Artist brings beauty to life despite visual challenges | News, Sports, Jobs


Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski /
Artist Sam Dietz operates on a celestial portray in his Altoona residence.

Born with severe cataracts additional challenging by glaucoma, Altoonan Sam C. Dietze has not enable his visual worries prevent him from taking pleasure in the outside or constructing a career as an award-successful artist.
His oil portray “Interstellar Filaments” seems in the July situation of Astronomy magazine, an all-artwork issue devoted to the Ideal House Artwork of the Worldwide Association of Astronomical Artists. The oil painting is an “expressionistic graphic depicting one attainable gas flowing as a result of the early universe,” according to a caption in the journal. Dietze is just one of 42 artists showcased in the annual specific edition.
The magazine is out there at newsstands and booksellers or can be acquired on the internet at https://myscienceshop.com/solution/ASY220701-C, claimed IAAA President Aldo Spadoni. Additional than 200 entries were being acquired and only 50 ended up chosen.
“Sam’s function was chosen for a range of reasons, not the minimum of which is mainly because he’s an fantastic artist. Also, he’s cozy with abstract interpretations of sophisticated astronomical phenomena and ideas. We desired some artwork to symbolize some unique factors of the early Universe and his piece … captured that beautifully,” Spadoni said by means of electronic mail. He explained Dietze as a “veteran and very well-highly regarded artist member of the IAAA. He has explored the use of oils, pencils, acrylics and plein air portray to depict a wide range of astronomical phenomena. Sam has a exceptional design and style, which is promptly recognizable, that includes distinctive swatches of paint and bold use of shade.”
Legally blind, Deitze cannot travel. Rather, Dietze (pronounced deets-ee) rides one particular of his three bikes to the gymnasium and for errands and depends on mates Diane and Frank Barry. He achieved Diane as a result of his participation in plans by The Blair/Clearfield Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
“I paint the way I see issues or perform from my imagination,” Dietze discussed. “It’s been the same all my daily life. I have never identified typical vision. I’ve in no way had it. It’s a problem. Individuals don’t fully grasp.”
To read through a printed letter, he holds it shut up to his eyes. For computer function, he makes use of excess significant fonts to see text.
Inspite of his disability, Dietze succeeded in his academic endeavors as he pursued his passions in science, particularly astronomy. He earned a bachelor of science and a master’s degree in astronomy from Penn Condition University and then a second master’s diploma in Astro-Geophysics from the University of Colorado in Boulder.
He coped by sitting in front of classes, listening to audio tapes and did greatest with “very verbal” professors.
His late mom and dad nurtured his “can do” mindset.
“They would say ‘there’s nothing you can’t do, you just have to do it in different ways,’” he mentioned. Except for residing in Point out University and in Colorado for many decades, he’s lived in Altoona.
Work proved elusive, so he turned to developing art whole-time. He paints in two distinct models: plein air, portray outdoor scenes though outdoors and landscapes of the heavens and other planetary landscapes working with his scientific and astronomical information put together with creativeness.
“The outdoor scenes came as a result of my appreciate of remaining exterior and getting in character,” he claimed. “It’s yet another sort of science and seeing the science in mother nature.”
Dietze usually joins other region artists at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art Altoona Group Results in occasions, claimed web page Director Hannah Harley. A solo exhibition of his get the job done a short while ago concluded.
“I’ve identified Sam Dietze’s creative fashion is a present day choose on impressionism. His study of gentle in landscapes and imaginative skyscapes are colourful and vibrant. The works are not rigid or cautious, but you can see he’s wonderfully thoughtful of the mild and shifting colours. From afar, the artworks show up as scenes, but up close, they grow to be shades side by aspect in a formation,” she explained. “I’ve usually adored Sam’s plein air parts. By painting exterior, Sam can actually aim on and delight in the altering light and the beautiful colours of a scene.”
She also admires Dietze’s “generous spirit” as he helps newcomers discover.
“He has a generous spirit. Sam is a form and thoughtful person and he is a proficient and hardworking artist. Those persona and inventive features occur jointly (and) mean that Sam is an inspiration to lots of. His art continues to wow our local community, and it will be so thrilling to see what he generates subsequent.”
His like of the astronomical heavens is expressed as a result of more substantial canvases encouraged by his schooling, creativeness and photographic sights from scientific voyagers, these types of as the Hubble Area Telescope. However, he doesn’t replicate photos but utilizes the photos to gas his creativeness, he mentioned.
Fellow artist and longtime mate Stephen Gilbert describes Dietze as “very thoughtful, smart and a bit taciturn. He does not say a great deal most of the time.”
The two have painted frequently jointly, and Gilbert praised Dietze for his creative qualities.
“He’s entirely self-taught. He pursues it incredibly methodically and offers a ton of thought to his use of coloration. He’s quite accomplished. I definitely like the landscapes he does. He has a beautifully quirky way of performing it that is all his have. It is noticeable it’s his function.”
His type is apparent in his wide brush get the job done, Gilbert reported. “He doesn’t element the way anyone with improved eyesight would. His function has a daring freshness to it. It’s fairly charming.”
Dietze has had his is effective revealed in a number of solo exhibits, and received nationwide, state and regional awards. A solo exhibit of his is effective is prepared for February 2023 at the Bellefonte Artwork Museum in Centre County.
Area resident Chabela Grabb, a former Hollidaysburg artwork gallery operator, is the happy proprietor of two Dietze operates displayed in her household.
One particular perform functions trees in a wooded region with leaves ablaze in different shades.
“It’s not extremely defined, but all with each other tends to make a lovely blend,” she said. “I actually take pleasure in his operate.”
The other perform attributes a “magnificent sky with trees with an evening dim and blue sky. It is lovely. The colours he paints are amazing.”