Today, we’d like to introduce you to Suzanne Kubach.
Hi Suzanne, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Like so many artists, I pushed aside my artistic passions in my twenties for what, at that age, I might have called “more serious” work. Instead, I pursued a doctorate degree, which led to what I now refer to as “my big darn-deal career days.”
Over those years, I exercised my creative muscles in practical ways: photography, gardening, interior design, cooking, and, for a while, designing stained glass windows. I also engaged in the arts as a patron and, on occasion, as a board member for arts organizations. (For a while, I focused so much on supporting other artists I almost forgot my own artistic yearnings).
As I approached my 50s, I knew I needed some kind of change and announced it was time to step back from the leadership role I held at the time. But life had its own idea of the changes in store for me. Over that decade, a series of closely-timed deaths of significant people in my life brought me to my knees. As I recovered, I knew creativity needed to play a much larger role in my life.
I spent a year exploring my passion for creative writing. Then, a friend suggested I join an online art community focused on abstract painting. All I knew was that art heals, so I jumped in for the full experience. I was hooked, and I’ve painted every day I can since.
A few months into my new art practice, I began sharing my work on social media. My initial intent was to re-emerge with friends across the country and let them know what I was doing. I scratched my itch to write with microblogs for each post. After a few more months, one friend reached out, “What are you doing with these paintings? They make me so happy; I want to own one!” Hers and similar interests prompted what’s now my growing business branded STK Studios.
As a small business owner, I set goals at the start of each year, just as I did in my “darn-deal career.” But now they start with intentions that feed my soul. My goals for 2024 are to “treasure this one life I’m given, savor my artistic journey, lean into learning (particularly exploring pastels as a new medium for plein air painting), connect with more Twin Cities artists and art lovers, and mind my art business by upgrading my inventory and accounting habits.
Here’s the STK Studios story by the numbers. Since I started painting in 2022, I’ve framed or otherwise made 134 paintings available. 68 have been sold or commissioned (51%). Sixteen were gifted, traded, or remain in my personal collection (12%). I’ve pulled 4 out of inventory to rework in some way. That leaves 44 finished pieces available (33%) that can be found on my website, with more in the works in my studio. My work has been on view in four exhibitions (two solo), including my most recent at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum this past spring.
Most recently, I’m finishing a few pieces for my next exhibition opportunity at the Kouba Gallery (6601 Auto Club Road, Bloomington, MN), where select works with a floral vibe will be on view through May. I’m also preparing for a commission of two larger works.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It’s a great question, and of course, learning any new creative practice will be packed with challenges. But those are the good struggles—the ones that feed the soul’s need to push against something in order to grow and change. In another way—and this is likely due to the unique circumstances of my life at the time—it was the absence of significant struggle that drew me into painting.
I’d spent so much of my fifties in hospital ICUs, long-term care centers, and, eventually, mortuaries. It was A LOT, and for a while, I felt I might be safer emotionally if I just stayed in a protective crouch. But taking the risks of learning to paint and then sharing my work with a broader community brought the spark back to my life. Once I started painting, doors opened, which I view as grace.
It’s like, after all I’d been through, someone put a big neon sign in front of me saying, “Come! Paint! Joy is this way.”
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My designs emerge from my soul and intuition—my sense of wonder. My most recent abstract works explore energy and movement in the style of lyrical abstract and abstract landscape.
Some bring an atmospheric quality, while others convey the same dynamic flow found in wood grains, veins through natural stone, or a creek bed when the water ebbs. In others, one might feel an evocative sense of place, perhaps in the vibe of an old-world city, of the mood of a rainy day in New York, or in the swirl of a holiday fete.
A comment I hear often is, “I don’t usually like abstract art, but I really like what you are doing.”
I work primarily in acrylic with occasionally added media, like a pencil or oil pastels. I build designs in multiple layers, creating rich textures and understory. Painting on birch panels enables me to sand, scratch, or scrub layers back to reveal some of that understory.
I begin with a sense of play, being mindful of marks that most delight me, and then I follow that trail. (Often, the happy accidents lead the way). I know my work nears completion when I sense a connection to some metaphor, memory, or atmosphere. At that point, I stood back with more discernment to examine principles of design and to edit or eliminate details that distract the eye.
I continue to write about my work, too, so an added lyrical element comes through the titles of my paintings, which usually suggest stories. I also share short stories about each creation on Social Media, so please follow if you appreciate a good yarn.
Who else deserves credit for your story?
I consider myself a “self-taught” artist in that I hold no formal degree in art, though I’ve benefited mightily from workshops over the years, particularly through intensive coaching and other feedback from artists all over the world who are members of the Art2Life Academy. I’d describe it as a wonder-filled, merry tribe of artists who believe in themselves, give generously of their wisdom, and celebrate everything.
In general, I’ve learned much from the generosity of other artists and have found the Twin Cities artist community to be so giving of wisdom, resources, and general encouragement. I especially want to give a big shout-out to my pal Isabelle Alessandra (based in Laguna Beach), who gave me that initial nudge to try painting.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://suzannekubach.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suztachart/?next=%2F
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suztach
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzanne-kubach-3063117/
Image Credits
Tracy McGuire Photography
