Ken Carder, goofYz, 4-23-2020, ink on paper. © Ken Carder, image courtesy the Artist.
North Carolina glass artist Ken Carder has been drawing for over 60 years. He draws primarily as a defense mechanism against boredom and to give his imagination a place to relax and feel at home. “Recent events,” he says, “sparked the idea to make new drawings to share with family and friends.”
His new series of drawings, goofYz, animate an array of comical characters in goofy situations like beaver chainsaws and clowns flying with umbrellas. Carder began sharing these drawings through email as a way to share “a little lightheartedness and a momentary break from what we’re up against.”
Carder credits his sense of humor to his mother and explains that when he was a child, he began sharing drawings to amuse his friends and get a laugh. Now, with goofYz, he finds it inspiring to know that others consider his drawings entertaining and useful as well.
Color some of Carder’s goofYz by clicking on an image below, downloading, and printing.
About Ken Carder
After college, Carder moved to North Carolina to pursue his interest in working with glass. According to his website, he assisted glass artist Harvey Littleton before working as a full-time studio artist and becoming an artist-in-residence at the Penland School of Craft in 1984. Since then, he continues to work with glass as well as other media and has maintained a studio in North Carolina. His work has been exhibited internationally and is in numerous private and public collections. He lives in Watauga County and shares a studio with his wife, ceramic and mixed media artist and educator Lisa Stinson.
The Museum’s Collection includes nearly 20 artworks by Carder such as blown-glass vases, bowls, and sculptures. His glass work uses optics to create modern interpretations of portraits and caricatures. View a selection of his works in the image gallery at left.
