Thomas Stiltz, Realism

By the time Thomas was in high school, he had sold his first painting.
Stiltz received his Bachelor of Arts in painting and Master of Arts in photography and design from the University of Delaware in 1969.
As a graduate student traveling through Europe in 1972, Thomas Stiltz developed his taste for fine wine.  Experiencing cuisine enhanced by just the right wine led to a life-long interest in the world’s best varietals. 
Stiltz has toured many vineyards, met the owners and winemakers and discovered the many parallels between wine making and painting.  As in painting, the layering of flavors in the winemaking process produces complexity and sensual lushness.  Neither process can be rushed and each wine or work or art is as different as the personality who creates it. 
The paintings of Thomas Stiltz are created with a devotion to old world techniques, using many layers to build up the paint surface. Backgrounds are glazed with many layers of color for depth and richness.
Paul Cezanne, whose still life's show devotion to the solidity of objects and form revealed through color, was the artist who most influenced Stiltz’ style.
He was also inspired by the works of Jan Vermeer, and Vermeer's depiction of the interaction of light and objects, emphasis on detail, and the effect of diffused light on backgrounds and shadows
With the “Wine Collection” you will find in the Galleries at Alessandro’s, Stiltz’s artistic talent and interest in fine wines coalesce.