A Splash of Color & a Dash of Free Form: Paintings by Alta Walker

I truly believe that bare walls are the enemy of good design. Minimalism is fine, but bare walls tend to make a room feel cold and sterile — more like a place where you keep your furniture than a room that you live in. If you have BWS (Bare Wall Syndrome), these lively paintings from Beklina by Alta Walker will cure your ailment in a hurry.

Inspired by textiles, these pieces feature layers upon layers of paint in a variety of colors. Yellows, blues, reds, grays and all the colors in between coexist without clashing in a single painting. The technique appears haphazard and random, but that is what makes them unique. Here is what Walker had to say about her methods:

“As I lay one horizontal line and then a vertical mark across it, I am creating strength. Each mark creates tension and thus another part of the painting calls out for something to oppose it. It’s the simplest exercise in problem solving.”

I’m no art critic, but what I love about them is that the free-flowing form leaves so much room for interpretation. I imagine them as the blurred image I see when I’m staring off into space for a few minutes. They can change form and be whatever you want them to be.

Why It’s Green:

• Each piece is painted on wood salvaged from a cabinet maker’s scrap pile

Price: $185