Native Southern Californian Ken Shrimplin lived for over thirty years in Laguna Hills, California where he split his time between a very successful business career in the Computer Industry and his true passion for creating stained glass artwork. After getting a Masters degree from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California Ken achieved early success in the industry as an Entrepreneur and Senior Corporate Executive. This early success allowed Ken to leave the corporate world early to pursue his passion for working with glass.
The couple purchased a second home in Palm Desert, California and quickly fell in love with the desert lifestyle. In the desert Ken began exploring the challenging world of glass fusion. He found glass fusion allowed him the freedom to take his creativity beyond the limits of stained glass and to explore new and innovative ways to create glass artwork using Dichroic Glass.
Ken realized that he was spending the majority of his time in the desert exploring glass fusion so he and his wife Linda relocated both their home and studio to Palm Desert. They also sold the couple's Real Estate escrow company Linda successfully ran in Laguna Niguel. Linda joined Ken in the studio where she creates unique one of a kind jewelry and unique glass art pieces.
The couple began displaying their unique artwork at many of the country’s top fine arts shows held in the Palm Springs area and continue to work out of the studio. Ken now works mostly on commissions and studio work. “I love working with glass and pushing the limits. I only do what I feel like doing, that’s why I make only one-of-a-kind pieces, no boring repetition.”
Eye on the Desert television show did an epidsode featuring Ken and Linda in their studio. You can click on the arrow to view the clip.
Ken has won numerous awards for his ingenuity. The "Las Vegas Annual Gallery of Excellence Glass Art Competition" awarded the coveted People's Choice Award to “Reflections” by the largest landslide in the competition’s history. The following year, “Lady” won the same award, making Ken the only artist to win it two years in a row.
Ken and his wife Linda have always been a creative team from the very start. If they visit a forest, others in their group will talk about the lovely views and share the pictures they took. Ken and Linda will be standing there with arms full of tree bark and other “cool treasures” they found to make something out of when they get back home.
Together they create artwork that is uniquely different than the glass artwork you usually come across.
