‘Where do I go from here?’, is what I asked myself after my last show and the success of ‘Girl in a Blue Scarf’. That painting completely merged the background with the foreground.

It had been a thought outside of the box. I had had Bridget, my model, hold different patterned fabric bolts across her body. I carried each pattern across the background. I couldn’t just repeat that. 

So I turned the box on its side. And shook it. And spun it. And that’s this show.

As the starting point, I included ‘Girl in a Blue Scarf’. 

  – This painting won an award of merit at the Cooperstown regional show this spring.

For the ’Girl in an Orange Robe’ painting Bridget held the fabric strips vertically. The splotchy orange pattern was fantastic. I like how the model is both stepping sideways and is also facing the viewer.

  – This painting was accepted into the Williamsport 100 Miles juried show.

Girl with Korean Dragons and Mongolian Horses:  The original idea with the next pose was light cascading on the flowers that Bridget held. I tried extending (replicating) the flowers and vase, so creating patterns. I’m not so good at that. So I swapped in patterns from my fabric with Korean Dragons and then brought in Mongolian Horsemen from my living room rug. It became a battle that raged behind, beside, over, and above her! That painting took 5 months to finish. 

  – This painting is currently on display at the Arnot Museum 78th juried regional show.

The spinning box—I climbed on a step ladder and photographed Bridget with fabric swirling around her. My friend labeled this painting Baroque. Yes!

Girl with Checkered Sneakers—I whimsically chose patterns to repeat—the checkered shoes, and the black pattern down the front of her skirt. The patterns are horizontal, vertical and square or rectangular.

Bridget on the Beach—Is she lying on the beach or against a wall? I tried to make this ambiguous. Instead of a fabric pattern, it’s the pebbled sand of a Maine beach. This painting is less dogmatic and more modeled and less abstract than the others in the series.

Ken

October 2026