Congratulations to IDEA School of Design instructor, Dominique Walker!

As well as teaching design and creative thinking at Capilano U, Dominique works as a fine artist often exhibiting in the juried Federation of Canadian Artist (FCA) exhibitions. The FCA is a Canadian organization founded in 1941 by professional Canadian working artists including Group of Seven luminaries Lawren Harris, Arthur Lismer, and A.Y. Jackson. 

In May 2021, Walker placed 2nd in the Peace and Trust exhibition at the FCA with her painting ‘Siblings’. In October, she placed 3rd in the Nature Trust of BC, Artist of the Year Exhibition with ‘Brady’s Beach Sea Stack’. This was followed by a 1st place win in the Federation’s 80th Anniversary Exhibition with ‘Nasturtiums’ and an honourable mention in the Artist’ Choice Exhibition this February for ‘Skaha Lake Trestle’. 

Walker comes from a line of female painters—her great great grandmother and great aunt trained within the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist movement in France exhibiting in many of Paris’ famous Salon shows. But Walker credits her design background, rather than her family history, for her success today. 

“People have expressed surprise at how quickly I’ve progressed painting; I’ve only taken it up over the last 6 years since my youngest started school,” states Walker. “They say it must run in the family. Yes, while growing up surrounded by world class art definitely helped inform my aesthetic, it’s really my work as a designer and art director that formed my practice of visual storytelling. I always tell my students that one of the benefits of the IDEA School of Design is that you learn illustration AND design. Learning how to design a solid logo by understanding negative space directly translates into figurative illustration. Knowing how to craft strong illustration helps both interactive and print designers use colour and hierarchy of elements. I was a working designer and art director for years before I started teaching in IDEA. In my work envisioning how to light a McDonald’s hamburger or art direct a photoshoot for the Ritz Carlton Shanghai used all the same visual storytelling skills I use now painting. The medium has changed but the foundational principles are all the same. So while I’ve only been painting for 6 years, I’ve been crafting visual stories my entire working life.” 

You can see more of Walker’s work at dominiquewalker.com or on Facebook and Instagram:  @gallerydominique