Ken Morrison Fine Art

About Ken and the Blue Fly Gallery

Ken Morrison doing what he loves - plein-air painting in the Tetons.

Who knows?  Once you experience the splendor of Idaho, you, too, might never go back!

This page was last updated on: February 3, 2006

Ken Morrison is a man of few words who can be described in a few words:  Talented, spontaneous and dedicated.  He is an oil painter, watercolorist and sculptor who visited Idaho and quickly decided to move there and open his own studio/gallery. Ken Morrison's Blue Fly Gallery opened in August of 2000.  The beautiful Teton views from the gallery windows inspire Ken's painting, and his sculpture is inspired by the wildlife that wanders right up to the front door (see "Munching Moose").  The location is an artist's dream. However, Ken's journey to his ideal environment was a long one. When he was a youngster, the big "wall-to-wall" sunsets he saw on his parents' Iowa crop farm inspired Ken to paint.  His affinity for animals developed there, too.  After he graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute, he began what was to become a long career as an advertising art director and designer.  After 40 years pursuing fine art as his avocation, Ken was able to devote all of his time to painting and sculpting beginning in 1992. Plein-air, or "on location" painting is essential to his work.  He says, "I want people to feel what I felt at the location - the breeze, the warmth of the sun, a sense of a specific time of day."  He puts the finishing touches on his work in his studio, which is separate from the gallery. His sculpture captures the essence of an animal through movement.  Ken's ability to "stop motion" is his trademark.  This quality makes his equine sculpture popular among horse professionals.   Ken's bronzes celebrate the natural beauty of animals, without romanticizing it unrealistically. On a painting trip two years ago, Ken was intrigued by the Tetons from the Idaho perspective.  The profile of the mountains on the Idaho side is softer, yet even more majestic.  He quickly moved there and opened Ken's Morrison's Blue Fly Gallery, which features Ken's work exclusively.  Ken's wife Maureen manages the gallery while Ken explores the endless Idaho painting locations. Ken's versatility is apparent from the moment you step in the gallery.  The sculpture includes horses, dogs, pigs, fish, saddles, fishermen and a contemplative study of a cowboy's hands (see "The End of the Wild West.")  The paintings range from breathtaking Teton views to evocative studies of streams, barns, and wildlife.  Ken has painted from Maine to California, and the gallery displays scenes from Minnesota, Iowa, Texas, Arizona and other states. Visiting the Blue Fly Gallery is easier than you might think.  It can be easily included on a trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  It's just a beautiful 45-minute drive over the pass.  On the Idaho side, Tetonia is approximately two hours away from Idaho Falls. In the winter, Ken Morrison's Blue Fly Gallery is open year 'round, from10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.  Please call for any change in hours. Ken Morrison's Blue Fly Gallery Art with an Idaho Perspective P.O. Box 329 Tetonia, ID 83452-0329 (208) 456-0900 bluefly@tetontel.com www.kenmorrisonfineart.com