Ken Payne

I was born in Fort Bragg, a small town on the Northern California Coast – in the heart of “Redwood Country”. I spent my formative years living two hundred yards from the coast. Despite this I’ve always been drawn to the “woods”. First was the “Redwoods” with their cathedral-like filtered light. The experience was more of being in an “interior” similar to much of the Hudson River School subjects rather than the vast panoramic views of the Rocky Mountain School. In accordance with Ruskin’s and Burke’s thoughts I see in the sublime proof of God’s inspired hand in the creation of the natural world. The “Sublime”,, in painting, is the idea that powerful natural events and strong contrasting light induce awe and reflection. I believe nature’s grandeur benefits Humanity. I still prefer my “Woods”, deep, dark, and mysterious. My interests have always been in the seldom traveled, beautiful, wild, and sublime places of the America West. I hope my work represents those special places.

I am self-taught and have studied and been influenced by Turner, Church, Beirstadt, and Moran among others. I do have university coursework and am certified to teach painting and drawing, having taught at university, jr. college, and high school levels. Professionally I was a member of the “San Francisco Artist’s Guild. The “Guild”, at that time, was a group of fifty juried Bay Area artists and I showed with them for eight years. We scheduled about 30 shows a year. In addition, there were many other shows, exhibitions, and gallery representations – all in Northern California.

For the last 25 years I have lived in the Bitterroot Valley in Montana. I paint those places I know, working from my own photographs and studies. I paint traditional, 19″ Century, representative Western Landscapes in oil on canvas and linen. Through time I have developed my own “artistic voice”, style, and interests.