This California surfer turned "plein air" artist has enjoyed considerable recent success and acclaim on the WestCoast, but is brand new to us on the East Coast. What Ken does with the mundane everyday world around us is truly inspiring. Through loose, confident brush strokes, bold color and the use of dramatic light and shadow, he can give the grease-pit world of a short order cook the respect accorded a five star Michelin restaurant. It was several years ago that Ken's painting experienced an epiphany or sorts, stimulated by the transition from indoor to plein air painting. Moving outside to record what he was seeing rather then what he had seen has lifted his work and his success to a new realm. Recent accolades include awards from the following major shows: Carmel Plein Air Invitational; Oil Painters of America; Millard Sheets Plein-Air; Bowers Museum, Santa Ana , CA; and the Laguna Art Association. Public collections include: City of Santa Ana; American Bank; Federal Reserve Bank; and Chart House Enterprises.

 

Today, Jove divides his time between producing paintings, traveling and painting on location all over the world, and teaching. He has won a number of prestigious awards including Best of Show at the California Art Club (1998); best of Show at Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibition (1999); Grand Prize at the Plein Air Tucson event (2000); and First Place and Artists' Choice award at the 2001 Carmel Art Festival. He has been featured in both American Artist magazine and Southwest Art magazine.