I love art-based community projects, and ‘Empty Bowls‘ is one of my favorite! I don’t make pottery or soup, so my contribution to fight hunger is this small oil painting; which will be raffled off tomorrow at Maysville’s Empty Bowls dinner.
One of my biggest challenges as a creative person is focus. In a world filled with infinite wonders, I easliy get overwhelmed trying to explore every possibile direction i can go with my creativity. In some ways, my desire to learn and explore EVERYTHING has been a strength. I have developed a unique set of skills, which help me stand out as an artist. The downside is the choas that ‘chasing squirrels’ has caused in my creative, professional and personal life. It had gotten so bad at times in my life; I considered talking to a doctor about taking medicine to help me focus. I like to avoid medicine whenever possible, so many years ago, I bought this book with good intentions:
I finally got around to reading it, and one of its big ideas that I want to share with you all is this:
Before starting another new project, ask yourself if there is an old project you can finish instead.
This idea was revolutionary for me, which leads me to my latest painting. Do you all remember WAY back in June: when I started painting the Cincinnati skyline from the Ohio River?
well, I FINALLY finished it, and the book was right. instead of feeling bad and ashamed because of so many incomplete projects, I feel a lot better having finished something…and I am thrilled with the new painting. This is the first time I have shown it, so if you are interested in adding it to your art collection: it is a 16×20″ oil on canvas. It’s for sale at the EAT Gallery in Maysville, KY., where you can see it in person.
You could also support my work by buying a print. They come indifferent sizes and, if you live in the USA, I will ship for free. Click the painting, or follow this link for more details:
I am trying to read a little bit more of my book every day. I’m also trying to apply the book’s ideas to my studio. lists, calenders, planning, etc. Hopefully, I’ll have lots of FINISHED projects to show off soon!
I stopped by the Rabbit Hash General store while the The Star Devils were singing behind the stove. I used the app, procreate pocket, to do some quick sketches on my iphone during the performance. If you like the music (of course you like the music) visit the Star Devil’s website at: http://www.stardevils.com/
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Ken is a self-taught artist from rural Kentucky, whose work includes painting, printmaking, and pottery. He considers himself to be a 'lifetime learner' and he uses art as the vehicle to explore and learn more about the world around him. Much of his work reflect his optimistic views on rural folk culture, river life and simple pleasures.
Before the pandemic, You could visit Ken every Final Friday of the month at studio 400 at the Pendleton Art Center in downtown Cincinnati. Now, he's mostly sitting on his front porch ,keeping a social distance, in the Historic Village of Old Washington, KY.