Kiss Frontman Paul Stanley's Art Is an Extension of His Creative Endeavors

There is an acronym that Kiss frontman Paul Stanley lives by these days. It is one, he says, that he and long-time manager Doc McGhee adopted over the last few years to qualify how precious each day is as the years grow shorter.

"QTR," says Stanley, who, on January 20, turned 71. "Quality Time Remaining. We only have so long, and where are we going to best use that time?"

Stanley, now entering the final stretch of Kiss' four-year-long End of the Road World Tour, replete with all of the mind-blowing theatrics, pyrotechnics, and good-time party music that made the band famous, plans to spend much of his remaining years painting. He says that art enables him to free his mind and live in the moment, which is why he begins each piece without a plan or vision.

"The more free I am, and the less restrictions and boundaries I put on myself, the more comfortable I become with who I am and who I find I am," he explains. "My art really hopscotches around styles because I don't want to have a style, so to speak — I want to paint with a sense of abandon."

It seems to be working. Stanley's acrylic-on-canvas paintings have grown so popular that they have made their way into art exhibits and private collections of collectors and fellow musicians.
"My piece of Robert Johnson, which is called Crossroads, is in Jimmy Page's country home, so that's a pretty good place of reference," Stanley notes.

His paintings will hang alongside greats such as Jackson Pollock, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Mary Cassett in a summer 2023 exhibition at the Butler Institute of American Art. But before then, South Florida fans can score an original piece and meet Stanley in person on February 3 and 4 at the Wentworth Gallery's locations at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood and the Town Center at Boca Raton.

Take a selfie with Stanley, get your gear autographed, or talk about art. Just don't start the conversation with, "I don't know anything about art, but..."

"I'll stop them right there and say, 'What do you need to know?'" Stanley says of his typical response to that statement. "If it affects you emotionally, then it's valid. You don't need a degree or an education in art to know what you like."

After 50 years fronting one of the most successful acts in rock history, Stanley and Kiss have sold more than 100 million albums and racked up more accolades than most musicians could ever dream of. Stanley has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; appeared in countless films, cartoons, and television shows; had action figures and every imaginable type of merchandise modeled after him; cofounded a restaurant; designed a jewelry line; and owns a wine vineyard. And that's the shortlist.
Still, painting resonates with him in a way nothing else does. He describes his work as "bright, like the warmth of the sun and brisk like a strong cold breeze — all the things that validate life, all the things that affirm the vibrancy of being alive."

An eternal optimist, Stanley encourages anyone interested in painting or any other artistic outlet to dive headfirst.

"I think we have to stop worrying about what others think, and, equally, we have to stop worrying about how we're going to be viewed, not only by others but by ourselves," he adds. "There's so many people around who will tell you what's impossible or judge what you're doing. For God's sake, don't be one of them."

And how does one do that?

"Just believe in yourself," Stanley says. "Give yourself the opportunity to fail, but also give yourself enough slack to know the difference between failure and things turning out differently than you expected."

Stanley's positivity and zest for life are as vibrant as his paintings. He is the consummate cheerleader for others and leads by example.

"I am a big believer that on its worst day, life's a miracle," he explains. "It may not always be happy, but we're blessed."
Few people realize that Stanley is quite shy and something he has struggled his entire life to overcome.

"Some people have mistaken my shyness for snobbiness," he says. "I think, honestly, that many of the people that you may be familiar with as entertainers are actually insecure, shy, and they cover it up with the opposite. The idea that someone is comfortable in front of a crowd and seeks validation from that, that's pretty glaring to me. The fact that they may be cocky about it doesn't mask the need for the attention."

But some of that attention will soon wane because, after numerous "final" tours, the current one will likely be Kiss' last.

"No matter how good I feel, or hopefully look, there's a reality, and that, coupled with the physicality of what we do, makes it smart to end the touring," Stanley says.

A long list of surgeries, including a hip replacement and operations on both knees and shoulders, has led to the harsh reality for Stanley that there is an expiration date on touring with Kiss. Night after night, high-octane performances in costumes weighing as much as 40 pounds eventually take their toll.

"It can't go on forever because we're not running around the stage in T-shirts and blue jeans," he adds. "We're athletes, and honestly, there are no athletes our age. I just think that Gene [Simmons] and I, in particular, are starting to realize at some point that this is finite."

Touring with Kiss aside, Stanley has no plans to slow down anytime soon. He plans to continue making music, painting, and keeping busy with his family, friends, and business ventures.
"I don't know what else I would be doing — sitting eating Cheetos watching television?" he says, laughing. "There's too much to do that reinforces and validates my life, and that's really just for me. To ride my bike for 25 miles is glorious. It's not about being an exercise fanatic; it's about feeling the wind in my face, breathing clean air. There's too much to experience in life to replace with sitting on my butt."

Still, after a long pause, Stanley cannot think of something he wants to accomplish before he dies that he has not already done. He does not think in those terms.

"I think bucket lists are the antithesis of how we should live because what do you do when you've scratched everything off your list?" he says. "A bucket list should be just a work in progress. Every day, or every so often, you should come up with something new. That list should never be ending."

The list might not end, but sadly, touring with Kiss must. And Stanley has a message to the millions of crushed members of the Kiss army who cannot wrap their heads around the idea that they will never again experience the magnificence of Kiss live.

"There's no way to end this band," he says. "We're a part of Americana; we're a part of people's lives. We will morph into something else, and we will always exist."

Paul Stanley. 7 p.m. Friday, February 3, at the Wentworth Gallery at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 5804 Seminole Way, Suite 103, Hollywood; and 4 p.m. Saturday, February 4, at the Wentworth Gallery at the Town Center at Boca Raton, 6000 Glades Rd., Boca Raton. Admission is free.