Who: RC Dieckhoff, Steamboat Springs
Medium: Pastels
His story: Robert C. Dieckhoff learned to surf in California, where he was born in 1948, and began skiing in Steamboat Springs, his home since 1998. He began painting when he was 4 years old. He majored in art, math and philosophy while attending college on the G.I. Bill, following four years as a Navy radio technician in Vietnam. He also has worked as a carpenter, and manager for a steakhouse and ski inn.
Dieckhoff’s work is compositionally oriented, with colors consistently vibrant, in murals, mosaics, cut glass and illustrations for training manuals and magazine articles. He believes that the character of the land defines what’s important to a community. Dieckhoff sees northwest Colorado as particularly sacred and unique because it sits in an impact zone where the plains meet the mountains. This creates energy, stimulates imagination and encourages artists to touch space, he says.
Philosophy: Dieckhoff’s iconic images have been influenced by Japanese masters at the Ukiyo-e School, where he studied in the 1960s, and by Thomas Benton, Grant Wood and Diego Rivera.
Price range: Prints $50-$300; pastels $1,000-$3,000
Where you can find his work: Dieckhoff’s extraordinary landscapes can be found in galleries throughout Steamboat Springs, where he is a founding member of the new Artist’s Gallery, president of the Steamboat Art Museum, and chair of the Steamboat Springs Public Art Board. His work is displayed in Japan and in the White House, after the city of Steamboat Springs presented one of his pieces to the Preserve America collection. Upcoming exhibits include a show at the Mexican Consulate in Denver. Contact him at 970-870-8068 or rcdieckhoff@gmail.com.
