Bio

Richard Stalter was born in Dayton, Ohio, on April 27, 1934. He developed an interest in art at a very early age, gaining recognition for his work in both grade school and high school. In college he pursued courses in advertising, mistakenly believing this would be complimentary to his wish to become a fine artist. In fact, his work in advertising after college merely served to delay the onset of his profession as a fine artist.

In 1958, during a six month stay in New York City, he met and befriended a master impressionist artist, Bernard Lennon. In 1964, he moved to Gaylordsville, Connecticut to study with Mr. Lennon and begin his career as a professional artist. That year also marked the beginning of his participation in the Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit (New York City) and the Mystic Outdoor Art Festival (Mystic, Connecticut). Throughout the years, he won many prizes in both shows including First Prize in Oils four times in the Mystic exhibition. During those years he participated in other group shows in the Northeast, winning prizes several times in Newport, Rhode Island, and once in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Mr. Stalter paints his subjects on location, finding inspiration from scenes throughout the Litchfield Hills surrounding his Gaylordsville home. He paints all four seasons and adds figure and still life painting done from life to his body of work. In the 1960s through the 1980s he traveled early to Provincetown and Wellfleet on Cape Cod to capture the seaside light and subjects.

Since that time he has sought out the boat and water subjects of Mystic and Stonington, Connecticut, painting in those locations at least once a year. Locally, many will remember Mr. Stalter for his initiating an unsuccessful attempt to bring an art museum to New Milford, Connecticut.

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