Artist Ken Strong says he must start his day before the sun rises to take advantage of the creative space.
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“I walk in to my studio at a quarter to five, take a big breath and start working,” he said.
It’s a ritual the Hannam Vale artist has undertaken for over 30 years and Ken said he gets withdrawals if he doesn’t do it.
Ken has been painting since he was a teenager and his first exhibition was in 1988 at Kendall. He said it’s great to have the opportunity to once again display his work locally at the Q Pop Up Gallery at Kew.
Ken’s latest and 66th exhibition was recently in Washington. The showcase featured a series of works based on American institutions including the Whitehouse, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson memorial and the Washington Monument.
Ken was a former civil engineer and he said the two sides of his brains use to clash with one another.
“It’s the logical thinking part of my brain against the creative part,” he said.
Some days while Ken could successfully tap into the art space and be very productive, he would struggle to harness his logical thinking when he got to work.
“I am aware it was a bit of a conundrum” he said.
Ken loves to work within the art space where nothing binds him.
“Art is like music where the boundaries are endless,” he said.
Most nights Ken will sit down with a sketch pad to plan what he will paint the next day.
Ken is inspired by landscapes both in Australia and overseas. Ken said he has an obsession with water.
“A recent exhibition at Newcastle was based on the Sydney Harbour and the foreshore, ferries and hidden coves,” he said.
Ken said there were endless subjects for his paintings including the people, light, water activity and life around the harbour.
“I could have come up with ten thousand different subjects,” he said.
Up until five years ago Ken’s focus was mainly on Europe.
He said Europe’s lighting was a lot softer, in contrast to the intense lighting in Australia.
Ken said he was looking forward to becoming a grandfather and focusing 100 per cent on art in retirement.
People can view Ken’s work at the Q Pop Up Gallery.
The Q Pop Up Gallery showcases local art and music.
It’s open from Thursday until Sunday from 10am until 4pm.
For more information people can visit the website www.qpopupgallery.com
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