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...And
except for the quiet rippling of the deep, misty waters, the island
of sorcery fell silent. For on this night, he would come to them.
The creator...the
creator of the Arkhimage. They bowed in reverence as he emerged from
the sea, his mighty sword in hand...
CREATOR of lands, of peoples, of creatures great and small, Ken McGregor watches fantasy worlds materialize at his fingertips. With the artist's pen as his powerful sword, McGregor has been a professional artist for over twenty-six years, developing creatures so realistic, they've begun to walk and talk and think and feel—transforming into legends almost by themselves. "I used to draw fantasy creatures—lots of creatures—all very different yet with a common thread bonding them. One day they started interacting...becoming closely involved with each other...until I watched whole stories come to life." The characters of these tales are inhabtants of the lost islands of Arkhimagos, possibly McGregor's most well known series of fantasy drawings. They were his very first fantasy works, too. He sketched "Hydrak" in 1975: "I was impressed by the strength of Frazetta's art. Wanting to capture that feeling of strength, I sat down, sketched my first fantasy creature and liked it so much that I stuck with it."
Kenneth
McGregor Ph: (330) 677-4277 Fax: (330) 677-4078 |
Was Frazetta his inspiration then? "No, not really. If I had to pin it down, I'd say Disney influenced me, if anyone. And I think some Disney like qualities come through in my illustrations. They appeal to both children and adults. Even the dragons and other demons of the Arkhimage have a sort of 'cuddly look'. Their features are softly inflated, as if they're viewed through a wide-angle lense." Is
creating fantasy art how he makes a living?
No,
most of McGregor's earnings come from his earnings as a
Creative Director
for a cornucopia
of clients...some corporate; some industrial; some retail. "Advertising
buys my inks, paints and boards so I can continue to explore new vehicles
for my creativity. Since moving back to Kent I have directed much of
my free time illustrating local architectures and lifestyles in my hometown—then
using them in local medias that promote the downtown business district.
As soon as I finish
two pen-and-ink illustrations of historic buildings I plan to begin
a series of progressive linoleum prints of Kent city-scapes. The flatbed
press I bought several years ago will finally be put to good use."
McGregor
is a resident of Kent,
Ohio.
And he plans to stay there just as long us he
can. "I've lived here almost all my life. The people are great—really
down-to-earth. And the university (Kent State) attracts so many creative
people... the cultural atmosphere of the community gives me that little
push when I need it."
And
what about Arkhimagos?
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