Ken Van Rees

Ken is a native of Ontario and works in the Soil Science Dept at the University of Saskatchewan. He has spent his research career in northern Saskatchewan investigating forestry impacts on soils and trees; however, it wasn't until he started incorporating art into his field courses in 2004 at Emma Lake Kenderdine Campus that he started to experiment with painting and truly began to appreciate another side of these ecosystems through their rich range of colors, textures and shapes.

Ken has always been drawn to trees, water, and rocks since he was a kid in Ontario and it is in these landscapes that he feels most at home. He enjoys looking at the various landscapes and trying to understand the processes that made them what they are today, and finds the greatest excitement is trying to capture them on canvas whether it is during the morning sunrise or standing in the silence as the snowflakes flutter around you.

Ken likes to use bright colors and complete paintings en plein air. He is a member of the Men Who Paint, a group of five painters who began painting together in 2007. Inspired by the work and adventurous spirit of the early Canadian painters, the Men Who Paint has a preference for painting outside. The combined artistic experience of the group offers a unique diversity and their collective dynamic thrives on each individual's passion for finding expression through interpretation of not only their Saskatchewan home but landscapes across Canada.