A native of Iowa, Robert Kuester, spent two years at Drake University, and went on to obtain a BFA from the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. Living in New Mexico since 1986, Robert paints still life, landscapes, figures and commissioned portraits in oils only.
Artist Statement
I create paintings with strong and lasting artistic quality. I believe that a thing of beauty is a joy forever. My hope is that others will see and feel the beauty I have found or created in my subjects. I am not a photo realist, but rather begin with the randomness of nature, subtly transforming it into a heightened state of beauty and permanence through organization and design.
As an Alla Prima painter, I love the beauty of brushwork, exploiting it for its own sake while the image manifests as a believable representation of my subject. I also believe in the experience of Plein Air painting for developing a real depth of understanding the landscape.
I studied for two years at Drake University in Iowa, after which I received my BFA at The Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. In 1986 I left a successful career in illustration in Detroit and moved to New Mexico with my wife and daughter - also gifted artists – to pursue my dream of working exclusively as a painter.
Further studies with painters such as Ovanes Berberian, Michael Lynch, and Irby Brown have helped me develop my current style, technique and mastery of medium.
