"Within each of us lies a talent of greatness. One must begin the process of becoming an artist without fear. We must let go of doubt and truly believe in our ultimate capacity of great achievement. If we embrace discipline, there is no limit to our success...If we are willing to risk enough and work long enough, a bud will form that will ultimately burst forth in full bloom. The citizens of the world will look in amazement to the magnificence of your bloom. There is an artist in each of us." -M. Douglas Walton Born and raised in Oklahoma, he spent his formative years sheltered from the normal development of human interaction by the barrier of a mysterious inability to communicate through speech. This barrier allowed him to discover an internal world of exploration, where he nurtured a keen spiritual realm of existence. Walton developed sensitivity to nature which is still reflected in his art today. At the age of sixteen his mysterious speech barrier was overcome and he began a truly unique adventure throughout the future path of his life. After graduating with honors from his local high school in 1960, he enrolled at Oklahoma State where he received his Bachelor of Architecture in 1965 and was presented with the school's Silver Medal for general excellence in his field of study. After graduation, he worked for five years with Haas and Massey and Associates in Shreveport, Louisiana. From 1972 to 1984 he was an Associate Professor of Architecture for Louisiana Tech and was on the faculty for the six-week Rome Program in 1976 and 1983. He also taught watercolor classes at Tech and has taught over 500 workshops to date in 22 of the 50 United States. Walton has worked with noted watercolorists Edgar Whitney, Robert E. Wood, and Milford Zones. The first Louisiana Tech University Watercolor Encounter, under the direction of M. Douglas Walton was held in August of 1977. The program was expanded to four two-week sessions during the summer of 1978 and grew to become an annual Watermedia Encounter with the University hosting it's thirty-seventh event in the summer of 2013. In November 1978, Walton directed the first ever foreign Journey Encounter to Guatemala. Since, Journey Encounters have been conducted in Canada, China, Great Britain, Greece, Guatemala, India, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, the Netherlands, Peru and Tahiti. During the fall of 1993, Walton expanded his teaching by conducting art classes for the natives of South Africa, Dubai, and the Netherlands. In April of 2015, Walton, along with fourteen American and Canadian art students and a guide, found himself at the border of Nepal preparing to walk across the Friendship Bridge into Tibet when the earth shook violently from the historic 7.8 earthquake that occurred that day. The group found themselves stranded on a remote slope amidst the Himalayan Mountains for six days and five nights. The intense experience of natural chaos that was witnessed that day, along with the beautiful display of humanity that bloomed among the refugees in the days that followed was both humbling and enlightening for Walton. He was forever transformed. The inspiration that flowed into his future works created an exhibit that would be dedicated to that experience and was titled Journey to Nepal. Three feature articles have been published in Watercolor: and American Artist publication dedicated to the work of M. Douglas Walton: "Close Encounters with M. Douglas Walton: Discovering a Deeper level of Creativity" (1991), "An Encounter with M. Douglas Walton: Building Self-Confidence" (1996), and "The Gifts of Our Mentors" (1999). In September of 1997, M. Douglas Walton was awarded the National Communication Award by the National Council of Communicate Disorders in Washington DC. He was recognized for having become an effective communicator through speech and art for his active support of communication services through his lifetime. He delivered the keynote speech for Alabama Art Education State Convention in September 1999. Most recently the Mayor of Ruston penned an official proclamation declaring June 23, 2022 to be M. Douglas Walton day in honor of Walton's years of service to the education and art appreciation of Ruston and the world at large.