Ken Knight

Australian artist Ken Knight was born in 1957. He lives with his wife Louise, a ceramic artist, on a small property flanked by rainforest on the NSW central cost. Ken started painting seriously 20 years ago while studying at university and after working for several years as a teacher he surrendered to his first passion and became a full time artist. 'Painting is something I couldn't suppress - I had to do it' he says.

Twelve years later Ken is one of Australia's most successful plein-air painters, represented throughout Australia as well as Britain, America, Europe and Japan. The art world describes Ken as a modern day Arthur Streeton. He concedes his work is in the style of the Heidelberg School, but also includes abstract expressionists such as Willem de Kooning amongst his mentors.

The artist spends up to four months a year travelling, accompanied by his 'mobile studio full of paints' - a four wheel drive vehicle with seats removed and specially designed for carrying wet paintings. He spends all day, every day at the easel during these intense trips, usually setting up his easel early in the morning and working for the entire day.

Ken usually executes two or three rapid sketches of a scene before arriving at the final version of a landscape. He says this process is crucial in 'freeing up' the work. 'The process reaches a crescendo because you're removing what's there and you're painting what's in you. It is totally absorbing.' Ken paints to the accompaniment of favourite CDs, Crowded House, U2 or classical favourites. Music and creativity go hand in hand.

Collections: IBM, Schwarzkopf, Kawasaki, Tattersalls Club, Brisbane, Sheraton Towers,Melbourne Sultan of Brunei, Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, Shell, Hong Kong Bank, AMP.