IIW welded art exhibition, 2021

KEN MCKEN (Canada)

As a Saskatchewan farm boy, Ken McKen has been welding since the age of 14 and he continues to share his passion for the industry as Chair of Trades of Northern Lakes College in Slave Lake, Alberta. Ken has always maintained an element of artistry throughout his career, unveiling a twist of nature and whimsical mystery in his commissions. Ken’s career has made many “footprints” across the nation and he has a strong passion to mentor our future generation in the welding industry. In his spare time, Ken enjoys using his artistic abilities to create unique expressions of metal art. Ken’s fondness of wildlife provides an exquisite foundation to many of his silhouettes and ornamental hand railing commissions. Ken’s family includes multiple self-proclaimed artists and he hopes the tradition continues. Exhibit “LADY COVIDIA” As legend goes, you may be one of the lucky ones to catch a glimpse of Mermaids swimming the shorelines during mysterious foggy evenings. But if you do, folklore says the Mermaid will turn to stone... such is the case with Lady Covidia, petrified in time with a perpetual smile- yet if you look closely, a lonely tear runs down her cheek, waiting for the return of her pod to free her from the curse to safely return to the depths of Lesser Slave Lake, Alberta. The majority of Lady Covidia was hand formed cold, using mild steel sheet metal. Scales of the tail are 16 gauge cut by CNC plasma placed one-by-one at a time. The torso is 16 gauge, arms are thin wall tubing, the head is hand formed over an anvil, and the hair is 1/8" submerged-arc solid wire... each strand curled and attached individually. A submersible pump adds a water fountain feature spilling from the clam shell she holds in her hands. Lady Covidia is covered with a heavy coat of primer paint and several coats of metal fleck "stone" paint. Signs of rusting will eventually show through, to give her a look of weathered time. Dimensions Life size Contact info E-mail: weldermcken@gmail.com

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