2025
Northward Bound – Greater Scaup
by Ken Ferris
About the Painting
“As an artist, I have always enjoyed painting early spring settings. In the painting “Northward Bound – Greater Scaup”, there is a sense of urgency. The birds are staging briefly to rest but are determined to keep heading north to their breeding ground. This is a time of transition, moving into spring after a long Canadian winter.
The setting for this painting is in the Canadian Rockies in Banff National Park. I wanted to paint something a little different, focusing as much on the landscape as the birds. The chilly wind, the lingering remnants of winter and the anxiousness of the birds all add to the feeling of a long-awaited spring.
-Ken Ferris, 2024
About the Artist
Ken Ferris
Ken Ferris is a self-taught artist who has drawn and painted wildlife since early childhood.
Ken’s work has been featured in many one-man and group exhibitions throughout North America, including “Profiles of a Heritage”, “Images of Wildlife by B.C. Artists”, the prestigious “Birds in Art” exhibition, “Wildlife: The Artist’s View” and a travelling exhibition titled “Naturally Drawn: Drawings from the Collection” of the Leigh Yawkey Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin.
Ducks Unlimited Canada named Ken the 1984 “Artist of the Year”. He was also one of thirty world-acclaimed artists included in “Waterfowl of North America”, a limited-edition book of full-size prints commemorating the 50th anniversary of Ducks Unlimited Canada. Ken’s artwork has been featured in numerous art portfolios for fundraising events, having raised significant funds for nature and duck habitat conservation across North America.
His talent has led to a number of successes including a series of Ken’s collector plates entitled “Treasured Ducks of Canada” being commissioned by the Bradford Exchange and quickly selling out. His book, “The Rockies – An Artist’s View”, depicting the most iconic landscapes and wildlife from Jasper and Banff National Parks, has also become immensely popular. Additionally, Ken was one of only eighteen acclaimed Canadian wildlife artists invited to take part in “Animal in the Park” and featured in “Wildlife Art in Stamps” at Algonquin Park, Ontario.
Ken is a two-time winner of the Canadian Wildlife Habitat Conservation Stamp art competition, first in 1993 for his portrayal of the Hooded Merganser and again in 2000 with his wonderful depiction of Sandhill Cranes.
Ken travelled extensively throughout northern B.C. as the Manager of Event Fundraising for Ducks Unlimited Canada, his acumen and success in the role earning him the Fundraising Manager of the Year Award on two occasions. Ken lives with his wife Jasmine and works in his studio in Prince George, British Columbia. He is enjoying his retirement, spending time devoted to art, depicting the nature he loves, and taking pleasure in the outdoors.
