Kunstner
Født i Birmingham, United Kingdom
Early Life and Education
Born: March 22, 1893, in Birmingham, United Kingdom
Twin son of William Walker (electrical engineer) and Electra Amelia Varley (granddaughter of Cornelius Varley, a watercolourist).
Educated at Barford Street School and King Edward’s Grammar School, Five Ways.
Initially trained as a silver and goldsmith.
Studied painting at Birmingham School of Art and Crafts, London, and under Fleury in Paris.
World War I and Early Artistic Development
Served in France as a sniper in the Artists Rifles during World War I; wounded and gassed.
Remarkably painted mural decorations on warehouse walls in Auberchicourt, near Douai, using found materials (dry colours mixed with oatmeal porridge).
Considered the war years a setback to his artistic development.
Teaching Career and Artistic Style
Married Marjorie White ('Mickey') in 1920; had two sons, Colin and Guy.
Taught at King Edward’s Grammar School, Aston, designing scenery for school plays.
Lecturer at Birmingham College of Art (1929), known as a gifted and influential teacher.
Encouraged drawing skills and technical proficiency in his students.
Developed a style characterized by conceptual clarity based on strong draughtsmanship, progressing to visual intensity synthesizing light, space, and tactile qualities.
Major Achievements and Recognition
Exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1925.
Held a one-man exhibition at the Ruskin Gallery, Birmingham in 1927.
Member of various art societies: Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Royal Institute of Oil Painters, New English Art Club, and Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA).
Elected an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1946 and a Royal Academician in 1956.
Served as President of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA) in 1950.
Won bronze and silver medals at the Paris Salon.
Later Life and Legacy
Married Dr Peggy Frazer in 1939.
Moved to Chelsea in 1956 to focus on teaching at the Royal Academy Schools.
Died on January 30, 1965, in London.
His work is characterized by a synthesis of light, space and tactile qualities.
Influenced British art through his emphasis on drawing and technical skill.
Related to founding members of the Royal Watercolour Society, inheriting Varley’s studio collection.
