Interview

Susanne Kurwig

Susanne Kurwig is an abstract, expressionist artist living in Germany.

Painting has always been an important means of expression for her, even as a young person. The decision to go public with it as an artist came later. From 1997 - 2000, she completed a study of painting university association Novalis in Kamp-Lintfort/Germany; 2001, study year at the IBKK (Institute of Fine Arts) in Bochum, 2007 - 2013, member of the art - Förderverein Suedgang e.V. in Krefeld, since 2010, various courses at the Art Academy in Trier; 2014 - today, member of the art scene Nettetal; 2015 - 2021, various online workshops and offline courses. With the topics: abstract and intuitive painting, mixed media painting, finding image structure, concepts.

Why do you create art?

“Through painting, I have opened up an area of life that brings me much joy. My paintings are an expression of my soul and heart. It goes beyond what the mind can grasp.When other people resonate with them I feel very connected and seen. With my painting I give something primal of myself into the world and let it work. Where does it lead? What arises in the painting process? It is exciting to discover this again and again and even further.”

What inspires you most?

“Nature, landscapes, gardens, plants, trees and flowers. The earth viewed from space and the insect wing under the microscope. I take a walk through the forest and meadows and feel inspired. At home I then start to paint and the impressions from the walk flow into the picture or different sketches, which later form a basis of a painting.”

“Bright colors, floral & organic shapes find space in my paintings as impressions from nature, my inner world. Colorful contrasts and strong rhythms float together in an imaginative harmony. The joie de vivre of my work takes the viewer along, creating emotional touches of vitality.

By using different art supplies like acrylic, oil pastel, ink, pen, spraypaint, structure gel and more; every artwork tells it’s story. From a place of intuition combined with knowledge about colors and material, I build up the painting layer by layer with expressive marks.”

Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?

“I plan ahead because that way it's easier for me to get started. But everything planned can also be changed again. For example, I plan the times at which I want to paint and the image theme. I also think about the material and the color palette that could be used, but usually something changes, because I paint very intuitively. Planning and thinking about it helps me get into the creative flow, but parallel to the planned steps, I am always open to new, different, creative impulses that makes the whole creative work process so exciting.”

What is your creative process like?

“Most of the time I have a theme that inspires me. This can be a photo, a sketch, a painting, a video or something I have seen. I then implement this freely in my painting. I usually first add a dark or strong color. This gives the painting and the color areas depth. I then work in layers, painting over painted, taking away color and then adding them. I work with lines, shapes, marks and delimit color areas. Sometimes I use stencils and sometimes some brush movements arise from an emotion and are spontaneous. These must then be integrated into the overall painting which often gives the painting a different direction. I like to try out new ways of creating in my work.”

What materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?

“I work with acrylic paints (liquid pastos), acrylic inks, watercolor, oil pastels, acrylic markers, spray paint, gold foil, glitter, stencils, texture gel, putty and pencils. When I use the Arcylfarbe liquid, I position the painting horizontally and pour the surfaces. I use a wooden skewer or brush to change the direction of the paint flow. As a base I use canvases, strong papers or wood panels. I work in layers, so I start with the color areas and free lines, which I then partially paint over again.

The color spray I use at the end to set accents. Just like markers, pens, oil pastels, gold foil. These materials are mostly used in the final stages of work for marks and details.”

Website: www.susannekurwig.com

Instagram: @suseundmuse_art

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