Ken Elliott

"Air Through the Forest, " Framed Limited Edition Print, 36" x 36"

2021

Ken Elliot works with oil paints and pastels to bring abstracted scenes of nature to life. The Colorado artist’s frequently luminous landscape paintings, which feature trees, rivers, lakes, mountains and skies, ripple with energy. Elliot finds endless inspiration in the variation of the world around him, and the prolific colorist’s works are held in thousands of personal and private collections.

Elliot didn't begin painting until late in life. In 1967, he graduated from the University of Houston, where he studied art and advertising. His subsequent jobs as an art restorer, a picture framer and an art dealer in Texas exposed him to many styles and a range of mediums. Finally, in 1987, Elliot moved to San Francisco to embark on a painting career. He started by painting breathtaking sunlit scenes of Texas and California.

After a few years of teaching himself new skills and techniques, Elliot was accepted into a master class at the Santa Fe Art Institute. The class was taught by acclaimed painter Wolf Kahn — who studied with the legendary teacher and Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann — and Kahn’s insights have since proven indispensable for Elliot.

Elliot currently lives in Colorado, where he continues to create more Impressionistic landscapes. Sometimes he isn’t merely working on one painting — the artist usually has a number of works going at once and has said that the paintings can inspire one another. Elliot regularly exhibits at galleries in Colorado, New Mexico, Connecticut, Texas and New York.

On 1stDibs, find Ken Elliot prints, paintings, watercolors and more.