Florida Artists Group

  Area V Member

  Ken Austin— Painter

Ken Austin

A Walk In The Woods
15x21

Ken Austin

Geomancy IV
22x30


 Ken Austin
Ken Austin

Green Wave
22x30

Ken Austin

Lavender Dreams
22x30


Ken's Web Site

Contact Email Address

Member of FLAG since
FLAG Positions Served:

Artist’s Statement:

Art is not the subject or the object, but the verb, the doing of it. My work, all in water-media, is broadly
varied, and therefore not easily categorized. All of it is important to me, from my Big Women figure series
to my abstract still lives, to my outdoor sketches and Florida miniatures.

There is a commonality in my concern for shapes, colors, composition, and feeling. My role models are
varied and my tastes in technique and concepts equally so. The techniques I use range from spatter to
gouache resist and traditional transparent watercolor.  I vary them as they suit my concepts.

Above all, I like to believe that I am most respectful of art when I am myself, and creating what
only I can create.

Degrees: 
           Master of Urban Planning,   Texas A&M University, 1970
           Bachelor of Architecture,      University of Florida, 1961

Work Record:
           Architectural (Design), 1961- 2001
           City Planning, 1970 - 2001

Preferred media:
            Transparent watercolor, watercolor with ink, acrylic, gouache, and gouache resist

Techniques:  
           All traditional, wet in wet, wet in dry, as well as gouache resist

Styles:
           Representational, abstract, non-objective, decorative

Primary work:
            Currently gouache resist, “Big Women” series,
             transparent watercolor “Rubik’s Food” still life series, 
            “Prior Restraint” series, “Geomancy” series, landscape and figure studies.

Study:
           Private and with Art League of Houston (Polly Hammett, NWS, AWS),
           1975 through 1987 and since with various nationally recognized watercolorists,
           including Carl Molno, AWS, NWS, Virginia Cobb, AWS, NA., Skip Lawrence, AWS,
           Pat SanSoucie, AWS., etc.

Galleries:  
         
Formerly:
            (1989 - Closing) Albertson - Peterson Gallery, Winter Park, FL
            (2006 - Closing) Comma Gallery, Orlando, FL
           (Currently) Ruggiere – a gallery, Decatur, AL

Significant Shows:


One-man shows:
            American Art Associates (Houston) 1985, ‘86, ‘87
            City of Orlando, Leu Gardens, Orlando, FL 2010

Group shows (* = Award):
            Watercolor Art Society-Houston (WAS-H) 1983, ‘84, ‘85
            Western Federation of Watercolor Societies Annual 1986
            Florida Watercolor Society 1993, 2001, 2003, 2005*, 2006*, 2008
            Pennsylvania Watercolor Society 1999
            Watercolor Society of Alabama 1999
            Mississippi Watercolor Society 1999
            Louisiana Watercolor Society 1999
            Philadelphia Watercolor Society 1999
            Pittsburgh Watercolor Society 2000
            National Watercolor Society 2001
            New England Watercolor Society 2000
            Arizona Watercolor Society 2000
            Tallahassee Watercolor Society Tri-State Regional 2001
            Plano Art Association National All-Media, Plano, TX 2001*
            Northwest Watercolor Society - Seattle, WA 2003
            Orange County, FL, Mayor’s Office, Orlando, FL 2005
            Comma Gallery, Orlando, FL 2006
            Avalon Gallery, Orlando, 2006 (w/Marianna Ross)
            Georgia Watercolor Society National, 2007*
            Museum of Florida Art, Deland, FL, 2008, 2009
            Creative Spirit Gallery, Orlando, FL 2008
            Nude Nite, Orlando, FL  2009
            Will’s Creek Survey, Cumberland, MD 2009*
            Aqueous 2010, Kentucky Watercolor Society, 2010
            Central Florida Five, 2012, Orlando City Hall, Terrace Gallery, Orlando, FL
            w/ five other watercolorists
            FLAG Annual Show, Ringling School, 2012

Various Awards:
           Best Of Show, Plano Art Association Annual All Media Show                                     (2001) 
           Winslow Homer Award, Florida Watercolor Society Annual                                     (2005)
           Purchase Prize, Central Florida United Arts “Artsploration                                     Show“ (2005)
            Publix - Graham & Co. Award, Florida Watercolor Society                                     Annual (2006)
            Past Presidents’ Prize, Georgia Watercolor Society National                                     (2008)
           Most Playful, Will’s Creek Survey National (2009)

Various national, regional and state shows were juried by Charles Reid, AWS, Carl Molno, AWS, Frank Webb, AWS, Pat San Soucie, AWS, Polly Hammett, AWS, NWS, Barbara Nechis, AWS, Joan Rothermal, AWS, Mary Hughey Phillis, AWS, MaryTodd Beam, AWS, Virginia Cobb, AWS, Skip Lawrence, AWS Glenn Bradshaw, AWS and others to present.

Classes Taught:     
            Texas Southern University, Houston, TX, 1981-83
            University of Houston, Houston, TX, 1984-86
            Watercolor courses (Art-teriors) Longwood, FL, 1989-91
            Watercolor courses (Private) Orlando, FL, 1991-1997 and 2003- 2004
            Watercolor courses (Seminole Comm. College) Oviedo, FL 1997 -1999
            Watercolor and Design (Crealdé School of Art) Winter Park, FL  2009 -2012
Workshops Taught:
            Central Florida Watercolor Society, Orlando, FL 1999, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010
            DeBary Art League, DeBary, FL 2003
            Tampa Realist Artists Association, Tampa, FL 2003
            Vero Beach Art Museum, FL, 2004, 2006
            El Dorado Center for the Arts, El Dorado, AR 2004
            Beaches Art Center, Indian Rocks Beach 2004
            Southwestern Watercolor Society, Dallas, TX 2004           
            Potomac Highlands Art Workshops, Elkins, WV 2004, 2005
            Seminole/Sanford Art League, Sanford, FL 2005
            Art & Design Society of Fort Walton Beach, FL 2005
            Tennessee Watercolor Society, Chattanooga, TN 2005
            San Antonio Watercolor Group, San Antonio, TX 2006
            Comma Gallery, Orlando, FL 2007
            Leesburg Art Association, Leesburg, FL 2008
            Michigan Art Workshops, Bay City, MI 2008
            Brandon Art League, Brandon, FL 2008
            Artists Workshop, New Smyrna Beach, FL 2008
            Crealdé School of Art, Winter Park, FL 2009, 2010
            Amelia Island Artists Workshops, Fernandina Beach, FL, 2011

Jurying: 
           
Brevard Watercolor Society, 2007
           Seminole County National Arts Program 2008
           Seminole/Sanford Art Association, 2008
           Mt. Dora Art League, 2009
           Artists League of Orange County, 2009
           Titusville Art League Annual, 2010, 2012
           Strawbridge Art Association, 2011

Preferred Teaching Subjects:
            Figure in watercolor, expressive painting, backgrounds and landscapes,
             abstracts in watercolor and basics.                       

Organizations: 
            Signature Member, Florida Watercolor Society
            Founder, Honorary Member, Central Florida Watercolor Society
            Signature Member, National Watercolor Society
            Former President, Watercolor Art Society – Houston
            Member, Florida Artists Group

Work in Collections:

           Works in numerous private collections, including Polly Hammett, AWS, NWS, Houston, TX
            Virginia Cobb, AWS, NA, Santa Fe, NM
            Ralph Meers, Palm Beach, FL
            Linda Carter, NWS, Houston, TX 
            The Transco Corporate Collection, Houston, TX
            Chris and John Robinson, Orlando, FL
            Scott, Jane and Susan Gabrielson, Orlando, FL
            Former City Commissioner Bill Bagley, Orlando, FL
            Jan and Kazuko Staniszkis, Orlando, FL
            Brenda Robinson, Former Director, Orlando Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs,FL
            Jane Brinkerhoff, Orlando, FL
            Tom and Gail Kohler, Orlando, FL
            John and Delores Brewer, Alexandria, LA
            Robert and Elaine Wilkerson, Houston, TX,
            Herb Trotman and Kathy Hinkley, Birmingham, AL
            Paul and Dana Cutts, Houston, TX,
            Mary Conn, Miras Flores, CA,
            United Arts of Central Florida, Maitland, FL
            George Lamson, San Antonio, TX,
            Elaine Moises, Hendersonville, NC
            Kim Sumner, Orlando, FL
            Megan Paquette, Orlando, FL
            Adrian Mann, Manager/Owner Dexter’s Restaurant
            Ann Worrall, Winter Park, FL
            Richard and Suzan Unger, Winter Park, FL
            Josh Garrick, Orlando, FL
             and many, many others