M.L. Walker was born in Oklahoma City, OK.  He grew up there until graduating from high school at which time he joined the United States Marine Corp.  After serving, he immediately enrolled in college in pursuit of an art degree.  After graduating, it was difficult for Walker to find work as an artist.  He eventually went back to school and obtained an engineering degree.  Although, engineering afforded him a comfortable living, he found that he was not happy.

     Walker considered his father to be a great teacher and very opinionated.  Although not academically educated, he never missed an opportunity to impart his views about politics, human nature, religion, philosophy, etc.  He had a gift for using metaphor as a teaching tool and one such metaphor that he shared on more than one occasion was as follows: "Everything that we do and say (as individuals) is simply an extension of our inner self."  What he meant was that whatever is truly happening inside the individual will eventually manifest itself.  Before the artist can paint, the artist must first learn to see.

     “In retrospect I know that I was unhappy because I was pursuing something that didn't fill an inner need.  I became an engineer only because it paid well, although I do have a profound respect for the profession.  I found it to be stressful and time consuming and I rarely found time for myself. I came to realize that I am a dreamer and I learned that I should never do anything (solely) for the money, if, so, then it is for the wrong reason.  My endeavors must also satisfy an intangible part of me as well”.  - M.L. Walker

Artist Statement

     I have come to the conclusion that art is  very much like music,  in that we have  a  way of interpreting a piece relative  to our  own unique view  of  the world, that way; like hit music,  it speaks  to us   individually,  so  we  make  it our own.  Although we hear the same music,  the interpretations of the individual notes  are different,  like fingerprints.  As an artist,  and more importantly as a human being, I learned something the day I came to that conclusion.

     In the end, I think art, all forms of art should speak to the possibilities, and true potential of our race to some day, in the far future, get it right and return to  that place from which  we  all are born of innocence and enlightenment.