AMERICUS
“Where there is beauty I take it, where there is none, I make it.”
The above phrase is the motto Ken Ferrell lives by. Ferrell, who is of Meriden, has an art showing at The New Breck Cafe, 622 Main St., in Americus. Ferrell is the father of the cafe’s new owner, Jena Johnson.
Ferrell discovered his love for photography about 1971 when he took a portrait of some aged wood in California. He took the photo about 9,500 feet above sea level in the San Jacinto State Park. The image, which he has framed, was taken on Jan. 1, 1971.
“It got me started in looking for other trees that had some beauty,” Ferrell said, adding that a lot of people walked over the piece of wood he photographed but he stopped to recognize its beauty.
Ferrell’s love for photography grew from that first portrait. Today he has many portraits that he has created and enhanced. Several of them are at The New Breck. Ferrell, who is originally from Valley Falls, has shown his work in Valley Falls, Americus, Topeka, Meriden and several other places, including the Los Angeles County Museum in California.
Ferrell said he is a descendent of Thomas Jefferson Ferrell, who was born about 1809 in Jackson County, Tenn. Thomas Ferrell moved to Kansas in 1856 from Missouri and settled a few miles west of Valley Falls.
“I imagine there have been Ferrells around the Valley Falls area since 1856 and there are quite a few Ferrells, with their life beginning in or around the Valley Falls area, and it would probably be safe to say they are all descendants of Thomas Jefferson Ferrell...” Ken Ferrell said in a descriptive piece of his photography.
Ferrell said he spent four years in the Navy from 1949 to 1953. He left Valley Falls in 1954. He spent 40 years working in Hawthorn, Calif., and later settled in Meriden.
Ferrell often takes photos of local subjects, including landscapes, buildings and farm activities.
“It’s a challenge at times but I try to find a way to make it better,” he said as he talked about one of his photos hanging in The New Breck Wednesday afternoon.
And that’s exactly what Ferrell enjoys doing — enhancing his subjects. He photographs sunsets throughout the year and inlays those to enhance his other photographs. The result is a colorful array of present day life, past life in the form of old barns and homes and natural settings. The photos at The New Breck adorn the walls with vibrant red and pink sunsets in the background of the subjects.
“They are unique because they are created by me on my computer,” Ferrell said, of his work. “I don’t think you will see a similar image like mine around, as I am the owner and creator of the images I put together or modify to create these beautiful images.”
Ferrell has a workshop in his home in Meriden, he said, with many framed works scattered throughout the home.
“I favor sunrise and sunset,” he said, adding that most of the sunsets are taken near his house during the month of August.
According to a written statement about Ferrell’s work, he does not make a living selling the work he’s done for more than 40 years.
“I’m doing it now because I’m retired, and it gives me a reason to get up every morning to see what kind of image I might create today that someone could enjoy for years,” he wrote.
Ferrell said his prices are reasonable and people can make an offer on his work. It is up to his discretion to accept it it’s an reasonable offer.
Ferrell’s work can be found on www.customvisuals.net. When the window comes up, click on the arrow under “view a gallery” and scroll to get to “Ken Ferrell Images.” To contact Ferrell directly, call (785) 484-2868.