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Artist-sculptor, Ken Newman
The Art of the Journey - Sculptor R eturns to Tahoe, July 7 through August, 2009
Sculptor Ken Newman, returned to Tahoe for "The Art of the Journey" show with daily demonstrations at Vista Gallery in Tahoe Vista, California from July 7 - 11.
Now a nationally recognized wildlife and figurative sculptor, Ken was a featured artist at Tahoe's Vista Gallery before moving to Cambridge, Idaho in 2000. “It is a thrill to have recognized the unique imagery of Ken Newman’s sensitive observations years ago. I don’t know of anyone that comes close to his insights and skills, bringing poetic imagery out of raw natural materials, articulating such careful stories. It is an honor to host this special event at Vista Gallery.”, boasts gallery owner, Douglas E. Taylor.
Ken Newman developed and fostered his art career in Truckee in the 1990's. After sculpting two life size eagles, one in full fight and the second in a nest for a home in Tahoe Donner, his partner Debbie convinced him to end his custom home contracting career and begin pursuing his passion for sculpture. A five year plan with goals was developed, which allowed Ken to sculpt in the winters and after the last son graduated from high school they moved to Idaho to pursue an artist's life. While still in Tahoe, one of those goals was to expose himself to figurative sculpture, as a self-taught wood wildlife sculptor he was intrigued at the opportunity to expand not only his medium, but his subject matter. Under the wing of his Sierra College instructor Cate Loughran, he explored figurative drawing and working in clay. Cate was intrigued by his natural-innate sculpting abilities and his method of removing clay rather than the traditional method of modeling. This was the beginning of his award winning figurative work, Ken's new women sculpture series "American Pi- Sunday's Dress" and a "A New Perm" will be available at Vista Gallery.
Since leaving Tahoe in 2000, Ken's journey in art takes him to Scottsdale, Arizona each winter to the Celebration of Fine Art (a tented pavilion of 100 working artists) and to numerous art and wildlife shows across the country. In 2006, he accepted a residency at the Mendocino Art Center, just north of his childhood home of Ft. Bragg, California. During this residency, an opportunity to work with different mediums (stone, marble, copper and steel) opened more avenues, especially with his wood sculptures, which are interpretative and reflect the struggle of wildlife and the impact of man on nature. The impact can be seen in Checking the Cache -a squirrel amongst the copper oak leaves with a cache of a pinecone, Snickers Bar, a mushroom with an acorn sitting outside the cache.
Nationally recognized, Ken currently has sculptures in the 75th Annual National Sculpture Society Exhibition at Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina, the Endangered Species-Flora and Fauna in Peril at the Wildling Art Museum in Los Olivos California and the 48th Annual Art and the Animal Exhibition in Green Bay, Wisconsin, which opens in August. Catalogs are available for each of these exhibitions. Recently elected to the Allied Artists of America Inc, of New York City, Ken been a Signature Member of the Society of Animal Artists for seven years, his wood sculptures has been exhibited in the NYC organization for the past six years.
Many visitors met Ken Newman while he was demonstrating his sculpture processs at Vista Gallery, which is located above the Old Range Steak House in Tahoe Vi sta at 7081 N Lake Blvd (Hwy 28). .
A Closing Artist Reception was held on Sunday, July 20, where Ken will shared his thoughts on "The Art of the Journey".
For more gallery information contact Vista Gallery at (530) 546-7794 or visit Ken Newman's website at www.natureartists.com/ken_newman.asp.
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