PETERSBURG, Va. — Ron Walton has been creating world-renowned art from his studio in Peterburg, Virginia for more than a decade. To the 79-year-old Walton, Petersburg is a jewel.
"It’s a beautiful city," Walton said about Petersburg.
He moved to Virginia after a 40-year postal career in New York City.
"The post office gave me the opportunity to do a lot of things and meet a lot of extraordinary people," he said.
But it was art that captured his heart.
"You’re really putting it all out there for people to see what your inner feelings and emotions are," he said.
“I had a big studio in New York," he said. "I saw this building and I asked my wife, listen, how about us buying this building and she agreed.”
Walton, his wife, and his son own Walton Gallery on N. Sycamore Street. His art hangs there and in homes and buildings around the country. It has been shown around the world.
Despite years of success, Walton still remembers the feeling when he sold his first painting.
"You appreciate the fact that they see something in your art," he said. “We’ve met so many beautiful people that have really helped us. Move the gallery along. That it’s been inspirational to me and my family.”
As an added bonus, his art has inspired others to visit Petersburg.
"People come down from all over," he said. "From Atlanta, Chicago. We have people from all over come to the gallery.”
One of Walton's pieces hangs in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Walton is working on a 200-page book of drawings. The limited edition art is expected to be published in 2024.
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