KenSwinson.com

Author: Ken

  • instagram stories

    If you watch me on Instagram, I share short, 12 second stories that disappear after 24 hours. Here are 3 recent ones that I made.

  • Flannery’s Dream – Large Woodcut Print

    Flannery’s Dream – Large Woodcut Print

    I’m working on a series of large, hand made woodcut prints. I and wanted to share my latest, “Flannery’s Dream” the video below shows some of the process in making it:

    “Flannery’s Dream” is a Kentucky folk story about a fiddler who was challenged to play a tune that had never heard before. He exhausted all the tunes he knew–without succeeding, then fell asleep. In his dream, he saw a bear with a fiddle. The bear chased him while playing a tune. The next day, he remembered the tune, and won the challenge!!!

    If you’d like to support my work and have one of these woodcuts for your art collection. I am selling them for $60.

  • County Fair: Lambs – new woodcut print!

    Last month’s woodcut print went so well, I decided to carve another one.

    I love the tradition of the county fair, and 4H children’s livestock presentation in particular. When everything goes right, the competition reminds me of ballet with animals. When things go wrong…that’s a lot of fun to watch too!

    Here’s my latest print to celebrate the awesome kids who work all year to show off their 4H projects at the county fair. It’s another big one 15″x22″. If you live in the USA and would like one for your collection, buy one, and i’ll even ship it to you for free!

  • BarnYard at Night-new painting

    I have finished a new painting! Sorry folks, it has already sold, BUT you can see it, and order prints by clicking the image below.

  • Arts Of All Sorts – Old Washington, KY

    Arts Of All Sorts – Old Washington, KY

    I made a short video of Old Washington’s recent: Arts of all sorts. The video was LIVE, so it’s a little bit shaky and I did do any editing, but it takes you into the moment of visiting our little village during an art activity. I’m so lucky to be a part of such a creative community. Thanks everyone for making it possible!

    If you don’t have the time to watch the whole video, here are a few photos of the video’s highlights.

    basket weavers in old washington kentucky
    woman making a clay whistle in old washington kentucky
    father michael henderson spinning wool in old washington kentucky
    barb clarke and ginny b butler volunteering in old washington kentucky
    children painting a mural in old washington kentucky
    theresa barns leading a felting activity in old washington kentucky
    artists painting in old washington kentucky
    artists doing body painting in old washington kentucky
    woodcarving in old washington Kentucky
    tents at washington hall in old washington kentucky
    pottery making pottery in old washington kentucky
    printmaking at old washington kentucky
    linocut of the old washington courthouse being struck by lightning in old washington kentucky
    pottery in old washington kentucky
    marie kelsch in old washington kentucky
    aromatherapy in old washington kentucky
    acrylic pour painting in old washington Kentucky
    mushroom
    maysville mayor david cartmel buying pottery in old washington kentucky

  • ArtZINE – AUGUST 2018 – Warsaw, KY: LIFE TURNS FULL CIRCLE

    August 30 th, 2018 was our 12th monthly artZINE in Sandy Hook, KY. Our theme was – Life Turns Full Circle We met at the Gallatin County Public Library in Warsaw, KY.  This artZINE #12 is significant because it completes our FIRST YEAR OF ARTZINE!  When we started this project, we had no idea of how many interesting people and places we would meet. Thank you everyone for participtating and sharing your talents!

    If you’d like to download and print your own copy of the zine, a printable PDF of the zine, here’s a link to a printable PDF:  https://1drv.ms/b/s!AtHTtTOFjtUTpjgERdR-Ec9GzyGk

    Now that we have completed a full year, it’s with a little bit of sadness to let you know we are going to take a hiatus from our monthly artZINES. We need some time to analyze what we’ve learned this past year before restructuring and starting phase 2 of the artZINE project.

    Here are the pages of #12. Click any of the images (or right here) to see/download/print all the pages from the zine (including the 12 different hand painted covers).

    Introduction
    Ellen Noe
    Bonnie Roberts
    Rosemary Topie
    Martha Grout
    Doug Noe
    George Kiragu
    Shalayne Maxwell
    Amy Dickerson
    Linda Eckler
    Peggy Noe
    Ken Swinson
    Credits

    Thank you everyone for participating and a special thank you to the Gallatin County Public Library and the Noe family for hosting this month’s artZINE. 

    You can see/download a copy of the entire artZINE (including the 12 handpainted covers) Click Here

  • Circle of Friends

    Circle of Friends

    For August’s ArtZINE, our theme is: Life Turns Full Circle. We are celebrating a full year of visiting different small towns and collaborating with local and visiting artists.  I have enjoyed exploring the different small towns, but my favorite part of the project are the new friends I have made while visitng their communities. We are meeting August 30th in Warsaw, KY. You are welcome to join us. 

    For my entry, I decided to carve a woodcut poster. I haven’t carved a woodcut this size before, but once I settled into the rhythm of carving, it went smooth. Here are some photos and videos of the process:

    sketch for a woodcut of a cat. with a cat looking up at the printmaking
    Sketch on the block of wood
    carving a woodcut for printmaking. a brown dog looking over the corner
    slow and steady…carving the first bird. (with Lulubelle’s Supervision)
    woodcut of a cat surrounded by birds work in progress
    more progress…
    work in progress woodcut of a cat holding a bird ready to print
    the carved block…ready for a test print!
    artist ken swinson holding a new woodcut of a cat holding a bird
    The Test proof!

    I have wanted to start making something that is big, affordable, and still original art, crafted by my hands (not gliclees or reproductions). I know a lot of people who love original art, and have big spaces on their walls, but they don’t have a big art budget. I think that woodcut posters could be the perfect solution.



    I am printing this woodcut on a heavyweight, acid free 100% cotton paper.
    The artwork is 12 1/2″x20″
    The paper is 15″x22″

    The posters are signed, but not limited or numbered; which lets me get the price down to $60. I’m still going to offer free shipping in the USA, however, the art will be rolled in a tube, instead of mailed flat.

    If you are familiar with my work, you know that this is a great price for one of my woodcuts at this size. If I get a good response from this poster, I hope to be able to create more soon. Thanks everyone for supporting my work!

  • artZINE in Sandy Hook, KY – about us

    If you are curious about what we do while visiting a different small town each month with Art Zine, we made this video last month in Sandy Hook.

    thanks Tabitha Dial and Sue Ellen Gorman for participating and helping explain our project. and thanks Maddie Gorman for taking the video!

  • Sketching in Downtown Cincinnati

    Sketch Trip In Cincinnati

    Viaje de dibjuo en Cincinnati

  • day 4 – printmaking workshop at the Baker-Hunt Art and Culture Center

    a few snapshots from the last day of our 4 day printmaking workshop at the baker hunt art and culture center. we covered a LOT of printmaking technique in a short amount of time. lucky for me, I had super talented artists for students.