Publication Date: Friday, July 09, 2004
From firefighter to artist
From firefighter to artist
(July 09, 2004) Ken Edwards embraces a new career after 30 years of service
by Robyn Israel
K en Edwards knew at an early age that he had a knack for using his hands.
As a kid, he built an elaborate tree fort near his house in Maricaibo, Venezuela, where his family had briefly settled. The structure had three sections, all connected by cat walks.
Today, Edwards is still using wood to create unique works of art. A furniture-maker, sculptor, painter and woodworker, Edwards is a self-taught visionary who is committed to exploring art as well as craft.
Locals can see the range of Edwards' talent at Tercera Gallery in Palo Alto, where a variety of his works will be on display through July 12.
They include richly textured paintings, which boast abstract images and a dark color palate. It is a medium that the former Menlo Park firefighter only recently started to explore.
"I've always enjoyed crafting -- that comes easy to me," he said of his wood works. "But painting is more of a mystery. Some of these have 20 layers of paint. It's a process of discovery -- throw on a coat of paint; that doesn't work, so you throw on another. You keep going until you reach a stopping point. Every so often, my wife will tell me when I'm done!"
Tercera Gallery director Amy Charles said that Edwards' history of woodworking imbue his paintings with a unique shine.
"It's the layering, the way he mixes his paints, the varnish -- it comes from working with wood," Charles said. "People who come to the gallery are fascinated with the shine. It's the kind of shine you get with furniture."
Charles also noted that Edwards' works are asexual, appealing to both men and women. Their gender-neutral quality can be attributed to how he manipulates the items. For instance, Edwards will take old tools recovered from junk yards -- hammers, augurs, pick-axes and sickles -- and fashion new handles for them. The result is a softer base that counteracts the tool's sharp edges.
"I'm personally scared of tools," Charles said. "But Ken has a way of rounding the handles and making them less scary."
Typically, Edwards will spot an old tool at a junk yard, and then immediately visualize a new shape for the handle. He'll then use either a lathe or a band saw to hand-carve the desired effect. Painting is the last step in the process.
Some of the items on display include a saw, to which he affixed a red-and-black-colored handle. The result is a vein-y look -- reminiscent of Mick Jagger's forehead, Edwards said -- which he accomplished by using a water-filled spray bottle, which thinned out the paint layers.
On the opposite wall, a rasp boasts an olive-colored handle, in the shape of a mandolin. Like all the found-tool pieces, its base is made of poplar, because "it's easy to work with, stable and cheap."
A self-taught artist, Edwards admitted he is still discovering new painting techniques.
"I'll establish a line with a spatula, instead of a brush, as it produces a crisper line. Or I'll use paper towels to draw a fine line."
A native of Seattle, Edwards didn't set out to become a full-time artist. He was initially a carpenter, but when winters made finding work difficult, he settled on a different career. For 29 years, Edwards was a firefighter in Menlo Park. He loved the work, but gradually grew disenchanted with the calls he received.
"When I first joined, 20 percent of the calls were medical calls," he recalled. "That figure eventually jumped to 70 percent of the calls. I never enjoyed that aspect, maybe because I didn't have the stomach for it. There are some rude calls that turn you off to the whole thing."
One of his last assignments was a 10-day deployment to Oklahoma City, following the 1995 bombing. He was part of an urban search and rescue unit, which involved securing buildings and recovering bodies.
"We met with the parents and friends of victims. It was difficult, powerful and worthwhile," he recalled. "But when I came back I wanted out of the fire service."
After Edwards retired nine years ago, he took a furniture-design class at De Anza College, taught by Michael Cooper.
"He helped me transition (to my new career), by getting me to do it, rather than just think about it," Edwards said of Cooper's influence.
Edwards started producing painted furniture, which led him to try painting as another medium. Today, the Palo Alto resident maintains a woodworking shop in Redwood City, as well as a studio at the Cubberley Community Center in Palo Alto.
In addition to Tercera Gallery, Edwards is represented by the William Zimmer Gallery in Mendocino and the Virginia Brier Gallery in San Francisco. Though his affiliation with Tercera began seven years ago, this is the first exhibition with the gallery. The reason, Charles said, had to do with Edwards' wife, Joanne, co-owning the gallery. But when Charles came on board a year ago, she saw no reason not to show his works in an exhibition.
The public response, Charles said, has been really positive.
"Someone comes in everyday who knows him," Charles said. "It's really heartening, as far as this being a community thing. Most of the artists we show aren't this local."
What: "Wood, Paint & Vision: Studio Furniture, Sculpture & Paintings by Chris Bowman and Ken Edwards"
Where: Tercera Gallery, 534 Ramona St. in Palo Alto.
When: Through July 10, although the gallery will continue to exhibit works by Ken Edwards on a permanent basis. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Cost: Admission is free.
Info: Please call (650) 322-5324 or visit www.terceragallery.com.
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