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When Ken Stockton’s youthful passion for painting was rekindled after several years in a different
career, his young son Andrew observed, "That's pretty good, Dad! Are you gonna hang it on the fridge?" Nine years later, his work can be seen in venues far beyond his own kitchen.
Best known for his desert landscapes, Ken’s understanding of his subject extends beyond the
canvas. His fifteen-year tenure at Tucson’s Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, where he served as Director of Design & Planning, focused on all aspects of exhibiting the state’s plants,
animals, and habitats – fostering a familiarity with natural history that continues to inform his work as a full-time artist. |
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Ken Stockton
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Initially a plein air painter, Ken’s growing preference for larger, more complex compositions eventually made this approach impractical; however, his outdoor painting experience
helped develop the authentic sense of light and color characteristic of his studio work.
He is particularly drawn to the dramatic shapes, colors and textures of rocky landscapes, so when gallery
owner John McCullough invited him to join Windrush Gallery he welcomed the chance to paint Sedona’s signature formations. On a recent visit he was on the move from dawn till dusk, bouncing along back
roads, wading Oak Creek and hiking dusty red rock trails in search of that perfect image.
Ken explains, "When working in the studio, I often find myself mentally ‘occupying’ a scene –
reliving the experience of actually being there as I refine and emphasize features or qualities that initially drew me to it – as an avid gardener fine-tunes the design of a cherished personal oasis.
Indulging this mild fantasy imbues the finished painting with a sense of invitation, ideally creating a portal through which others may enter and explore the realms of their own memory or
imagination."
Education: In addition to plein air workshops from artists Matt Smith, Ray Roberts, and Phil Starke, he has
completed various courses in sculpting, drawing, and painting from San Bernardino Community College, Brigham Young University, and the University of Utah. In 1990 he received a B.S. in Landscape
Architecture from the University of California, Davis, and is registered as a Landscape Architect in the State of Arizona.
His work has appeared in Southwest Art Magazine ("Artists to Watch" column) February 2005, and
Western Art Collector April 2008
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