"I
simply want to achieve the ultimate communication on the
canvas - to say more
with less."
-Ken Auster
Woods Cove
You cannot separate Ken Auster, the surfer, from Ken Auster,
the artist.
For it was in his formative years in Long Beach, California, where Ken grew
up with his feet deeply planted in the surfing culture, that he first learned to
express his art talent. Caught up in the ground swell of the 1960s surfing
culture, Ken not only plunged into the sport of surfing but into the art and
graphics of surfing as well.
While working his way towards a
Bachelor in Fine Arts degree from Long Beach State University, Ken built one of
the world's most prominent silkscreen and T-shirt companies, creating
now-legendary surfing art that adorned surfers from Belmont Shores to Hawaii to
Mexico. His surfing images, silk-screened as original prints on paper, became
the "fine art" of this beach culture, and today, represent the classic surf art
of the past century.
more
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Other Side of the Tracks
From the roar of enormous ocean waves to the din
of a restaurant kitchen, from the wind through grass to the waves
lapping against a shoreline, artist Ken Auster has taken viewers around
a world of experiences with his paintings. Auster's release from The
Greenwich Workshop is another of his favorite subjects: the sunny hills
of San Francisco.
Ken Auster's painting style combines the
masterful use of color with an economy of brushwork. With this new work,
he takes his expressive painting style one step further and painted with
his fingers. "Sometimes the brush comes between me and the painting,"
says Ken. "So I eliminated the brush."
As the sun sets on
the West Coast, the brightly-colored houses, sidewalk cafés and cable
cars are flooded with warm rays of sunshine. Whether you've lived in San
Francisco your whole life or have always wanted to visit, "Other Side of
the Tracks" will transport you there.
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
Jack “the Manassa
Mauler” Dempsey held the world heavyweight boxing title between 1919 and
1926. He was known for his aggressive punches, colorful personality and
exciting fights, many of which broke attendance records. Dempsey’s
impressive skills and tenacious attitude secured his place in American
history and popular culture. It is Dempsey’s renowned rough-and-tumble style
that inspired the setting of Ken Auster’s newest painting, Dempsey’s Bar ‘n’
Grill.
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
Ken Auster creates a
masterful illusion with an economy of brushwork in his "Red Dress in the
Window." This marvelous little city scene will add pizzazz and attitude
to any wall.
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
Although renowned as
a “plein air” painter, Ken Auster’s “culinary arts” paintings prove just
how exciting documenting the ordinary in an extraordinary manner can
be.“Color makes or breaks a painting,” says Ken. His stew of rich, broad
strokes and vibrant colors, workaday life of restaurants with
impressionist-inspired murals, and chefs at work in kitchens, gives us a
savory taste of his fine art.
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
“This
quintessential Laguna coastline, with its user-friendly beaches and warm
turquoise water, makes for an inviting scenario both for visitor and
resident alike.”
Limited Edition Masterwork Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
Simmering with
color, style and delicious texture, it should come as no surprise that
kitchen and restaurant scenes are one of Auster’s favorite subjects.
“I’m interested in the light and shadows created by the working chefs
and it allows me to add a storyline to the scene,” Auster says.“And
restaurants tend to conjure up memorable times!”
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
“We’re looking
south to Bird Rock in La Jolla. What I love about the location, and hoped to
translate to the painting, is the fringe of energy created by the consistent
movement of the ocean, the atmosphere of California and the edge between
land and sea, with grey-silver light framed by the famous torry pines. This
is a private glimpse of a world so peaceful yet so explosive at the same
time.”
Limited Edition Masterwork Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
Ken Auster's Contemporary California Impressionism
took on new dimensions when he created this eight-foot landscape of the
Southern California coast. In the late 1800s when the Impressionists
ventured out of their studios and into nature to capture the effects of
sunlight and atmosphere, it was quite revolutionary. Today it’s a
familiar concept. “Artists come to the Laguna Beach area from all over
the world because of the light, the way the sea affects the atmosphere
and the natural beauty of the beach and surrounding hills,” says artist
Ken Auster, who's own fresh style works classic plein air magic in the
studio. “I work only in oils and my paintings are very ‘juicy,’ very
loose and very of-the-moment.” Auster has an exceptional eye for
chromatic subtleties and his understanding of color and light are on
display in this pair of dramatically out-sized Southern California
landscapes, the first two of this new series. A lifetime can be spent
filling in the details as the eye travels, catches and circles around
this landscape.
Limited Edition Masterwork Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
Sophisticated and sexy, popular
yet traditional, the martini has been shaking things up since the late 19th
century. Served in its own elegant glass, this cocktail has long been
associated with important events and society. James Bond, whose character
popularized the drink for a generation of Americans, was reckless with his
women, rough on enemy agents, but extremely precise about his martini. It
had to be "shaken, not stirred." How many times have you wanted to walk up
to a bartender and say these legendary words?
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
“I simply want to achieve the
ultimate communication on the canvas—to say more with less,” Ken says.
Whether painting a street scene, a freeway, an urban restaurant or coastal
panorama, his deft use of color and economy of brush strokes create simple,
yet beautifully structured compositions".
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
Surfer turned artist Ken Auster skillfully
combines his two loves in this cool urban street scene. Renowned for his
classic surf art, Auster now sees and paints a bold, dynamically
changing world. Whether London, Italy, the California coast or Mexico,
he shares with us the uncomplicated but moving stories on canvas—simply
and effectively, documenting the ordinary in an extraordinary manner.
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
Renowned for his classic surf art and urban
street scenes, artist Ken Auster brings his bold and dynamic signature
style into the kitchen. His favorite Italian restaurant inspired him to
paint chefs. “I’m interested in the light and shadows created by the
working chefs, and it allows me to add a storyline to the scene. In
addition, restaurants conjure up good times,” Auster says. A charming
suite of three canvases to inspire your favorite cook or connoisseur in
their own kitchen.
Happy
Birhday
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to enlarge
Limited Edition Giclée canvas
handsigned by the artist
Picture This
framing & gallery is an authorized representative for:
The Greenwich Workshop, Millpond Press, Somerset House,
The Western Lights Artists Group,
The Artist's Garden, Clearwater Publishing and other Fine Art publishers
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