As an artist, I do four things; Oils on Canvas (Social Commentary), Drawings of National Parks, Photography of Birds and California Native Plants and 2D/3D Digital.
Since most here will be interest in digital work, I'll talk about that. I started in the digital world with a TI-99/4a computer in the early 1980's and immediately started creating art and animation with a very limited graphic range in hexadecimal code (16 colors, 256 shapes). I eventually became a published artist for Asgard Software and a year later when out on my own to form “Notung Software” which became on of the most popular TI Software companies. In 2010, I was inducted in the TI-99/4a Hall of Fame.
After making my switch to the PC, I started with Sketcher (the precursor to Painter) and even owned Fractal Design's "Poser 1". I didn't start seriously playing with Poser until Version 3 came around. With the advent of Poser 4, I began by creating textures and started a career as a digital artist, selling my work through Zygote, Vista, DAZ3D, Hivewire3D and Renderosity.
I really didn’t find my nitch in the 3D world until I partnered with BL Render to do the Songbird ReMix Series in 2003. The following year, I came into my own blending my love and knowledge of birds with a strong environmental theme "Threatened, Endangered, Extinct". That set, designed specifically to raise awareness about threatened species and why they're going extinct, became a template for all my work.
Since then I’ve steadily worked on improving my skills with Painter and Modo, and of course, producing more 3D birds and other flora and fauna with a strong environmental message. Today, the Songbird Remix birds have appeared in films such as ”I am Legend”, in Audubon literature and advertising, Duncraft (bird product & seed) advertising, in the museum presentations (such as the National Wildlife Research Center of Saudi Arabia) and even billboards and bus benches for the Omaha Reads promotions.
Besides being a Renderosity Vendor, I work at home as a freelance artist/photographer and also volunteer/lecture at the Theodore Payne Foundation (a Foundation that focuses a native plant awareness) and at Audubon California.
Comments (17)
GreenHawke
Fantastic composition! Very good! Like the humor, too...
Stardust_Crossing
A fine capture of a moment! Splendid wildlife scene!
Gisela
Poor little froggie
doarte
Unique subject imaginatively handled +5 from doarte's MADHOUSE
bost
Very nicely done. There isn't any way you could do one with the frog's legs in the heron's beak and its hands squeezing the bird's throat like a cormorant ring?
Kerya
Good luck little froggie!
kelvinhughes
excellent ken well done
jgmart
WOW this is awesome Ken!
kenwas
A fine piece! Well done Ken!
tstray1
WOW!! Really excellent render! Beautiful job.
Burpee
Absolutely fantastic scene.
Flint_Hawk
Another amazing bird & excellent scene! Wonderful sense of humor!
jendellas
Jump little frog jump.
earthturist
So the life. Excellent!
psyoshida
Superb scene! I'm know the frog has no chance, still I hope he can escape. That bird is very beautiful, the detail in the feathers is really amazing. I can hardly wait until he is safely in my shopping cart. :) Beautiful work, Ken.
Osper
Greatly done. Your work is excellent! A great use of Vue!
Schnuck
Excellent!!!