BIG BRUSHES, a lot of paint and simplified shapes allowed Ken Auster to create impressionistic images of complicated scenes.
In the mid-1990s, he became one of California's most celebrated plein-air painters. Eventually he realized that while painting nature was fun, he wanted more. Instead of only going to the coast and looking west, he also looked east — and saw edges, cars and telephone poles. He rejoiced in this newfound ability to paint anything and everything — street scenes, cafes, restaurants and bars — and, of course, never far away was the beach, his first love.
In his paintings, Ken Auster captured the dynamic irony between the urban scene and the majesty of nature.
