"Gary Walters Delta Dreamin'" - Scenes of the Mississippi Delta

Published by Quail Ridge Press

“The most beautiful things on Earth cannot be seen nor touched, but are felt in the heart,” says Gary Walters, a Jackson resident who is also a well-known watercolor artist.

I first met Gary Walters when we were in junior high school, where he was already a talented and promising young artist.  Ironically, our junior high art teacher was a man named Louis Walsh, with whom Gary would later study at Hinds Junior College. A Christian artist, Gary has been married for over 40 years to the former Joan Douglas, with whom he has four grown children.  One of their sons, Jacob, is a well-known Mississippi artist, too.  After receiving a Bachelor and a Masters degree from Mississippi College, where he studied with Dr. Sam Gore, Gary taught at the Clinton, Mississippi school, as well as at Mississippi State University, Hinds Community College, and Belhaven University.  Over the past 35 years, Gary has also taught numerous workshops and has had many one man shows featuring his watercolor works that exhibit unique color and light.  

Known as Mississippi’s premier watercolor artist, Gary's works are included in public and private collections throughout the United States and in several foreign countries. He has also received several noteworthy awards for his artistic labors of love, including being named in 1993 as Art Alumnus of the Year at Mississippi College.  In 2009, Gary was recognized by the Mississippi Senate for bringing honor to the state through his painting and his book, “Gary Walters Delta Dreamin'" published in October 2008 by Quail Ridge Press.  Just last year, on September 11, 2010, Gary was honored by the Deer Park (TX) Education Foundation, when he was inducted into the Felton F. Waggoner Hall of Fame.

"Gary Walters Delta Dreamin'" includes scenes from the Mississippi Delta that feature the characteristic color and light that make his art work so unique. To someone like me who has roots in the Mississippi Delta, the scenes depicted in the book bring back many memories of my childhood in a place where our lives were so dependent on nature and hard work.  For those who are less familiar with the Delta, its history and its culture, Gary’s art work provides beautiful visual insight into a way of life that previously could only be experienced.

To view the galleries of Gary Walters and his son, Jacob Walters, click here. Gary can also be found on Facebook, and an interview conducted by Walt Grayson of WLBT television in Jackson, Mississippi can be viewed below.