Walter the Painter

Walter loved to paint in the open nature. If this hillside looks steep, yes, it is steep. But it is by far not the wildest place he chose. There are no photos of the impossible to be reach places, he had to climb to in order to get the best view with his paints and easel in the rucksack. He could spend hours out there, typically until the light conditions forced him to stop.

Vacation with my father did not include strolling around or hiking to see the surroundings. It meant to find the right place to paint and to stay there for hours. I have to admit, it stressed mine and my mother’s patience to the limit more than one time.

But I have to admit, the treasures he created, all for me and my mother, and left behind for eternal memory justify the short sacrifice million times.

These pictures were taken by colleagues of Walter during concert tours. Hanging around in pubs or just relaxing between rehearsal in the morning and concert in the evening was not my father’s thing. It was bad enough for him to accept that he could not take his complete paint kit on concert tours, but the drawing block and a carbon pencil were with him all the time at every place. While his colleagues brought home some photos, Walter brought sketches, and sometimes very detailed drawings from all places around the world, wherever the Symphonie-Orchester Hamburg performed concerts; these drawings now beautify my walls.