Robert Roth is a contemporary artist from the coastal town of Cold Spring Harbor, New York. Robert is most known for his abstract landscape paintings that have caught the eye of art collectors around the globe.
Robert first started creating art as a young child. “As soon as I could hold I pencil, I was drawing”, he said. In high school, Robert made the switch from drawing to painting and hit the ground running. For college, Robert attended the Rhode Island School of Design and graduated in 1987 with a BFA in painting and illustration.
He started off his painting career as an illustrator that used watercolors. However, he has since switched to using acrylic paints. When asked why, Robert replied “I switched to acrylic in order to do larger scale paintings.” Acrylic paint is also more variable and can be layered to create different effects. He likes “the ability to go thicker with the paint, being more opaque at times.”
When painting, he utilizes loose, quick brushstrokes to achieve his signature look. A frequent subject of his work is the marriage of the earth and sky. His paintings beautifully represent the horizon, whether it be over land or sea. My favorite paintings by Robert are those of the sunset, where rich color illuminates the sky. I never tire of watching the sun set, and I never tire of Robert’s work. No two paintings of his are exactly alike, as no two sunsets are truly identical either.
He gets his inspiration from the places he has been, and the feelings associated with these places. One location that has provided him with inspiration is Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. He often spends his summers here with his family, breathing the salty air. Robert has also been inspired by artists that came before him. These people include Rothko, Picasso, Whistler, Rauschenberg, and Diebenkorn.
Robert has been recognized for his hard work throughout the years. He has received a silver medal from the Cleveland Museum of Art and two medals form New York’s Hecksher Museum of Art. His work has been exhibited all over the country in places like Houston, Santa Fe, Charlotte, and New York City. He has also illustrated numerous children’s books that can be found in public libraries throughout the United States. Robert and currently teaches at the Cleveland Institute of Art and paints in his backyard studio after work.
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