Stan Kurth - STATEMENT / BIO

Statement:

Intuitive painting, for me, is about embracing feeling and instinct. I begin my work without any preliminary thoughts or plans for a specific object or subject. Starting with a blank substrate, I make marks using 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.

Early marks are often random, though lines or shapes of thoughts sometimes emerge. These repetitive forms are my archetypes. You may find vague human anatomy, non-specific animals, interiors, buildings, furniture, vessels, surreal botanicals, automobile parts, and various objects that have piqued my interest over a lifetime. These shapes, though familiar, remain ambiguous enough to allow the viewer to craft a personal narrative. This ambiguity, whether intentional or not, invites mystery and intrigue over the obvious.

As the painting progresses, more elements, including color, are introduced. Initially random, these elements gradually shift towards a cohesive design. A dominant color temperature may emerge, or a glaze might unify the underlying colors. Values can shift to dominant light, mid, or dark tones. Elements are enhanced, obscured, or covered up, often revealing glimpses of the painting’s beginnings through multiple layers. I use various tools—brushes, palette knives, scrapers, sticks, sandpaper, my hands, my fingernails, and more—to apply and remove pigment in varying degrees. Over time, principles such as rhythm, harmony, unity, pattern, gradient, conflict, dominance, contrast, balance, repetition, alternation, and movement coalesce into a composition I find aesthetically pleasing.

Creating a pretty picture is one thing; engaging the viewer with a dynamic composition and holding their attention with compelling content is quite another. My objective is to evoke a pleasing visceral response from the viewer.

___________

Photo by Kat Kolbrener

"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

"Stan Kurth adeptly straddles the line between abstraction and representation in his works featuring emotion-laden compositions, color and edges."
John A. Parks, Watercolor Artist, December 2019

Bio:

"Stan was born and raised in Phoenix and has been painting since the age of four. He studied English literature and history at Northern Arizona University while also completing numerous courses in painting and drawing. For 35 years, he worked as both a fine artist and a graphic artist. Today, Stan devotes himself entirely to painting and teaching workshops across the country. His intuitive approach to painting—beginning without a plan and building compositions through spontaneous mark-making—guides both his personal work and his teaching. His paintings have been featured in many fine art exhibitions and publications, and he has received numerous awards in local, national, and international shows. Stan is a signature member of several watercolor societies, including the San Diego Watercolor Society, the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies (Master), the National Watercolor Society (Master), the Arizona Watercolor Association, and Contemporary Watercolorists of Arizona."

Miscellaneous Links:

International Artist Magazine Article

The Art of Watercolour Magazine Article by Sara Winckler

Stan Kurth YouTube Channel

Watercolor Artist Magazine Article by Ann Hevener

From the Juror's Mouth

Purchase Intuitive Sketching Video

Interview with Phoenix Art Museum

Learn to Paint Podcast

Watercolor Artist Magazine article by John Parks

Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society Demo

Michigan Watercolor Society Demo

WatermediaWorkshops.Com