NEW WORK FOR ART BY THE FALLS 2008

At this year's inaugural Art By The Falls,  I will be unveiling some exciting new pieces, including a new addition to the Poetry Series entitled "Para La Paz" (For Peace).  Like the three previous paintings in this series, "Para La Paz" combines images with words and other alphanumeric symbols to convey a message of hope and peace on a variety of levels. 

In addition, the first painting in a series honouring Grey County (my home for the past twelve years) entitled "Old Man Winter" will also be on exhibition.  

I am also in the process of repatriating some earlier pieces from the popular "Dancing With Gravity" series from other galleries, especially for this show.

So, please join Anna, Carolina, and myself as we celebrate another Art By The Falls at Gypsy Creek.

NEW MUSIC WEBSITE

Ken has a new music website at CBC Radio 3 featuring MP3's , biography, reviews, and info on upcoming gigs.

Check it out by following the link "My Music".

NEWS FROM NOSARA

Here we are back in Nosara for the month of July. While Anna completes her Yoga Alliance Teacher Training at the Nosara Yoga Institute, I have kept busy painting for exhibitions in both Nosara and Montezuma.

This is the first time we have been here in the green season. The jungle is very lush and the dusty roads have been turned into muddy rivers. It’s nice to see (and hear!) the howler monkeys are still here, despite the frenetic development.

Above, and to the left is a picture of Ken and Laurie March, owner of Galeria Nativa with Tierra Madre, far left (acrylic on canvas, 30 x 30 in) which recently sold to collectors from Tamarindo.

NATURAL TENDENCIES

The goal of the Natural Tendencies series is to uncover and explore the nature of the creative impulse. Each painting represents an independent effort at documenting the experience of the artist as those creative forces and motivations most deeply felt within are accessed. Assisted by meditation and yoga practice within a natural setting, the process of painting gradually reveals dream-like scenarios, cloaked figures, and curious creatures as they emerge to challenge and inform our collective consciousness.

The current series was begun in late 2006 and is still in progress. Thus far, 19 canvases, each 30 x 30 inches have been completed using a variety of media on canvas, including acrylic, oil, india ink, and rayon paper.

The first 12 paintings are currently on exhibit at EQ Gallery in Burlington, Ontario until August 11, 2007.

NEW CANADIAN WORK

Since arriving back in Canada in late March, I have been busy preparing for a number of Ontario shows, including those at Left Side Gallery (Flesherton), Loft Gallery (Thornbury), EQ Gallery (Burlington), as well as Gypsy Creek’s next Art By The Falls on May 19 and 20.

I am currently working on a series of 30 inch square acrylic paintings, some of which should be ready for the Art By The Falls show. They feature a darker palette that I have typically used in the past. In addition, the themes are somewhat darker, perhaps reflecting current social concerns and the tragic nature of the human condition, as opposed to my focus on the natural environment over the past couple of years. I’ve included an example to the left, entitled (as the words directly painted on the canvas attest to) “Monk or Soldier”.

I will also have some pieces from a series of oil paintings I completed in late 2006. In contrast to the more recent acrylic work, the former utilized a much lighter palette and continued my exploration of natural themes. To the left is a 24 inch square oil painting entitled simply “Cormorant”.

PURA VIDA

Is this really what I look like in Costa Rica? The phrase "Pura Vida" (literally, the pure life) describes the mood quite well. This portrait of me enjoying a glass of "vino blanco" at La Bahia Restaurante near San Juanillo was painted by my very talented and lovely wife, Anna Green.

Between restaurant outings, yoga classes, hiking, and attempts at surfing, I managed to complete a new series of paintings while in Costa Rica over this past winter. Inspired by the natural beauty of both the jungles and beaches of this lovely country, the “Tierra Madre” (or Mother Earth) series is comprised of six acrylic abstracts on canvas, each 24 inches square. They are currently on exhibition at the Nativa Gallery in the Pacific beach town of Nosara, where they will likely remain for some time.

WINTER DESCENDS
As winter descends on Gypsy Creek, there is finally time to return inward and reflect on life. All of the outdoor chores have been completed. The last carrots have been dug from the garden. The firewood has been cut and stacked in the woodshed.

My first full year of semi-retirement has seen a passionate return to painting. Each day, I arrive in the studio after breakfast, working on average 3 to 4 hours. Over the course of this year, I produced approximately 60 paintings of various sizes, selling over half at various shows, both here at Gypsy Creek and at other galleries.

Although music still figures prominently in my life, in the form of bi-weekly music jams, I have not performed professionally for a some years now. My defunct music website still exists in cyberspace (www.log.on.ca/users/kendunn) but has not been updated for years. I have no idea who hosts it now, or how to update it. I imagine it will simply be removed at some point. For those interested in my past musical career, it is at least an interesting historical document.

Like music, my poetry has taken a back seat to my current passion for the visual arts. It seems I can only direct my creative energies in one direction at a time.

Well, its time to fill the woodstoves and once again head off to the studio.

DANCING WITH GRAVITY

My current show, Dancing With Gravity, will be at Left Side Gallery, 6 Sydenham Street, Flesherton, Ontario (519-924-1400, leftsidegallery@bmts.com, from September 1 through September 24, 2006. Opening reception is on Saturday, September 2 from 4 to 8pm with the artist in attendance. Anna Green and Siegfried Blum will also be exhibiting, and will be present at the reception.

ARTIST'S STATEMENT

When dynamic tension between opposing forces is achieved, the concept of meaning, entity, or structure emerges. Visually, this requires a resolution of conflicting elements (e.g. dark/light, order/chaos, discordant colour) and the creation of harmony through balanced interaction.

The current show focuses on the use of opposing physical forces in the construction of visual entity. Subjects of interest, such as musical forms, sounds, images, ideas, and/or emotions are first interpreted in terms of rhythm-based or dance-like movement. These movements are then translated to canvas utilizing forces associated with gravity.

TECHNIQUE

Working large, a waterproof lip is created through the application of fibre tape along the edges of stretched, primed canvas. Varying amounts of water are applied to the surface. Acrylic paints of different viscosities are then applied directly to the canvas in order to sketch out the basic composition. Excess water and paint are then drained from the surface. Using the cross-bars of the stretcher, or the taped sides of the canvas, the painting is then manually tipped, spun, and/or rotated to utilize gravity and its associated centripetal and centrifugal forces to move the paint/water combinations across the surface.

Exploration of natural themes and rhythms is facilitated by working en plein air, in particular open, unrestricted natural environments. The canvas is then set to dry, preferably in natural sunlight. Once dry, finishing may include brush or knife work. Glazes and/or topcoats may then be applied. Finally, the tape is removed from the edges, which are painted as required.