Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / Oct. 24, 1985, edition 1 / Page 5
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j uncle] | I I A ? LULUI /"\ I I Close To BY DAWN ELLEN BOYD In Henry David Thoreau's American classic, "Walden." he admonished his readers to "Simplify, simplify, simplify." A Brunswick County artist lias taken that advice to heart. Ken Buckner left behind a career in advertising and commerical art to settle in the South Brunswick Islands seven years ago to be close to nature and paint. "It is wonderful for a painter here." he said. "Everywhere 1 looked there was a painting." Buckner gained local fame early this month when he won the best-in-show award in the Brunswick County Judged Art show. Winning was a complete surprise. A friend had borrowed his watereolor, "Onions." and entered it in the competition. It was the first time one of his paintings had been shown in Brunswick County. Buckner is building his own house arid studio. He laughed, "Every time I sell something I buy some more lumber." An avid naturalist,"he is cutting a series of nature trails through his property and lias planted a garden behind his house Animals are all around Buckner's studio. Deer sometimes graze nearby, and he even tosses food to a friendly fox. Wood ducks swim on the pond, and a varied collection of lizards use his deck for sunning. He said, "It's been like a rebirth to be so close to nature." He first became interested in art while growing up in Detroit After deciding he would like to design cars, he enrolled in college to study mechanical engineering. Two years later he transferred to the University of Michigan where he majored in advertising and art history. Despite his college background in art. he didn't feel Ihe had been taught enough of the basics to be as competent an artist as he wanted to be Art Center School in lx>s Angeles, at that time considered one of the top two art schools in the United States, was his next stop While there he completed four more years of undergraduate work. After graduating he spent six months at the British Museum in l-ondon studying the drawings of the old masters. "Many of the drawings bad never even been pubUslved," Buckner said. "You could just show your student card and tliey would set up the drawings for you to study . . . even original Michelangelos and I I JUST IN Til C00KIN4 FREE with purchase o I I fiinrirai Model JVW61 ITI-UVIl COOCIMC WITH SPACIMAlft* MiCIOWAVi OVIN Replace* 9M?\Unq rang* hood Builf-m e*hou*t <on <x>d coofctop light Word Prompting D-iploy pro?*de* j %j prog'ommiryg instruction* Coc* Code control Auto Roo*? feoture r^Biilili'i ml DID YOU KNOW.. .t K3t vegetob es cook ex< noturol moisture m vegetables allows them woter Microwaved vegetables hove a deltgh distinctive textures and high nutritional contei cob you'll never realize how much good con IM V I f JtF235 ?? COUNTERTOP MICROWAVE OVEM IW<YYOr?< lowth COfllfOh Spocovl I 4 CM 't Cr.#r co*'> Ovci We*e m<ro*o?# ?y*?em den ly good c?/-<j A*-?orrot?r CMAM ICcr+roi <MV^O Av*0 COKM A^?O *001* o^3 A??? CA^*O?' *T*^# O< CC^*'C^Wd cooA /^fev Sha" Lightir 754-6002 C| Al Street shailotte Jl r the < i:.? i I lb I LIVfcJb Nature Rembrandts." Buckner spent the next five years in advertisini working for such well-known accounts as Cole of Califo nia and Bill Blass. The Bill Blass logo, now seen on the labels of expei sive clothing all over the world, was one of his designs He laughed, "Finally I said to myself there's got to more to life than selling bathing suits." He spent the ne two years working in in all phases of film nuiking. One memorable incident front his days in motion pi ? ; i..?i r:?? ?*: IUI VS IIIVUIVVJU 111-1 1I1M ilVilll^ JOU. The company he worked for was making a film c race cars for an auto parts company. Buekner said, "They pulled a little trick on me. I wi supposed to rush into a tent and say my line, which 1 did didn't know it, hut the first time you act it's a tradition play this little joke where 1 was expecting the other pc son to say his line and he didn't say it. The cameras wei rolling: they were filming, knowing I was \ei frustrated. It's a terrible feeling!" His next job was illustrating educational ai children's books. It was at this time he met Miller I'op who invited him to visit Ocean Isle Beach. "1 loved the natural diversity and the fishermen ar people changing. 1 felt I wanted to capture some of that said Buekner. Around the time of his first trip to Brunswick Count he was commissioned by the headquarters of a mul national corporation in Trumbull, Conn., to do a series oil paintings representing several northeastern states. That was his springboard out of commerical art ai into the fine arts. He decided to support himself by li art, so after completing his project he began paintii portraits. "I had a list of portraits to do as long as your ari and I never thought I'd see the light of day again," 1 laughed. "All you have to show for portraits ts a lot of slides said Buekner. "I decided to move down here and low my overhead and become my own patron " Along with Ins painting, Buekner supports himself I doing wood sculptures used to decorate the sides of bea houses. The sculptures usually feature a coastal mo with contemporary lines, but the designs can vary trim pelican io a heart to a rocking chair. Around 60 of t sculptures are on Ocean Isle now. Rxcept lor two years durinit which he lauKhl Brunswick Technical College. Buckner tiusn't been volved in inany community activities; instead, he u 1 his time to create art. lie said, "You need concentration. It's Just a i VIE FOR THE j SEASON GIFT f any microwave YDSATtll ? ?! Of TIMPftATUS! CO*fTtOU!D MKtOWAVf COOfflMC Cocking Complete Reminder fell* you cooking cycle ii fimthed //ord Prompting DuplOf provide* pro grommmg instruction* Up to M Moor Deloy Skirt IV Double Duty iheH QB99BS!S cepfionolly well in a microwave oven' The to be microwaved with little or no additional tful flavor and they retain their bright colors nt Until you ve tasted microwaved corn on the i tost? you discord with the cooking water j II I ? ? ?. z:?*** 11 1 " I'J r ummmM i SAVE COUNTERSPACE WITH SPACEMAKER H MICROWAVE OVEN to**roH // /)? 0 c? ? *loVf fcs. -irtloW rf! >11 T*or, ^'ryr^,' 4 Cc^ro^/r.^ -f ***v'.lsjr, otte Electric lg & Appliance lowroom the bkln: Jmmm w r *w V>rY ? s. K \V* f * | >ft^ \ .r * ? I >n ARTIST KKN BtJCKNKR poses with some o( his patn*? tings on the steps of his studio, tluekner, this year's to r_ forent lifestyle to live creatively. It doesn't always fit in re with today's lifestyle. I'm not a hermit, but 1 try to pro,y tect my creative time and freedom." Time is very important to Buckner. j. "When I was busy," he said, "time went by so fast. 1 c came down here and learned to slow down. All of a sudden it's like a (treat wealth has been bestowed u|H>n me." )(j A friend of Buekner's who influeneed his values was > an 80-year-old native American who lived in the desert near Balm Springs, Calif. v "He saw his people shoved out and the resorts grow jj' up," Buckner explained. "He told me a lot about nature S /(/COASTAL AW/wallpaper ,u>: w ?carpet Main Street Shailotte 1r I M A.' r -m r- a aaaa er / >*?-0703 0*?-W?V j We're Setting Trends For Others T [|J * * Carpet * Vinyl i"- I Wallpaper * Vertical & Mir t in | Commercial & Residential Professional ln" $$MM Featuring Prices A Mu / I Bunk Bed Set with Bunkie Mattresses I OHtf $9QI \ Reg M46 J/q // \ \\ (Accessories Extra) GIBSON'S CERJ Coastal Plaza. Shollotte * ' W 'x| * ... ... ? SWICK BEACON. Thursday. October 24, 198S-Fage S-A I 1 H * " ? t** <2ShA ^^888*^^^ ^ k-J$. MAM PHOIOIO OAWNIIIIMROVO first place winner in the Itrunxwiek County Juried Art Show, built the studio himself. ami things that have nothini; to do with money or materialism, lie wouldn't hurt anything, even a snake, lie said they were all here for a reason, part of the design." Art, according to Buckner, shouldn't In- something that just hangs on the wall "I think the ultimate gold of art is to Incorporate it into your own life. I .ife can be art, lived creatively. The biggest mistake Is not to experience life with more depth, whatever you're into," he said. "The bottom line is happiness 1 have to trust my own life design." Formosa* $1 10 oach ,, Olhor Variotlos A/aloas ^ O FoliOW l qol si/o $1 30 < Rod ^ ips $1.75 * LEAH'S | "B!mds NURSERY ; bistaliation , hwy, \?. jusi NOHiHOt | ysysA-uotit. vvioHt 75? WM J 4) Hb 1 & ? ' i mmy WillLove!iX^\ jN. *\ DON'T MISS 1 BIG IN-STORE I PROMOTION W I Saturday 11-1 p.m. j II with WDZD's own John. // / Gory & Vickie Lynn / / r__n r__i..i AV/ J VUIIIU KUflf I yy Furnishings will vanish rapidly at this sale. jFIED FURNITURE 754-9495
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Oct. 24, 1985, edition 1
5
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