Watermedia Works: Door

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Door

Acrylic on Coated Lithographic Paper

11" X 11"

This painting was done about a year ago. The two below were both done within the last week.

6 comments:

UnknownSunday, February 7, 2010 at 5:05:00 AM MST
The first thing I notice when viewing your work is the design, which is always powerful, dynamic and interesting. There's a definite and unique point of view that sets your work apart as masterful and compelling. The monolithic figures in "Door" are beautifully connected to the door itself creating a procession shrouded in mystery. There's a lot to contemplate here, and I'll take some time doing just that!
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AnonymousSunday, February 7, 2010 at 7:44:00 AM MST
Hi Stan, I think your work is exciting! This one is particularly intriguing! Interesting shapes and division of space.
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Stan KurthSunday, February 7, 2010 at 12:01:00 PM MST
Thank you Kathy and Peggy for the comments. I guess I like enigma as content, sometimes putting the very word in the title. "Angelicenigma" and "Enigmatic Frizzle" are a couple of examples.
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Leslie Avon MillerSunday, February 7, 2010 at 12:36:00 PM MST
The first thing I notice is the emotional response I experience when I view your work. I too experiment, respond to the work in progress, and spend time looking and "listening" to the work in progress. Beautiful pieces.
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Stan KurthSunday, February 7, 2010 at 10:53:00 PM MST
Thank you Leslie, I can see that in your work. It grabs my attention!
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UnknownFriday, February 26, 2010 at 12:30:00 AM MST
Hi Stan !
Thank you for your comment in my guestbook !
Love your work too !
Nice to " meet you !

Liv
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Statement

One definition of intuitive includes words like feeling and instinct. These terms are mildly interpretive, and who can argue with artists who “feel” their way through paintings. My definition of intuitive painting is beginning the work without any preliminary thoughts or plans for a particular object or subject as an end, but rather starting on a blank substrate, making marks with a variety of tools, creating a library of design elements and applying design principles until a personal aesthetic is achieved. I do not use any external reference.

Marks are mostly random early on, but sometimes lines or shapes of thoughts occur during the process. Many of these are repetitive, my archetypes. It is not uncommon to find vague human anatomy, non-specific animals, interiors, buildings, furniture, vessels, surreal botanicals, automobiles/parts and a multitude of objects I have found interesting over the span of a lifetime. Some of these shapes may look familiar but are ambiguous enough to allow the viewer a personal narrative. This may be intentional or not on my part. I prefer mystery and intrigue over the obvious.

As paintings progress, more elements including color are introduced. These are random at first but as the process continues a shift towards design takes place. A dominant color temperature may emerge, or a glaze might unify colors beneath it. Values can shift to dominant light, mid or dark. Elements are enhanced, obscured or covered up. There may be multiple layers and quite often evidence of the beginning will peek through. I use a variety of tools to apply pigment or remove it in varying degrees. These tools include brushes, palette knives, scrapers, sticks, sandpaper, my hands, my fingernails and more. Gradually principles such as rhythm, harmony, unity, pattern, gradient, conflict, dominance, contrast, balance, repetition, alternation and movement coalesce into a composition I find esthetically pleasing.

It is one thing to make a pretty picture with good composition, but quite another to bring the viewer into a painting by such means and hold their attention with content. My objective is to evoke a pleasing visceral response from the viewer.

"There's a complex simplicity in Stan Kurth's paintings that is both paradoxical and straightforward. As he works with multiple layers of watercolor and gesso, his provocative images emerge. Ambiguity and form coalesce into a singular, cohesive vision that holds the viewer spellbound"

Betsy Dillard Stroud - Watercolor Masters and Legends: Secrets, Stories and Techniques from 34 Visionary Artists

About

"Artist and workshop instructor Stan Kurth has drawn and painted most of his life. An aunt, who was an artist and art instructor, became a big influence even before he began school. Stan lives with the conviction of “fear not” and that same attitude permeates not just his life but his art. His focus and dedication to his work have earned him signature member status in several watercolor societies including the National Watercolor Society, San Diego Watercolor Society and the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies - Master. He currently lives in Arizona."