvas (often on a commission basis) and also craft entire rooms to have an elevated feel. I’m most know for creative plaster work, abstract murals, gilding, faux painting, and crafting stylistic finishes to create a noteworthy home. I work closely with interior designers to realize their visions. I’m proud of all of our projects from hotels and offices to helping a friend with their home projects. Some notable projects include Pendry hotel, Josefina, and Pink Flamingo
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I started making art semi-professionally while following the Grateful Dead. On the Dead tour, everyone had something to offer in exchange for money, you had to have a gift, a hustle, a way to contribute. I supported myself by making and selling clay Jerry Garcia necklaces and vegan sandwiches.
In 1989, while waiting for a tow truck, I painted my first murals on a 1968 VW van. I also loved to sew, so I made curtains for the van on the way to our first show. Looking back, all of those things were really the beginning of the artist and builder I would become.
My early work was pretty eclectic—colorful lamps and furniture, often covered in outlandish fur, and collages made from found objects. I’ve always been drawn to transforming ordinary things into something unexpected.
Today, I eat, sleep, and breathe interior design. I love figuring out how to completely reinvent a space through color, texture, pattern, and a little bit of surprise. I’m also a voracious learner. I love podcasts, I’m endlessly curious, and I’m always looking for something new to learn, make, or understand. For me, creativity has never really been confined to one medium. It’s a way of looking at the world.
Pricing:
- Paintings 150.00 -6500.00
- Decorative finishes from 1500-100.000k
Contact Info:
- Website: ArtstarCustompaintworks.com and Kellywalkerfineart.com
- Instagram: @artstarbaltimore @kelly_L_walker
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bmoreartstar/
