Masterwork Ken Dallison Oil Painting Offered for the First Time

Ken Dallison has built a legendary reputation for his work in pen and ink. With a few quick strokes of the pen, he can define the look, the character, the personality, the appeal, and the charm of any male or female personage. And more remarkably, he can capture their magnetism depending on the era - from the uproarious 20’s and 30’s to the seriousness of the postwar 40’s and 50’s to the exuberance of the modern age. 

In tandem with his ability to capture the human element, his renditions of mechanical objects - planes, trains, automobiles, and boats - is paramount, invested with the same fascination of each era but absolutely accurate as well.

Beyond this passion for detail, he often fills his art with characters in the same way a director casts a movie, fulfilling both the need to create a good design and to tell a story. He is interested not only in these marvelous machines, but in their personalities and the human dramas of which they are a part.

Rounding out each presentation, he uses colored transparent ink washes in various depths and tones to create even more accurately the appeal of these intimate scenes.

Villa D’Este 

This piece on offer is therefore a true rarity, a one-of-a-kind original. It is one of his very few works of oil on canvas. While becoming famous for his pen and ink, his actual artistic talent was much broader, finding other areas in which to portray his pictorial genius. This unique piece portrays a 250 GT California at Villa d’Este, the historic 16^th century villa and now a famous hotel, on the shores of Lago di Como. Villa d’Este is also the site of the famous Concours d’Elegance and so the content and setting are appropriate.

The California is definable and accurate, as is the pergola, lake, and mountains, but who is the couple? That is for you to decide but it again exemplifies Ken’s desire “to create a good design and to tell a story”, and here quite a romantic one, on many levels.

Taking over three months to complete, this piece is exceptionally large and will make an excellent centerpiece to your collection. At 30 inches x 26 inches (76.20 cm x 66.04 cm), it will grasp everyone’s attention, whether in your library, your art gallery or your automotive collection.

This beautiful oil painting is offered at $49,000. It is oil on canvas, framed, no glass. It is available for viewing by appointment in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Please contact John Barnes at 561-994-1345
or john@johnwbarnesjr.com for more details.

 

Ken Dallison

A native of west London, Ken studied art at Twickenham Art College and began his professional career in a London advertising agency. Developing his trademark pen and ink style in the mid-50s, he began to specialize in vehicle illustration around 1959. His interest in the artistry of automobiles inspired him to create a portfolio filled with studies of trains, buses, and cars, particularly large American cars from the 1950s.

Freelance work in North America eventually led him to settle in Canada, where he still lives with his wife Gwen. He teaches at the Ontario College of Art in Toronto and has lectured at the San Francisco Academy Of Art and the Smithsonian Institute. A founding member of the Automotive Fine Arts Society, Ken is also a member of the New York-based Society of Illustrators.

In addition to creating innumerable posters for worldwide Concours d’Elegance events, Ken has been commissioned by the US Postal Service for numerous stamps, highlighting historic cars and celebrated aviation. During his 50-year career, he has created elegant images for such prominent clients as Esquire magazine, National Geographic magazine (from Space Shuttle to the Chunnel), and Sports Illustrated magazine (from Big Ten football to the Kentucky Derby).

Best known perhaps for his automotive work, he has appeared in Car and Driver, Motor Trend, and Road & Track. Corporate work included Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, Chevrolet, and IBM. In 1986 Ken beautifully illustrated The First Century, an official book commemorating the first 100 years of Mercedes-Benz, and The Spirit, a lavish book honoring the 75^th Anniversary of Rolls-Royce.

His numerous awards include the Gold Medals from the Society of Illustrators, a Canadian Association's Lifetime Achievement Award, Athena Awards of Excellence in 1990, 1995, 2001 and 2003, and two Gold Medals from the Detroit Art Directors Club. His pen and ink illustrations hang in museums and private collections across North America and Europe, including the Smithsonian Museum.

His Approach to Life

“I’m always looking for a painting. The photographer grabs a moment in time, but my focus is on the atmosphere. Bits and pieces that make up that day. There can be a dozen elements for one painting. Take a Le Mans pit stop - the fellow sitting on the wall, a car speeding by on pit lane, the lollipop man. I’ll put it all in.”