Ken Salaz was born in California and spent his youth living in numerous locations, including Mexico, the Southwest, and West Virginia. His ancestry is a rich blend of Native American and Irish. As a child and teenager, he constantly drew the changing landscapes and people during his travels with family. After graduating from The Cooper Union in New York City, Salaz spent several years traveling the world — Asia, Central and South America, and Europe — painting landscapes and copying masterworks at museums. 

The artist continued his education with Leonid Gervitz of The Repin Academy and Nelson Shanks. He also trained for three years at Jacob Collins’ Water Street Atelier while spending summers landscape painting with Collins’ Hudson River Fellowship. Today Salaz is a Senior Fellow and instructor at the Hudson River Fellowship.           

The artist’s mastery of traditional technique allows him to capture a wide range of light effects in both plein air and studio landscape paintings. He has been described as an emerging voice from the tonalist tradition in the genre of poetic realism. His paintings can be found in prominent collections across the United States and have been featured in such notable magazines as Fine Art Connoisseur, International Artist, and American Art Collector. His book Landscapes in Oil has been a bestseller on Amazon, and his instructional video Majestic Landscapes from Streamline Publishing is considered a staple in any landscape painter’s collection.

In addition to being a professional painter, Salaz is also a highly accomplished magician, mentalist, and pickpocket who has entertained such celebrities as Bruce Springsteen and Jimmy Fallon. He is represented by Rehs Galleries, Inc. (New York City), Galerie D'Orsay (Boston), and Tree’s Place Gallery (Orleans, MA).