May Artist of Month
Meet Ken Northup
Ken Northup grew up in Queens, NY, and like most people enjoyed his art classes in school. He majored in Psychology at Iona College and took one art history class as an elective and regrets not being able to take more. After college his brother recommended oil painting and Ken went along with it. He painted for a short time but soon married, embarked on his career and began raising a family. It was not until retirement that he began taking painting classes again at the Old Church Art School in Demarest, NJ. His love of painting was reignited. 
Following his two daughters who had both moved to Massachusetts; Ken and his wife initially relocated to Norfolk, and later moved to Yarmouth Port. While living in Norfolk he took classes at the Danforth Museum School and joined the Franklin and Foxboro Art Associations. An art friend at the Danforth recommended that he join the WSA and where he continues to be a very active member, working at hanging all of our events. Later upon moving to the Cape, he joined the Cape Cod Art Center in Barnstable and the Creative Arts Center in Chatham.
Northup combines his love of travel with his love of painting landscapes. He paints mainly from photos taken on trips and says, “I like the creation…When I’m painting a landscape, I feel like I’m back at the place.” He most recently had an adventurous trip where he and his wife “got in the car and started driving south” with no set itinerary. They ended up on Sanibel Island and this trip is providing many a subject for his stunning landscapes.
Northup is proud to have attained status as a Copley Artist after being a member of the Copley Society of Art for nine years. He has done demos at many venues in New England at both the Sandwich and Yarmouth Art Guilds on the Cape and at the Copley Society in Boston. He is featured in many Massachusetts galleries, including the Renjeau Gallery in Natick, Gallery Antonia in Chatham and the Copley Society in Boston.
