Ep. 129: Finding Your Voice As An Artist with Jim Kuhlman

Written By Level Up

On this episode we interview watercolor artist and art educator Jim Kuhlman. We talk about the difference between what art is and what it is about, the importance of crystallizing your vocabulary as an artist, the power of working alongside other artists, and how to build trust in an art critique group. So whether you are an emerging artist who is struggling to find your voice or an art educator looking to mentor young talent, this episode is for you!

Jim Kuhlman

Watercolor Artist and Retired Educator  | Maryland

Artist Bio:

Jim’s watercolors are not typical. They are not light. They are, at times, dramatic and dense. They contain a range of values from dense shadows to blank virgin paper. His paintings are characterized by a lack of people (there are only three, out of 151, populated at all - with one person each) within them, instead allowing each viewer to enter alone and personally find the beauty that nature confides in the artist. He enjoys watching the painting continue to evolve after he lifts the brush from the paper, permitting the intelligence and grace of each technique to offer its voice. They are both abstract and highly realistic at once. Trained in New York , Jim taught art in Maryland schools for 42 years and at Johns Hopkins University. His successes earned him awards locally and internationally. A signature member of the Baltimore Watercolor Society, his paintings are represented throughout Maryland, the United States, Bermuda and Great Britain. Upon Julie’s passing in 2013, Jim and Julie’s two children joined him in dedicating his solo show in Bermuda to her memory and their 25 years together. He continues to find inspiration in Bermuda, revisiting frequently, either by air or by brush…

Artist Statement:

If you were to visit Jim Kuhlman’s website, https://kuhlmanart.com, anytime since 1998, you would, until recently, be hard pressed to find any watercolors that were not inspired by the island of Bermuda. Likewise, if you followed him through any art shows during those years, walking towards an island scene on a wall would likely be a good guess in attempting to find his work. So, the entry accepted into this year’s Mid Atlantic Exhibition will probably throw you off… There is no Sap Green, no Cerulean Blue, no Shell Pink… “Watercolo” is based on a relief sculpture housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. The original relief , The Milmore Memorial, was a funerary commission from the family of the Boston sculptor Martin Milmore (1844–1883) to honor his memory and that of his brother. It is also known as “The Angel of Death and The Sculptor” and occupies one section of wall in the Englehard Courtyard at the museum. It is a profoundly moving work that depicts a young artist, arrested in mid-action and mid-career. My painting memorializes that frozen frieze and leaves itself unfinished, in trompe l’oiel effect, in honor of both Danial Chester French who carved it as well as the original artist depicted, Martin Milmore. Even the title plays in. The Engelhard is a particularly meaningful room to me in what is already my go to museum. I have completed four paintings from within this room which features American sculptures housed under and within dramatic overhead lighting. And light is always what it is about…whether it be in Bermuda or Manhattan. My watercolors are not typical. They are not light. They are, at times, dramatic and dense. They contain a range of values from dense shadows to blank virgin paper. My paintings are characterized by a lack of people (there are only three, out of 156 of Bermuda, populated at all - with only one person each) within them, instead allowing each viewer to enter alone and personally find the beauty that nature confides in the artist. I enjoy watching the painting continue to evolve after I lift the brush from the paper, permitting the intelligence and grace of each technique to offer its voice. They are both abstract and highly realistic at once. Trained in New York, Jim taught art in Maryland public schools for 42 years and at Johns Hopkins University. His successes earned him awards locally and internationally. A signature member of the Baltimore Watercolor Society, his paintings are represented throughout Maryland, the United States, Bermuda and the UK. After Jim’s wife Julie passed in 2013, Jim and Julie’s two children joined him in dedicating his solo show in Bermuda that year to her memory and their 25 years together. He continues to find her in Bermuda and New York City, revisiting frequently, either by air or by brush…

Stay Connected With Jim:

Podcast Music By Corey Claxton:

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