E.E. Walker hopes her art helps people step back from their lives and notice the beauty in the small details around them.
"I focus on things people might miss and try to help others see things they might miss in their busy lives," she said.
Things like a bit of paint peeling off a window sill or the way the evening sun hits a frosted plant.
Walker's work is on display in the Downtown Library's skywalk gallery through the end of August. Her art combines original photography, painting, and drawing with digital illustration.
The gallery has three display cases on the library's second floor the door to the skywalk and parking garage. The first case features what she refers to as her statement pieces, focusing on LGBTQ+ issues and women's rights.
"It's a little bit more of my more out-there stuff," she said.
The second case features black and white photography and charcoal sketches mixed in with her mixed media and digital illustration work. The third case focuses on nature and wildlife.
"I love to play around with focal points," she said. " I like focusing on details rather than big landscape shots."
She sometimes uses digital techniques to manipulate and play with photos, such as a portrait titled "Holly GoDarkly." It is a play on Audrey Hepburn's role as Holly Golightly in "Breakfast at Tiffany's," but the model's face has been partially peeled away, exposing bones underneath.
Walker fell in love with art in junior high and came back to it as an outlet as an adult. Now she owns Emma's Cellar Door, her company offering freelance photography, design, and digital marketing services.
"I found peace and purpose in it," she said. "Art is a way to put myself out there in a way that feels both safe and bold."
