Trained in illustration at California State University, Long Beach, Ken Auster left the restrictions of life as an illustrator and developed his own quick and loose painting style capturing the beauty and activity of life on the California Coast and beyond. He shares with his viewers uncomplicated but moving stories on canvas – simply and effectively, documenting the ordinary in an unordinary manner. As one famous critic described – “each painting captures a moment in time charged with a hint of narrative drama. And each is rendered with such vibrant immediacy that a single glance excites other senses as well.” Auster teaches some 11-12 workshops a year, which he considers important to keep himself from becoming isolated. He never really planned on teaching but has found he has a knack for it. Still devoted to surfing, Auster prefers to paint while traveling or following the surf to avoid the day-to-day distractions of business. He has been painting in the plein air style for approximately 9 years and says that painting on location “keeps you honest.”