Kurt was born in Indiana’s Brown County, one of America’s original art colonies, and stems from the Eagleman family’s deep artistic roots. Kurt is heavily influenced and encouraged by his creative parents: his mother is an artist whom he collaborates with and his father who is an interpretive naturalist and writer. Growing up, art was an organic way of life as Kurt found himself immersed in breathtaking vistas and lush sceneries. It was only natural for Kurt to render his environment on canvas.
As a child, Kurt was fortunate enough to be taught and mentored by renowned painter Patricia Rhoden Bartels. Rhoden equipped him with the foundation of impressionism still often reflected in his work. He also studied at the Herron School of Art and Design, Indiana University Bloomington, and Venice’s Scoula International Di Grafica where he focused on figure drawing, color theory, and printmaking.
"The untrained eye does not see beauty in all things- it's our profession to train ourselves to see it and transmit it..."
-C.W. Hawthorne
Kurt Eagleman in Ee Oh Lay Studio - Nashville, IN
Kurt believes “since life isn’t concrete, my work shouldn’t be either”. In addition to his impressionistic framework, he enjoys the process of learning, experimentation, and discovery by incorporating a mixture of interpretive and abstract styles, and often plays with different mediums. His work conveys beauty and happiness, with a juvenile sense of fun and playfulness in the form of vignettes painted from his personal experiences with nature, travel, and human interaction.
When he isn’t painting in his private home studio, he’s collaborating with other local and LGBTQIA+ artisans to ensure their work gains visibility.
Through art, Kurt is able to continually grow, experience, and share beauty.
