Kenneth Yarus was brought up in Kalispell Montana, where he first dreamed of being a painter. He found mentors in the local art world. Steve and Nancy Cawdrey encouraged his growth as well as Greg Call, Susan Guthrie and Rusti Warner.

He pursued his passion through high school and earned several awards including a Gold Key from the Scholastic Art Awards, 2nd place in the Montana "Paint the State" anti meth contest, and The John and Anne Taylor Scholarship. With this scholarship Ken was able to continue his studies at the Ashland Academy of Art. He learned the fundamentals of drawing under Russian Master Semyon Bilmes. The school moved to Maui and Ken moved to New York City's Grand Central Academy.

He studied under modern masters Jacob Collins, Edward Minoff, Josh LaRock, and Scott Waddell. Ken then returned to the West Coast to continue his learning by taking workshops and painting "plein air" in the land he loves.

“My personal love for nature and adventure inspire my art. I strive to communicate an emotional value about my subjects by exploring the nuances of colors and textures that make them unique. Balancing the realistic representation and the deeper emotional value is a constant struggle that will always motivate my work.” Ken Yarus

Submitted by: Tori Nicklas