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This marks the beginning of a new feature on the blog, a series of “5 questions” with local artists and figures in the Victoria arts community.

Our first artist is one of our favourites: local plein air hero Ken Faulks!

MG: Hi Ken, thanks for doing this!

KF: No problem.

MG: How do you think the hard times you've been through have affected your work?

KF: I don't look at having had next to no money, or having spent 5 years sleeping in my van 'hard times'.
It was all good. It was a choice to paint and that's what I did. I let other things slide down the priority list in order to do so.
It was a good time for the most part.
Not much money isn't a problem if one keeps their hamster wheel small.
With a really low overhead, I was able to make it all happen.

MG: If money were no object, would you still keep your graphic design company?

KF: I may still do some illustration and design, but if I did, it' wouldn't be much... maybe a bit of non-profit/volunteer stuff.
I'm sure the focus would be my own work for the most part.

MG: How do your goals as a graphic designer differ from your goals as painter?

KF: Illustration and graphic design are all about achieving someone else's agenda, ideas and goals.
As a painter, the agenda is my own, and therefore the focus is to fulfill my own goals.

MG: What importance does painting with the plein-air group hold for you?

KF: I like the people.... the camaraderie. It's a great gang of people who all enjoy painting outside.

MG: I find you use fairly bold colours. Can you tell me something about your process when making colour choices?

KF: I guess I use bold colours at times. With my non-representational work, I use stronger colours on a more regular basis.
With the plein air work, I tend to go after the 'local colour'... the colour I find in the subject I’m standing in front of.
In general, I don't consider these paintings having strong colour, but I do try to achieve a strong sense of the colour that was in front of me while I was painting.

MG: Thanks Ken!

KF: My pleasure, anytime.