10/02/08

Profile of the artist: Norman Kearsley

I was born, raised and educated in the north of England and immigrated to North America in 1967 where my family and I lived in Ontario, Canada for a little over one year before moving to the state of Washington.

In the USA, I initially worked as a structural engineer for the Boeing Company and resided in Mountlake Terrace. Then, worked as a mechanical engineer in several electronic companies.

I retired from a (50+ hours per week) engineering job in 1999 and began to oil paint in 2000. My initial exposure to painting was as a senior in high school. However, due to pressure from my parents, who were reluctant to support any starving artist, an invitation to attend art school was reluctantly rejected in favor of an engineering college.

Having a preference to paint landscapes, many of my paintings were created on site using the “plein-air” technique. Others have been generated in the studio using a still life set-up or onsite sketches and photographs.

I am presently an active member of the Stanwood Camano Arts Guild the Arlington Arts Council and the Stanwood Camano Roaming Artists.