With a career spanning 50 years and a passion for exploring multiple artistic mediums, Ken Goldman is an accomplished artist who continues to find inspiration in the world around him.
His recent creation, San Diego River Dusk, was awarded the Dynasty Brush for Artists Award in the San Diego Watercolor Society’s 46th International Exhibition, and it was named a Top Ten winner in Artists Magazine’s 19th Annual Over 60 Art Competition.
Learn about the inspiration behind Ken’s painting, the art of working across multiple mediums, and his advice for artists trying to find their own creative voice.
Congratulations on being awarded for your piece, San Diego River Dusk, at the San Diego Watercolor Society’s 46th Annual International Exhibition! Please share what it means to you to receive this distinction.
Receiving an award is always an honor, and this one is especially meaningful because San Diego River Dusk also received an award in Artists Magazine earlier this year.
What was your inspiration for San Diego River Dusk?
In San Diego, during May and June, when the intense heat of our deserts meets the much cooler Pacific Ocean, an inversion layer forms above the coast, creating the annual phenomenon we call May Gray and June Gloom.
Often, we don’t see any sunsets until July, but sometimes we get just enough clearing at dusk to reveal amazingly nuanced rosy colors softened by a misty atmosphere. On this occasion, I was lucky enough to be walking on a bridge over the river at just the right moment to see the distant USD tower glowing through a lovely pinkish haze, reflected in the many rivulets winding through muted gray-green cordgrass. The wonder of that moment inspired me.
How do you think your artistic style has evolved over the years leading up to this achievement?
By continually refining my drawing skills through attending figure sketching groups and painting frequently, I believe my abilities have improved. Although my sense of color has remained somewhat consistent, teaching and writing books have deepened my understanding of subtleties I might otherwise have overlooked.
Sharing what I know challenges me to examine my own thinking and keeps me from getting too comfortable. I’m always wary of becoming formulaic or resting on my laurels, so I keep exploring new, challenging, and sometimes uncomfortable ways of thinking and working.
You were awarded the Dynasty Brush Award donated by FM Brush Co., which features an exciting array of our finest artists’ brushes. Are there specific brush shapes or sizes you reach for most often, and why?
I am very grateful for the Dynasty Award brushes and can’t wait to try them out.
For watercolor, I like mops, ovals, rounds, and slanted brushes. I also like flats for cutting shapes, but tend to use them only at the beginning.
For oils, bristle filberts are my favorites.
For acrylics, almost any synthetic brush will do, especially flats and slanted brushes. In my acrylic painting San Diego River Dusk, I blended the sky almost entirely with a fan brush. I am not a big fan of expensive sable brushes because I prefer the spring of synthetic brushes.
You have an illustrious career as an artist! Briefly tell us how long you have been painting and how you got started.
My earliest influences were my artist mother and two older artist brothers. Mom believed that art could help her children become fulfilled human beings. When my brother and I were 13 and 14, she took us to a nude life-drawing class to appreciate the beauty and wonder of the human figure—clothed or nude. That planted the seeds for my path toward becoming an artist.
My professional career began in 1976 after leaving the San Diego Natural History Museum, where I worked as an exhibition designer, muralist, diorama builder, and bird taxidermist. So, I’d say I’ve been painting professionally for 50 years.
What do you love most about working in each medium you use?
Each idea requires a different solution. What I love about becoming familiar with a medium is how my subconscious takes over, allowing me to work without thinking about technique.
How does your creative process change when you switch from one medium to another?
Working with different mediums allows me to express each painting’s underlying idea in a unique way. Throughout my training, I’ve been curious to learn as many techniques as possible. If knowing many techniques is like speaking different languages, then I'm a multilingual artist.
What advice would you give to emerging artists about developing their own technique and style?
Be authentic. Work hard, but don’t stop playing or participating in a sport so you can step away from your work and return refreshed.
To learn more about Ken Goldman and his work, visit goldmanfineart.com or follow him on Facebook and Instagram!
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