Stephen Walton is an award winning, self-taught artist, and he works as a Supervisor at Bury Art Museum, Manchester, UK. This is the gallery that accommodates The Wrigley Collection including works by Landseer, Constable, and Turner. The gallery also has a growing collection of intriguing contemporary works, an international Sculpture Center and a program of exhibitions including artists from all corners of the world. Walton studied Geography at Manchester University and has a deep love of the natural world but when it comes to his artwork, he currently always finds himself concentrating on animals, not their environments. He feels that it is a privilege being able to draw the amazing animals he enjoys so much, and he is delighted when through his drawings he is able to help their conservation.
In his time at the museum he learnt much from exhibiting artists, his colleagues and visitors. His view towards art has evolved through his experiences at the museum, and his role includes being the resident photographer, which he relishes. He plans images in his head, looking for textures, patterns and shapes in his photographs that he can use. Sometimes an idea comes to him the moment he takes a photo but equally ideas can develop as he looks through his archive of photographs. His artwork developed alongside his love of taking photographs, which resulted in his very particular method and style; when he is out and about he takes photographs and when he is at home he draws from them. He has only ever used his own photographs to draw from.
