KenSwinson.com

As a general rule, I don’t like to talk about politics. I am an artist, and it’s not my job to think about our country’s complicated and messy political issues …. wait a minute…I forgot, it IS THE JOB OF ARTISTS to remind people of what is good and beautiful, and to talk about important issues…ESPECIALLY POLITICAL ONES THAT EFFECT THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTRY!! So, of course, I support Barack Obama for the U.S. President!!

I was honored to join my fellow democrats yesterday in Augusta at the Darley’s house to watch Obama’s speech.

Greg and Mica

Bertha and Greg

Jim, Deb, Nina and Rosie

Mea

Gail, Mica and Nick

Greg, Tony and Me

Catherine, Charlie, Mea, Chris and Debbie

It was a pleasure sharing the historic moment with such good democrat friends. Thanks to the Darley/Emersons for hosting a great party!!!

And yes…I am painting a HUGE OBAMA BANNER to hang on my studio!

If you don’t know much about him, a look at Barack Obama’s website…your going to LOVE his plan for the country!!!

Multi-Media (acrylic, colored pencil, oil pastel)

I took some sunflowers home after visiting good friends, and they made great still life models.

A mixed media of Acrylic and colored pencil

This one was a fun challenge. I wanted to re-paint one of my favorite Maysville scenes…but at night, when the moon and stars are out, and sparkle on the Ohio River

Hope you like it!

Saturday, I visited the covered bridge festival at Goddard, Kentucky, where I enjoyed the picturesque covered bridge, live bluegrass music, and local arts and crafts. I am replacing my manufactured kitchen dishes with artwork by local potters, so I left with a few BEAUTIFUL pots. I won’t show the pictures, but if you come over to my studio for something to eat, I will show them to you!

Toby Fried and Pam Wiseman

Dana Sorrell

Robert Barker With Resident Dog

I did not have as much time as I would have liked to stay at the festival. Artcroft was having an opening of their recently built gallery. It is a special treat for Artcroft to be open to the public, and I was looking forward to seeing the series of paintings that resident artist Rebecca Meredith.

Rebecca Meredith

It was her last day at Artcroft. My personal favorite painting from her residency was a small portrait of Maureen Barker. It has a beautiful quality, and captures the spirit of one of my favorite people.
NOTE TO Rebecca: I would like to show your portrait of Maureen on this post, if you can send me a copy sometime?

Akirash did a drum performance, and showed his artwork…an amazing body of work after only a week at Artcroft! I can’t wait to see what he does for the rest of his residency.

Clip of Akirash’s Friday Drum Performance At Banana Tree Studios

Sabine Heinlein read a chapter of the book she is working on. It was a privilege to get a sneak peek of a writer’s work in progress. After only hearing one chapter, I can’t wait for her to finish so that I can read the rest of her work. Sabine is a socially conscious journalist from NYC. You can see/read/hear some of her work at her website.

Sabine Heinlein

Jim Lalley and Maureen Barker recited their poetry. I always enjoy watching/listening to writers performing their written work. It adds a whole dimension to the work.

Maureen Barker

Jim Lalley and Robert Barker

At the end of the evening, I was invited to join Jim and Jennifer Gleason at their farm, where we sat under the stars and had a great finish to a beautiful day

I don’t have the talent to use words and describe the great things happening here in our little patch of Kentucky. But I think there is something special about the people and things happening down here. Of course I am biased, since I am hopelessly in love with this part of the country!

This Friday , Flemingsburg, KY is the place to be! From 5-8pm, Banana Tree Studios is having a closing reception for their current show featuring my work, Barb Clarke, Brent Michaels, Rita Kent, Toby Fried, Dana Sorrell, and Pam Wiseman. This is your last chance to see this awesome show…and there will be some new, never-before seen work! The city will have live music that evening, with DANCING IN THE STREET!!! For information contact Kathy Macht 660-845-7408/606-356-1357

Saturday, is the Covered Bridge Festival!!! It takes place at the Picture-Perfect Goddard bridge, and will have art, crafts, and live music.

Saturday, from 5-8:30, Artcroft is having an open house to showcase their new GALLERY! Work by their resident artists, Akirash and Rebecca Meredith, will be displayed, and Akirash will give a drum performance. Writer Sabine Heinlien will give a reading and talk about her new work, and Maureen Barker will do a poetry reading. If you are familiar with Artcroft, you know that it is a very special place for artists of all diciplines, and is USUALLY not open to the public, so do not miss this opportunity! For more information, contact Robert Barker 859.473.0552

So there are 3 great reasons for art lovers to go over to the Fleming/Nichols counties!

Yesterday, I woke early to pick up one of Artcroft’s new residents, Akirash, at the train station. Akirash is visiting from Ghana, and is a brilliant artist. This was not planned, but my friend Susan, an artist involved in missionary work in Ghana had also planned to pay me a visit at the same time. My housemates Mike and Debbie are also artists, and with 5 artists in the same house having breakfast together…there was a lot of energy in the room! Akirash’s work is much deeper than art for art’s sake. His work offers beautiful ideas about politics, world affairs, education, etc. After looking at Akirash’s portfolio, we headed south towards Artcroft.

The Woodland Art Show was this same weekend, so we thought it would be a fun activity for everyone. We called Artcroft, and invited their other resident, Rebecca Meredith to come along. The weather was perfect, and there were great artists…I wish there was more 2D work, my favorites were were Shannon Godby and W. Michael Meyer both from the southern Ohio/Cinci area.

There were some great bluegrass bands at the show. I took a little time and did some quick sketches of the musicians. I listened/drew the bands Bluegrass Collective and Roanoke. For some reason, I remembered my sketchbook, but did not have a pencil, so I was forced to draw with a pen.

After the show, we returned to Artcroft. Robert Barker arrived from the airport with another resident, Sabine Heinlein a writer from Brooklyn. Every time I visit, it is a different/awesome experience. Rebecca let us take a look at her studio, where she is working on a new series of work. We had an outstanding dinner made primarily from the vegetables grown at the farm. I am not good with words, but at the dinner table packed with creative people…there was an incredible energy.

It’s amazing the work Robert and Maureen are doing at Artcroft. Since I saw them last in April, they have done major work on the pottery/gallery/woodworking barn, layed a parking lot, and built a 2 story house for residents! …and I thought I had accomplished a lot by cleaning off the desk in my studio!!!!!!

They are also moving/building log cabins and starting a fine art printing press! I was invited back to give the new press a spin…I will certainly take them up on the offer

I have finished my illustration for the Harvest Home Fair 5K Run/Walk T-Shirt in Cheviot, Ohio.

It was a lot of fun to work on. If there is anything I love more than running, it is COWS! My goal was a fun-spirited hand rendered illustration that would print well with the restriction of 2 colors + black.  I tried to paint an illustration, but after spending a day on the painting, I realized that the color separation for the printing process would make it very difficult to reproduce the details of the painting….so…

After mixing hand drawing and photoshop…here is my final draft for the T-shirt.

It’s not too late to sign up for the run…even if you don’t win, you will get a beautiful T-Shirt!

One of my favorite things in Kentucky’s landscape during the summer are the hay bales scattered in a field.  While riding my bicycle along Route 8, I passed an old wood barn.  Haybales were dancing in the field, and the sun was shining, contrasting it from the dark woods in the background.

I keep finding myself down in Flemmingsburg.  Not far from home, and the drive is like being in a postcard.  Our little section of Kentucky is bursting with talent…Last night’s opening reception at Doodles was no exception.

I really enjoyed the bluegrass sounds of Sasha Collete and Rob McNurlin while appreciating the seashore inspired artwork by Dale Regensburger, Michael Wagner, Linda Pennington, Dana Sorrell and Brenda Flynn.

Thanks to the kind folks at Doodles for such a fun evening!

One of Aberdeen Ohio’s greatest assets is it’s spectacular view of downtown Maysville.

The Delta Queen Riverboat was visiting Maysville, and I thought it would be a picture-perfect opportunity to ride my bike across the bridge and do a little sketching.

I found a shady tree with a picnic table on the river…perfect place to enjoy the river!

It was a hard squeeze to fit all of the view into a small sketchbook, but I tried…

I am going to move the location of the boat for the final painting.  I love plein air painting, but in August, I find myself in the studio more often than not.  If ever downtown Maysville, stop by…the air conditioner’s on!