Robert Dietz Fine Art

18 x 24 (on archival paper)

(SOLD) Giclée prints available

On our trip to Nova Scotia we stopped in Portsmouth NH. While exploring the area, I spotted these three tugboats docked behind the buildings. Their bows were covered with large strips of rubber, scarred with paint form the hulls of ships they had nudged into place. The green paint on their hulls had streaks of multicolored rust. The light of day was fading, but sufficient to illuminate the red paint on the upper portions of the tugs.

SOLD

18 x 24  (on archival paper)

Here along the shoreline of Connecticut is a wonderful State Park called Hammonasset. It is one of the most wonderful places to walk, bike, swim or camp. It’s full of marshes and has some of the most beautiful sunsets and sunrises. Dusk and dawn are great times to be in this environment. The light of day is completely different at these times. One evening I watched the moon rising over the marsh. As the sun set behind me and the moon rose in front of me, the sky continually changed color. I took several photos to capture the moment and then began painting.

Prints available

Framed Original: 24 x 30

Driving between Long Island NY and Connecticut can be challenging, with bumper to bumper traffic.  One of the more pleasurable ways to make this journey is to take the ferry across Long Island Sound. The ferry runs several times a day. On one of these trips one summer’s evening, while pulling into Bridgeport harbor my wife’s boss took a photo after the sun set with the moon just above the horizon. The sky was on fire and the lights along the coast were reflecting on the water. He sent her the photo and I painted the moment.

Original & Prints available

18 x 24  (on archival paper)

In Nova Scotia there is this wonderful little town, Annapolis Royal, on the phenomenal Bay of Fundy, known for its extreme tide changes.  Fishing is one of the main occupations and many of the boats have been in use for years. The harsh salty elements take their toll on these boats, which require constant maintenance. While walking around the town I came across this old boat in dry dock with a fellow just beginning to apply a coat of paint with a roller to this large wooden fishing boat. All I could think of is “that’s a lot of boat for just one paint roller.”

Original & Prints available

11 x 13 (on archival paper)

(SOLD) Giclée prints available

In the town of Chester Ct. there was a wonderful little French restaurant, Restaurant Du Village, a favorite for people from all over Connecticut. It was full of charm and romantic atmosphere—a place to celebrate special occasions. It was sold and sorely missed by me and my family and friends.  I painted this for the people of Chester. 

10 x 24 (on archival paper)

(SOLD) Giclée prints available

Last Summer I was asked to do a painting of the town of Chester for Maple & Main Gallery. I thought about it and decided to also incorporate the gallery in the painting (that’s it on the right). Chester is a wonderful little quintessential Southern New England small town full of shops, restaurants and galleries. It is such a great place to visit.

 Image 8 x 10 (on archival paper)

In many of the small villages in Europe and here in New England there are little flower shops and markets. I wanted to try something different and painted this on a black substrate in more of an impressionistic style. Using a black surface made it fairly easy to invoke the sense of nighttime. Under the lights the colors of the flowers are intense and appear to just jump out of the painting.

Original & Prints available

18 x 22 (on archival paper)

Essex Ct is a charming little New England town on the Connecticut River, steeped in history. Many of the cedar-roofed homes date back to the 1700’s. My wife and I were visiting a friend’s home just across the Cove. It was late in the afternoon and this cumulus cloud behind the town was illuminated by the lowering sun. The little houses on the opposite shore were reflecting on the mirror flat water. I couldn’t resist taking pictures and couldn’t wait to paint this wonderful scene.

13 x 17 (on archival paper)

Iv'e always liked horses. They are such beautiful animals. You see many photographed or painted standing, running or jumping, but few on their back. This painting was inspired by such a scene. I just felt compelled to try and capture the horse in a playful mood.

Original & Prints available

4 x 20 (on archival paper) 

(SOLD) Giclée prints available

In Cape Cod there are a lot of little coves and bays. One afternoon when the tide was very low I could see a bank of low clouds just off shore that appeared to be stretching across the mud flats. It made an interesting image that I wanted to paint.

5 x 22 (on archival paper)

(SOLD) Giclée prints available

Almost like the song I found this little house across a stretch of water in Cape Cod. I took a picture and then weeks later painted it.

18 x 24 (on archival paper)

(SOLD) Giclée prints available

My first elephant painting was inspired from a black & white photo I found in a magazine. There was something about this animal, its alertness and threatening stance that I just couldn’t resist painting. When I completed it I had great difficulty letting it go. To this day it is one of my favorites. I think there are other elephants in my future. 

12 x 18 (on archival paper)

(SOLD) Giclée prints available

On a very calm morning, water in the tidal marsh is mirror flat. When it is like this, it reflects everything in detail. Although still, the scene continually changes, as the green algae floats ever so slowly by. The clouds drift in front of the sun, which is reflected in the water.   

10 x 24 (on archival paper)

(SOLD) Giclée prints available

I like to take walks along the bluffs overlooking Long Island Sound taking pictures of the sunsets. One evening I came across this couple sitting on a boulder. I took a few quick pictures of them and went on my way. They never saw me and I never saw their faces. On my return walk they were gone, the sun had slipped below the horizon and I took another photo. This painting is a combination of the two photos and a portrait of romance.

18 x 24 (on archival paper)

(SOLD) Giclée prints available

Block Island is one of the beautiful islands here in Southern New England, where fog is never far away. This painting is a view from a bluff above one of the beaches, with the fog bank rolling in from the ocean.

(SOLD) 

It was a cold day with a dusting of snow on the ground. I was leaving the park at dusk when I saw a camp fire off to my left. Here was a figure warming himself. The flickering fire illuminated the trunks of the trees.  Several weeks later I painted the scene from memory.  

18 x 24 (on archival paper)

(SOLD) Giclée prints available 

The marches along the cost of Connecticut are special places early in the morning. If you get there early enough, you can watch the day begin. This painting shows the sun just coming up and the sky, clouds, and pools of water ablaze with color. It was just the most wonderful time to be there.

14 x 24 (on archival paper)

(SOLD) Giclée prints available

My wife’s cousin has a home in Florida. Their deck overlooks the Gulf of Mexico. A thunderstorm had just passed, and the clouds were breaking up. When they showed me the photo they had taken I thought, “I’ve seen this scene before when looking out over Long Island Sound.”  I decided to paint it using 50 shades of gray.

12 x 16 (on archival paper)

(SOLD) Giclée prints available

A fellow artist has a home along the banks of the Connecticut River. She invited other artists to her home for an afternoon of painting. This is her view looking up river towards the East Haddam Bridge.

12 x 8 (on archival paper)

(SOLD) Giclée prints available

Off the coast of Madison Ct sits the little island of Tuxis. This is a bird sanctuary and has been painted many times by other artist. It was dusk when I did this and the island was silhouetted against the beautiful winter sky.

12 x 20 (on archival paper)

(SOLD) Giclée prints available

When my wife and I go for walks with our little dog I am always taking pictures. On this particular walk last autumn we were on the Greenway Trail in Madison. I, as usual, was lagging behind taking pictures. When I turned around my wife was just approaching a bend in the trail and I took a photo of her and our dog. The trees were aglow with the sun from behind; dabbles of sunlight stretched across the path. This picture was a joy to paint. 

4 x 10 (on archival paper)

(SOLD) Giclée prints available

Winters in New England can be harsh and they can be beautiful. The snow on the ground picks up the color of the late day sky. This snow in this painting evokes a feeling of cold and the sunset illustrates the beauty of the afternoon.

(SOLD) Giclée prints available

My grandson was just two years old when he first ventured into the water at the beach. This is a moment that any parent will remember, and I wanted to capture it for my son daughter-in-law.

20 x 14 (on archival paper)

(SOLD) Prints available through Spectrum Gallery, Visit spectrumartgallery.org

As we age there are times when we find ourselves staring into space, reflecting on our life.  This portrait captures this moment.  I have painted other portraits, but never an elderly person. The light catches every crease, every vain, every shadow on her face and hands. One day, perhaps, we may find ourselves in this same pose.

14 x 24 (on archival paper)

(SOLD) Giclée prints available

The old Madison Beach Hotel and its rustic Wharf restaurant is now gone, and in its place stands this new four-story grand hotel. Things change, but the evening sunsets are still the same spectacular events from which we never tire.

5 x 24 (on archival paper)

(SOLD) 

There was an old wooden boardwalk at Hammonasset beach that was lost to super storm Sandy a few years ago. This painting reminds me of that old boardwalk where we took our walks.

16 x 20 (on archival paper)

(SOLD) Giclée prints available

There is something about a sailboat at mooring that is very calming. I came across this photo that had been taken a few years ago. The shore behind the boat is shrouded in a vale of fog while the boat itself sits radiant in the sunlight. The contrast was very appealing to me.

12 x 16 (on archival paper)

(SOLD) Giclée prints available

Each time I walk through Hammonasset State Park I come across something that just takes my breath away. One such encounter was late in the afternoon when the sun hid behind the clouds, but still reflected on the waters of Long Island Sound.

12 x 18 (on archival paper)

(SOLD) Giclée prints available

Living along the coast of Connecticut, fog, is a familiar a companion (especially in the marsh areas).  It doesn’t last long, as the sun does its job and burns through to clear the day.

When you sail by yourself there is such a feeling of being alone with nothing to interrupt the sounds of the wind on the sail and the water splashing against the boat’s hull. You can take in the sun and smells as you drift across the surface of the water propelled by just the wind. My son and I both loved sailing. I’m sure our grandson will be a sailor too. This in one of my small works.

8 x 10 (on archival paper)

Remember when you were a kid at the beach?  All you could think about was the moment. This painting, I think, captures just that. These two kids are just lost in the moment.

Original & Prints available

16 x 20 (on archival paper)

(SOLD) Giclée Prints available

One of my early watercolor paintings was of a boathouse on a lake upstate New York. I love the colors in this painting. I look forward to going back there in the fall.

SOLD

20 x 14 (on archival paper)

One of the best places to view the city of New Haven Ct is from Lighthouse Park at the mouth of New Haven Harbor. The evening I was there, moonlit clouds were drifting across the sky partially blocking the moon.

Original & Prints available

I started painting in 2014, just after I retired. This painting will always be special to me because it was one of my first pastels. It now hangs in our home.  

I’m sure you have all heard the phrase “behind every cloud is a silver lining.” Even after the stormiest day, when the clouds part there is that beautiful blue sky.  In this case the sunlight also creates a wonderful sparkle on the water.

When you visit Cape Cod, one of your stops must be the beaches. They are some of the most beautiful beaches you will ever walk. With dunes on one side and crashing waves on the other, I just felt I could walk forever and not get tired. Long after we leave Cap Cod, we remember those walks with the sound and smell of the ocean. We are really looking forward to returning.

A few Summers ago I was in upstate NY visiting my sister. We were just returning from a gallery exhibit at the Adirondack Museum when we crossed over a small bridge. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted this wonderful image. Of the several photos I took this one stood out. There is something about this spot I find very peaceful. 

Along River Road in Madison Ct is a little spot that overlooks the wetlands and the Hammonasset river.  When the sun sits low in the sky just the east bank of the river and tree tops catch the last sunlight of the day. I love driving past this area. 

Our oldest Grandson loves boats of all kinds. I did this for him as a Christmas gift.

Framed Original: 18 x 24

Our youngest grandson was born on Christmas day and has always had a fascination about Christmas. I did this for him as a Christmas gift.

Our Granddaughter loves horses and dogs. I did this for her as a birthday gift.

There is something about cold late winter days, the sun has almost set and off in the distance you can see lights shining through the window and smoke rising from the chimney. The thought of warming yourself in front of the fireplace is such an inviting thought and it just keeps you going.

If you have ever visited Misquamicut state park in RI, you know that on some days the waves are just spectacular. As soon as i saw this wave I knew this would make a great painting. I wanted to capture the action and power of this wave rolling as well as the translucent effect of sunlight passing through it. This is one of my larger paintings (30”x42” framed).

Framed Original: 13 x 33

One of the many great things I love about Cape Cod is that you have access to water in any direction you travel. This painting is the view looking West. Off in the distance there is a squall working its way across the bay towards the Cape. The sun is shining but a little rain is on the way.

I had just completed this painting and entered it into a show when it sold the next day. The buyers were just returning from a vacation on the Block Island regretting not buying a reminder of their vacation. On the drive home they just happened to stop at the gallery in Lyme. When they spotted my painting they said they had just been on that bluff overlooking the beach the day before and had to buy the memory. .

In the town of Madison is a little restaurant right on the river. This painting is the view looking across to the other side of the river. My wife and I were walking to the car after a wonderful lunch. It was a late Fall afternoon. There was a light drizzle falling and I just happened to glance at the river as we were getting in the car. I quickly took out my phone and took a picture. This painting is exactly what I saw.

Framed Original: 28 x 22

A morning ritual in Maine is to head out to check and set lobster pots. This is a typical image from the rocky shores to see the boats heading out for the day.

Framed Original: 12 x 24

Sometimes when you least expect it the sky at sunset becomes ablaze in color. This was such a sunset.

Framed Original: 14 x 18

The end of a perfect day of sailing and solitude. A loan figure heads is Catboat into harbor.

Framed Original: 41 x 24

As an artist, one of my favorite times of day is when the sun sits low in the sky casting long shadow over the landscape. I think this painting says it all. What I like most, is the way the sun lights up the cloud and illuminates the marsh grass, while in the shadows it is already becoming dark.

Framed Original 30x24

A sunny afternoon with the wind at her back, this confident girl knows what she wants and where she is going.

Framed Original: 42 x 27

When a storm passes It takes a while for the ocean to calm down. The sun may be out, but it’s still very windy. Such was the case that inspired this painting. As the waves crashed onto the shore, the wind blew the tops of the wave into a fine spray. The churning waves had ribbons of foam swirling patterns across their surface.

Framed Original: 41 x 24

This painting is a slight variation of #1. As an artist, one of my favorite times of day is when the sun sits low in the sky casting long shadow over the landscape. I think this painting says it all. What I like most, is the way the sun lights up the cloud and illuminates the marsh grass, while in the shadows it is already becoming dark.

KERBS BOAT HOUSE (CENTRAL PARK NYC)

Framed Original 29 x 23

New York City is large, but it does have a quiet center, Central Park. Walking through the park you can’t help but feel like you’ve left the hustle and bustle of the city behind you. There is a small pond dedicated to model boats and sailboats. On any given day you will find people enjoying a little bit of quiet time sailing their dream boats.

WAITING FOR THE FOG TO LIFT:

Framed Original: 22 x 28

On a recent trip to Nova Scotia, my wife and I stopped in to a little area called Peggy’s Cove. It was a very foggy day and not what you would call good painting conditions. I was taking photos of the area when I came across these two well used rowboats that were tied together. They were worn and rusted, full of colorful ropes and fishing gear. To me they appeared to be waiting for the fog to lift before venturing out for the day.

DUST IN THE COVE

Framed Original: 32 x 21

End of the day, and the boats are at moorings. The sun has set behind the hills and a mist just beginning to develop. This is a typical New England image in coves up and down the Connecticut River from late Spring to Fall.

One of our favorite destinations is Cape Cod. Just saying it sounds like summer. There is always a breeze along the beaches and bays, and you will always see a sailboat leaning over in the wind. We love our stays there and have found it to be one of the most relaxing and charming places to visit.

Framed Original: 23 x 29

When you’re in a sailboat race, you know you are going to get wet. This painting invokes that feeling of “In It To Win It.” Do whatever is needed to win the race.

Framed Original: 20 x 33

There is something about elephants that keeps me going back to paint them. I ran across an old photo of these elephants crossing a shallow river. They were following each other (young and old) led by an old bull elephant. The title for the painting came to me as I was looking at the photo, “Follow the Leader.”

In the Spring of 2019, my wife and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary in New York City. We had lunch with long-time friends at the Loeb Boathouse restaurant, which is located in Central Park. As we walked through the restaurant to the patio, I stopped at the top of the steps and took a quick photo. When we got home I looked at the image I had taken and immediately saw I had captured a wonderful scene of friends enjoying the afternoon, both on the lake in rowboats and having lunch. I had to paint this.

Framed Original 17x21

On any given weekend morning, from Spring until Fall, you’ll see boats leaving harbors all along the Connecticut coastline heading out for a day of fishing with family and friends on Long Island Sound.

Framed size 27x38

As you head north on the Connecticut river, there is an iconic yellow house on the right side if the river just passed Essex Ct. Everyone on the river knows this house as it marks the entrance to beautiful Hamburg Cove, which I have painted a number of times

There is a marina in Clinton Ct that can be viewed across the marsh from Madison. Due to the distance only the sailboat mast are visible.

Framed Original 17 x 29

A few years ago my wife and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary in NYC. This is the view from across the street at Pershing Square.

Framed Size: 33 x 27

Grizzly bears are one of the most powerful creatures in North America and their stare can be quite intimidating. My wife and I took a trip to the Canadian Rockies a few years ago. During that vacation I came across a painting of a Grizzly bear. I’ve thought about that bear painting for a while now and decided to paint my own bear. I wanted to capture that stare. What do you think?

NOON AT THE CAPE

Framed size: 38x24

(SOLD)

Cape Cod has always been a favorite place for my wife and I. If you are luck you can catch the light when it is just right. This was one of those times. I took a few quick photos and could not wait to get home so I could start this painting.

Patch Of Blue

Framed size 30x40

(SOLD)

A storm had just passed and the clouds were just beginning to break. A small area of blue appeared. And, thus the title.