KenSwinson.com

Author: Ken

  • Tea For Me! – colored pencil on paper

    I’m going deeper into the world of colored pencils. Thanks everyone for the positive feedback. These pencils are a lot of fun and a perfect medium to travel and create with on my upcoming trip in 2023. The layering is different from paint or printing, and teaching me to think about color a bit different. I might want to revisit my oil pastels with this technique when i want to do some large work on paper.

    Faber Castel Polychromos

    • Dark Cadmium Yellow 108
    • Sanguine 188
    • Earth Green Yellowish 168
    • Cobalt Green 156
    • Bluish Turquoise 149
    • Burnt Sienna 283

  • Jumping Sheep-colored pencil on paper

    This is getting interesting–the more i use them, I am learning SO much about how colored pencils (and color theory) work. i underestimated them in the past, but it turns out they can be an expressive medium (plus clean + portable) More than one of you have mentioned that colored pencils can be meditative–i agree. I bliss out while using them–I also LOVE the nostalgic look it gives my style… kind of reminiscent of the golden books of my childhood.

    Can’t wait to see where this takes me!

    Have a great weekend!

    • Faber Castel Polychromos
    • Cream 102
    • Dark Naples Ochre 184
    • Earth Green Yellowish 168
    • Dark Pthalo Green 9201-264
    • Burnt Sienna 283
    • Pine Green 267

  • Choose Love-Colored Pencil drawing

    Choose love – experiment with colored pencils on paper

    I’m getting ready to do some traveling, and want to figure out a super compact, dry and lightweight way to express myself and make art while away from my studio(s)

    These pencils take some getting used to: a different way to think about mark making, but I think I can work with this! Stay tuned!

  • New Paintings : Sheep and Kiss at Twilight

    I’m diving deeper exploring a new way to paint and make marks. A lot of this technique is like monoprinting, but I’m mixing drawing and painting. Each has their strengths. I love to work in a variety of mediums, so mixed media feels natural to me.

    This week’s paintings depict two more of my favorite farm themes: a happy sheep, jumping around on the farm, and two pigs *in love* kissing in the twilight. A lucky friend/collector got a sneak peek and the pigs and it’s now part of their collection, but fortunately, fine art prints are available. The original sheep painting is available.

    click the links below for more information on prints and the original.

    Thank you all for your support!

  • New Paintings Night Time Chickens and Flying Pig

    I had a great week of painting! 2D work uses a different part of my brain. I’m combining printmaking, painting and drawing–along with some of the layered surface design ideas that I recently learned from Adero Willard at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts.

    This week’s paintings depict two of my favorite themes: Flying Pigs and Chickens in a tree at night.
    Prints AND THE ORIGINALS(update: originals no longer available) are available if you would like to add one of these to your art collection.
    Thank you all for your support!

  • Time to paint!!!

    Since the pandemic, I’ve spent a lot of time working in the clay studio. I love making pots, but the weather is changing, and I’m ready to exercise a different creative part of my brain.

    I love to learn and grow through my art. After a couple of years of intensive study and practice in clay, I’m still me, but it’s also made me a new and different artist. I don’t want to go back to painting the way I did 2-3 years ago. I’m excited because I can feel a new way of thinking and creating in my brain, heart and soul. I want to build on what I’ve learned, but also go somewhere I’ve never been before with painting.

    These two paintings are the beginning (prints and the originals are available!) . Stay tuned to see where this takes us!!!

    UPDATE: The originals are no longer available. Thank you for your support!!!

  • SOS Art Human Rights Exhibicion in Cincinnati

    I had a wonderful time with my printmaker friends: from Cincinnati AND Oaxaca, Mexico as part of the SOS Art Human Rights/Derechos Humanos collaboration. Thank you so much for including me!

    woodcut cover of SOS art human rights by artist ken swinson

    Tuve un tiempo maravilloso con mis amigos: de Cincinnati Y Oaxaca, Mexico. Parte de la exhibición de SOS ART derechos Humanos/Human Rights colaboración. Muchas gracias por incluirme!

  • snapshots from the 100 cup challenge

    I need to practice all the things I learned during my “summer of clay workshops” at Arrowmont. My first project will be to make 100 cups. My goal is to make them all before the end of August, but I like the symbolism of 100 cups in 100 days, so lets make THAT the goal.  

    Here are a few cups I have already made. If you are familiar with my work, these forms probably look more refined and less ‘self-taught’! Stay tuned to see what cup #100 looks like. you know what they say about practice makes perfect!

    August 2- I had to move things around in my tiny 6x12ft clay studio to make things fit. The new shelf is not as photogenic as my old one, but it holds a LOT more cups! Here are a few of the cups in different stages. My goal is to have enough to fire the kiln next week. I’ll be out of the studio most of today, but I want to get some trimming and handles attached before the day gets started.

    100 Cup Challenge UPDATE- August 4

    If you caught me throwing cups on the wheel on facebook LIVE this morning, you might remember a curvy, beehive style cup.

    I’m sad to announce it lost its battle with gravity, and its final remains will go to the recycle bucket. We already knew that it had some pre existing conditions, so we should be happy that it’s struggle is over. When I tried to flip it over, it wasn’t dry enough to support itself.

    Here’s to all the little cups, that don’t make it to the finish line!!! RIP little beehive cup.

    100 CUP CHALLENGE UPDATE-August 8
    We hit a milestone today! Enough finished cups (i think 28?) to have our first kiln firing! If all goes well, we will have some pretty new cups (or a pile of rubble) to enjoy on wednesday! 

    I have 31 MORE cups in different stages of completion. I can already tell, this challenge has been good for me. I’m developing a lot of different skills: throwing, trimming, handbuilding, surface design. 

    Stay tuned to see what happens!

  • 100 cup challenge – live video playback

    yesterday, for the 100 cup challenge, i threw a few cups on facebook live. Here’s a shortened and sped up replay of a few of the cups.

    Today they get handles!!! Stay tuned!

  • 25 July 2022-kiln opening

    Today the kiln decided to be really nice to me, and didn’t make rubble out of any of the porcelain plates and bowls that I spent so much time to decorate. (none of the plates seemed to warp either. Lots of bears inspired by my summer at Arrowmont. Also a NEW COLOR!!! I little darker than I expected, but I can adjust it to be more of a bluegrass blue!

    • small bear plate
    • small goat plate
    • oval chicken plate
    • small bunny plate
    • oval bears doing laundry plate
    • oval fox plate
    • oval bears with bees and flowers plate
    • oval bears doing laundry plate
    • oval bears with flowers plate
    • oval cardinal plate
    • bluegrass flower bowl
    • bees and blooms cups
    • bear and bees cup
    • bear and blooms cup
    • bear with blooms cup
    • cat in blooms cup
    • bird on branch cup
    • jumping sheep cup

    If you are familiar with me, you know I ONLY sell my pots in person. No online sales, no shipping. If you would like to have one of these (and support my work) come see me this friday (29 July) at the Pendleton Art Center Cincinnati from 5-9pm. I’m at studio 400.

    Hope to see you soon!