Bancroft Studio Tour

KEN BALMER / PAINTER

High Falls painter, Ken Balmer’s work is “inspired by his search for and appreciation of spirituality in all its forms”—with the term, “orenda”: an “Iroquois name for a supernatural force believed to be present in varying degrees, in all persons, creatures and objects” a primary motivating force for his creations. His subject matter is a loving focus on wild animals including hawks, eagles, ravens, owls, coyotes, wolves and bears, among many, in their local environment—plus First Nation elders, southwest Native American Dancers, drummers, West Coast totems and sacred mountains/landscapes.

Balmer was born in the Lansing neighbourhood in Toronto where he started his education and then moved on to Earl Haig SS in North Toronto before attending U of T and attaining a degree in physics and geography. Next came landing a PHD in geography and planning at Liverpool University in England where he also began his family—the first of two sons with his childhood sweetheart. And was immediately asked to teach at that school. After a short stint there, he returned to Canada and taught at Carlton U. in Ottawa before moving on to 7 years as a educator at Waterloo.

An early job involved Ken working in a project planning position for a company that built the first university in Saudi Arabia and massive cultural/tourism spaces in Tanzania and in Kuwait. Our federal government employed him in urban affairs for a time in Ottawa and in 1983 he and family moved to Calgary where his wife became a politician and he worked on the planning for the ’88 Olympics. Next was a funding-raising assistance and planning job there helping non-profits and universities. And then, with the breakup of his marriage, Ken began a second two-decade marriage—this time with two small step-children. And in 2001, took his planning and organizing skills to Vancouver Island—eventually moving his working into semi-retirement.

And where did art make its way into this busy life? Well, he had taken conservatory piano lessons and training on French horn as a teen and then moved on to playing trumpet for a dance band. But eventually dropped music and took fine art training in numerous workshops and under mentoring from like-minded artists. He moved along fairly quickly from painting early landscapes to

his present wildlife works. He begins those by creating a quick abstract background with watery acrylics then spraying an oil-based medium onto the surface then tilts and tips the canvas to create abstract shapes and movement. When the piece is dry, he sketches on the birds/animals/figures that constitute his chosen subject and then moves on to finish the subjects in oils.

He has shown his paintings in Bancroft at A Place For the Arts and The Muse Café as well as solo at the ABG; and at Wildwood Gallery in Maynooth. And has been a regular on the Studio Tour over the last few years. He has also published 7 books on topics of his expertise. Ten years ago, Ken met his present partner, Sally in Arizona where they both had warm-weather get-aways and joined her at her fab property at High Falls. See his work hung in an outdoor gallery at 190 Hershell Road, Baptiste. And contact him at kbalmer@think-group.com

(Profile writing and photo by Allan O’Marra)