The four portfolios represented on this site show what the influence of living in Colorado
for twelve years has had on my style. Having spent a lot of time out in the wilds throughout the west, especially at Native
American petroglyph sites, I have developed a feel for the look and texture there. Since most of the sites don't have
dark backgrounds, the art displayed has faded over the centuries, and it is difficult to see unless you are directly in front
of it. The stains and oxides I use in my work are faithful to the spirit of the art, but they better allow the images to be
seen from a distance. Since the images are drawn freehand onto the slabs, this allows subtleties of artistic interpretation
when rendering multiple depictions of the same site.
The pottery and sculpture are an offshoot of my petroglyph production.
Terra-cotta clay is used in all of them, mainly because of the naturally, earthy look and texture of the grogged clay. Surface
texture can be manipulated easily and the clay holds together well when used in the making of coiled forms.
I discovered the pineneedle baskets at the Cherry Creek Festival which occurs every year
in downtown Denver. Their beauty really caught my attention and I began making them with my own unique style.
I hope you enjoy the web site. If you have any questions or would
lke a special order, contact me at my website: ken@artofancienthands.com
KEN
PETERSON
