15 December, 2008

Photo & Bio

Casey Klahn


Some favorite art bloggers of mine have recently posted good photos of themselves, and it adds a dimension that makes the authors more reachable. Some others have updated photos, as well. Even though I know perfectly well what I look like, it strikes me that some of my readers may think that I have an orange 'fro, and a red nose.

So, in the interests of full disclosure, above I re-post my best photo portrait from last year. And, here is a short biography from March that I offer, with a little updating:


My name is Kenneth C. Klahn. The nickname, Casey, is a play on my initials.

Max Klahn,
my grandfather, immigrated from Germany around the turn of the 20th Century and pioneered on the very, very rugged and extreme northwest corner of the USA. Max logged and home-steaded, and my father Kenneth K. Klahn logged and served in the elite Tenth Mountain Division in WW II. I visited the battle sights in North Italy in 2006.

I was born in 1958 and grew up in the hardscrabble town of Hoquiam, Washington. From the age of four until I graduated high school at age seventeen, I drew over 100,000 drawings. Mostly the figure.

I did complete two of three large correspondence binders from the
Norman Rockwell Famous Artist's School Course for Talented Young People when I was not quite a teenager. I co-founded a "Master's" art class for high schoolers, cartooned for and co-edited our award winning HS newspaper. Otherwise, I am a self taught artist, and began the fine art profession about ten years ago.

A few other interesting things about me include that I am married to Lorie Teel Klahn, who is a Nurse Practitioner, and we have two young children. We own a small farm in eastern Washington, but don't actively farm.

My work life before fine art included specialty retail sales work at REI, mountain guiding on Mount Rainier, and ten years in the Army National Guard where I was a Captain of Infantry. I have done a modest amount of international travel, and hold a Bachelor's degree in the Bible. I served as a short-term missionary in the deep jungles of Costa Rica, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church.

Famous Artists School



Tomorrow: 2 Years of The Colorist!

8 comments:

colorspeaker said...

Hello Casey.
I love this photo and the post with it. Thanks for letting me (and the rest of your fellow readers) see a bit more of the artist I still refer to as a "Pastelist Extraordianare." Indeed.
Warm wishes this Holiday Season (to you and family),
Julianne
P.S.
just want to add "stay healthy-we need you!" in regards to your surgery.

Brian McGurgan said...

Great photo, Casey, and I enjoyed reading your profile again - updates and all! As Julianne says, it's great that you share more about yourself with your readers here. I've been meaning to write more of a profile for my own blog and this gives me a well-needed nudge to get going on it.

Casey Klahn said...

Hey, my two New Yorkers at once! Thanks to you, Brian and Julliane.

I had to improve a little at mid day today when I realized I had "logging" in there four times - twice in one sentence!

I wonder if adding things was the right way to go - the idea is to be brief. I'm the same way with statements - I can never settle on what makes me happy!

Casey Klahn said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Trevor Lingard said...

Hi Casey
Your slightly younger than me but boy have you put alot into your life,
A good portrait and photographer.
All the best for Chrismas to you and your family.
Regards
Trevor

Casey Klahn said...

Heh. I sometimes say, "I need nothing more to prove" in my life. But, Art gives me a never-ending quest, eh?

God bless you and yours this Christmas, Trevor!

Anonymous said...

OH my goodness I am so behind on your posts. Casey I love seeing your photo. The pink and red one really does you any justice. You should use the real one. I really enjoy keeping up on the blog here, loved seeing the snow. You also give me some sort of grounding when I come here. It's like being in a classroom. Thank you and Merry Christmas from one Pres. to another!

Casey Klahn said...

Thanks for stopping in, Laura. Merry Christmas.

Abstract Expressionism, Art Criticism, Artists, Colorist Art, Drawing, History, Impressionism, Modern Art, Painting, Pastel, Post Impressionism