Distant Ridge Sketch6" x 7"
Pastel on Sketch Paper
Casey Klahn
It has been mentioned that I should differentiate myself from the artist Wolf Kahn, given that I'm doing a Wolf Kahn Project, the similarity of my subjects and style to his, the fact that Europeans may not know this otherwise famous American artist, and the lack of an "l" in his last name.
This post will cover my short biography. The next post will describe Wolf Kahn, the famous American artist, and also will provide a brief on the motivation for this project.
This is another example of the requirements of the artist business, where I should have a bio of myself ready at a moment's notice. I am up to speed on the resume, but I haven't drilled out the short bio, yet. Always something, huh?
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. I was born in 1958 and grew up in the hardscrabble logging town of Hoquiam, Washington, which is known mostly for logging. From the age of four until I graduated high school at age seventeen, I drew in excess of 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 senior 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.
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10 comments:
Oh Ok that's set the record straight!
no grounds for confusion now.. given that most internet visits last less than ten seconds, such confusions do arise... hence the need every so often for some disconfabulation.
also people do like to link the person to the artwork
like the sketch
Thanks for reading, Adam.
I was painfully aware of the short visit span of hits, so it was hard to get the length right. I'm certain the bio is too long, but indulged the blog format a bit.
When I write my short bio for business purposes, I'll skip the immigrant derivation. That was just for the interesting difference between WK and the Klahn name. He: Stuttgart; me: Island Fehmarn. Kahn: 1939; Klahn: 1890. Etc.
Also, it occurs to me that a bio might want the third person.
Now I know your roots. So how would you describe what you do now? (or tell me to buzz off if you like)
I wouldn't tell you to buzz off, Yellow. You're a favorite, you know!
Thanks for pointing out that the bio should overlap the artist's statement. Probably most who read the one, won't read the other.
I should have done my bio writing research, first. Consider this one a draft.
You are one interesting person!
I love that sketch - especially the sky colors.
Thanks, Meg. My compliments on your nautilus image, too.
I got out of a Kitty Wallis workshop with @ 82 hand made pastels. Mostly violets (like in this sky). I actually got more $ value in pastels than the workshop cost.
Nice bio Casey. I think a bio, as Adam said, "links the person to the artwork". I like the third person, but plan to change mine to be more first.
Captain in the Army Guard. Good for you. I put in 3 enlisted and 7 as an Army Reserve Officer. Only made it to 1st Lt. Bounced out on a medical. Was getting tired of pushing paper anyway. I really like your artwork buddy.
John, I knew we were brothers, somehow.
One should do a post on artists who used to be officers. That'd be a research project! Gauguin? Edgar Allen Poe comes to mind, but he was an author.
I had to write this one in the first person to define the break from WK. Probably Alyson Stanfield would say to write a bio in the third person - I have no idea. Guess I could try both and see which I like.
I see that I promised a Kahn bio post, and I have it written, too. But, I wrote some other content and will put off the Kahn post a couple more days.
I like this "Distant Ridge..." piece. Nice. How do you hook two blogs as one? or, in your case, five (and counting)?
These drawing segments that are merely a click away from your main, "Colorist" camp are quite clever...and convenient...jr
To the mysterious "j": The Colorist is my process blog, Pastel is things to do with the medium, and the others are pretty static.
Thanks for reading!
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