KenSwinson.com

Author: Ken

  • My plans for New Year’s Eve

    MY PLANS FOR NEW YEAR’s EVE

    Thank you everyone for the invites to your NYE parties, unfortunately, I’ve already made plans. I’m so excited about this NYE, i made a colored pencil drawing in anticipation of all the festivity to come! lol! Happy New Years everyone!

    I’m still learning colored pencil, and experimented by making some wild (to me) color choices. I did not think it was going to work, but I stuck to it, and it all came together. I did not expect this, but I’m learning A LOT about color while learning to use pencils. I could see this changing the way I paint.

  • last kiln firing of 2022

    I had a very small kiln firing to wrap up 2022.

    2022 was a great year for pottery. I learned a lot and made a lot of pots. To end the year, I had a very small kiln firing. Here are the results!

    • sheep dog photographer cup
    • sewing bear cup
    • old washington cup
    • fox pitcher
    • sheep dog pitcher
    • us 62 cup

    click arrows or swipe to see all the photos

  • River Scene Colored Pencil Drawing

    I’m going to do some travel next year and need an easy to carry, no mess art supply to bring with me. Colored pencils are my choice, so I’m trying to get familiar with them.

    I drew this cool colored river scene to get some practice.

    Have a great day!

  • Cardinal Colored Pencil Drawing

    Here in kentucky, we are celebrating our first day above freezing since the sub zero winter blast!

    Also, I am learning to use colored pencil. After a couple of fails, I was FINALLY able to get the drawing to look the way I wanted it to look! not sure why that had to be so hard?

    Hope you all have a great day!

  • 2022 – a year of pottery

    oh my gosh! WE MADE A LOT OF POTTERY THIS YEAR!

    I think a few got away without getting their picture taken, but here’s most of 2022 squeezed into less than 2 minutes.

    Thank you ALL for your support and friendship +making them a part of your home. Especially *you*know*who*you*are -who is responsible more than anyone for this wonderful journey into ceramics.

    Watching the year flash by, it was interesting to see the quick flash of time, that was summer at Arrowmont–and then the following months — to see the evolution of a new clay, and new surface design.

    Thanks always for making this possible! Yes, the artist is part of the creation of ART–but ART also needs patrons–i believe these pots are OUR team effort!! Thank you all so much!

    Looking forward to a wonderful new year!!! Happy New year to you all!!

  • Lulubelle colored pencil drawing

    for the first time in a WHILE i found some time to continue learning to draw with colored pencils. I picked an unconventional color palette, but it worked out…Lulubelle LOVES her portrait!

    Faber Castell Polychromos

  • Pottery At The Pendleton Art Center Dec Final Friday

    Well, shoot!!!

    After a flock of early birds flew through my studio yesterday, I don’t have nearly as many new pots to choose from. But there are some good ones still on my shelf (including the one i am tempted to keep for myself). I’m very grateful for all the support of my work–this ‘problem’ is every artist’s dream.

    Before you make a special trip to our event at the Pendleton Art Center Cincinnati, Here’s a photo of my pottery shelf with it’s current inventory. If you see something you really want, make sure to come to my studio #400 on the 4th floor first. The event starts at 5pm and lasts until 9pm.

    Hope to see you tonight!

  • Kiln Opening 12 December 2022

    new pottery from my recent kiln opening – swipe or use arrows to see them all

    • handmade stoneware cup with bears making pottery surface design
    • handmade stoneware cup with goat surface design
    • stoneware cup with chicken surface design
    • handmade stoneware cup with bears having tea party surface design
    • handmade stoneware cup with goat surface design
    • handmade stoneware cup with dove and peace symbol surface design
    • handmade stoneware cup with cat taking photo of dog surface design
    • handmade stoneware cup with purple flower and bee surface design
    • handmade stoneware cup with rabbit surface design
    • handmade stoneware cup with flying pig surface design
    • handmade stoneware cup with cardinal surface design
    • handmade stoneware cup with cow surface design
    • handmade stoneware cup with purple peace dove surface design
    • stoneware cup with dog and cat ballet/photographer design
    • handmade stoneware cup with fox surface design
    • handmade stoneware cup with sheep surface design
    • handmade stoneware cup with unicorn surface design
    • handmade stoneware cup with US 62 underglaze transfer surface design

  • Work In Progress – December 2022 surface design

    sorry i haven’t checked in awhile, and am late replying to any messages. I was c aught off guard when I learned that Final Friday at the Pendleton Art Center Cincinnati is going to be Dec 16 (instead of final friday) so I have been working double time trying to make enough cups to have new work to show.
    I have a total of 30 finished cups here are the 5 I carved today. Hope to finish carving the last 9 tomorrow, and then it will be a crunch to color them all. Nothing like a deadline to see what is possible! Hope to see you next friday!
    i just opened the kiln, and didn’t have any explosions (thats a good thing)!
    OmyGosh! I have a BUNCH of cups to paint and fire before final friday (bumped up a week to 16 Decemeber) at the Pendleton Art Center Cincinnati.

    perfect grey day to paint cups. The colors will be bright and beautiful after going through the kiln–4 down, only 40 more to go!

  • Work In Progress – making cups in Old Washington

    A few carved pots ready for the kiln–after that: COLOR! Stay tuned!
    one of the challenges of sharing photos of a 3d object on social media is that the surface design wraps around the cup and a viewer can never see all the artwork at once. It’s been an adventure coming from a 2d background (painting+printmaking) but a fun way to tell a story that unfolds as the viewer picks the cup up and explores the decoration.