News Archive March 2009
From: InTouch Weekly
Posted: March 4, 2009
For more than 30 years, Paul Stanley has been an integral part of the success of one the most historic rock bands ever - KISS. Creating and performing hits for decades, Paul is now gearing up to produce KISS' newest album, and in four weeks will perform in stadiums in South America. The big news is that it is likely that they'll take the KISS show on the road to Canada in July and will be doing a huge U.S. tour in the fall.
But while Paul is a legendary music artist, he is also a "self-taught" painter as he creates abstract expressions and portraits in vibrant colors. As he told In Touch in an exclusive interview at the Wentworth Gallery at The Shops at Riverside in Hackensack, N.J., "When it comes to art, people either love what they're looking at or they don't. I was self-conscious about showing my art at first - when I hung my first piece up I didn't even sign it, but everyone who saw it on my wall asked about it."
He adds, "Painting and performing are total opposites: Painting is very personal, intimate and solitary, and performing is very gregarious. It has been an interesting process to show my art because I like to open a door for people to realize how much art has to offer - to both serious collectors and fans of KISS' music."
Last year, Paul sold more than $3 million worth of art and is now working on bronze sculptures. So while he can be found performing live and showing his art, the one place you won't find him is on KISS cohort Gene Simmons' Bravo reality show. "People either find Gene's show inspiring or insipid, and either way, they are entertained by it," Paul tells In Touch. "But I couldn't think of anything worse. Gene wants me to go on the show every week. He used to call me and say things out of character, like, 'Come on over to my house and we'll have lunch and hang out.' And I'd say, 'You want me to come over to your house and hang out? Oh, do you have cameras over there? Yeah, I'm not coming - of course you have cameras over there!' I think it's great that Gene enjoys what he does and he's blessed to have found something he likes doing, but that's just not me."
For more information about Paul Stanley's artwork, you can visit the Wentworth Gallery online at www.wentworthgallery.com.
