Today we’d like to introduce you to Roberta Dyer.
Roberta grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. Visiting the High Museum of Art and going to the fledgling Piedmont Park Art Festival, she imagined her paintings would one day hang between the artists she so admired. She attended Vanderbilt University, earned her BA in Art History and returned to Atlanta after graduation where she continued pursuing her passion for art, taking classes at the High Museum and Georgia State University in her spare time.
Moving to San Diego in 1971, Roberta took art classes as time would allow and has since enjoyed many forms of expression from sculpture to copper enameling, oil painting to mural assignments. Today, she focuses on abstract paintings and figurative subjects in watermedia/collage that lean towards the abstract and non-representational.
Roberta is an award-winning, Signature member of the San Diego Watercolor Society, the International Society of Acrylic Painters (ISAP) and the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies. Often juried into prestigious competitive international shows, you can enjoy her artwork regularly hanging at the San Diego Watercolor Society and the Ashton Gallery at Art on 30th in San Diego.
She has served as a juror for competitive shows and has taught classes, demonstrated and led painting groups for several years. Roberta is the past Director of the International Exhibition for the San Diego Watercolor Society and has served as president of that same organization.
Roberta’s art is best described as expressive, whether figurative or abstract. She uses a combination of bold color and mixed media techniques to present her subjects in unusual ways.
“I am constantly pulled by two loves – painting figures and painting abstracts. It makes me happy to work with the push and pull of these two disciplines. I want to explore how design and pattern interact to make a realistic subject more abstract and enhance the theme of the painting.
For me, the process of painting involves adding and removing and editing as I go along. If something doesn’t work, I simply paint it out and go in a different direction. I don’t try to paint likenesses, that is a task for portrait artists. I use figures as shapes in a painting. While I love painting with traditional watercolors, acrylics lend themselves well to my technique.”
Has it been a smooth road?
One of the biggest struggles a fine artist faces is finding a venue for showing work.
Another challenge for me has been taking myself seriously enough to devote the time and energy required to find some measure of success via sales and recognition. Creating art can be a solitary and sometimes lonely journey, and as with most endeavors, hard work is the key. My family has been unfailingly supportive of me and I’m happy to say that their faith and my hard work are beginning to pay off.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I am a self-employed artist who is still, at age 72, looking for a successful business model! I am most proud of hearing people say when they meet me, “Oh, you are Roberta Dyer. I love your work!”. I am happy to say that I have been able, over the last few years, to find a voice that is different from that of other artists and that sets me apart, just a little bit.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
San Diego is a wonderful place to live and I am happy to say that the opportunities for artists are getting a little better. Obviously, if you want international fame and huge exposure, the world’s major cities are the best bet for an artist. San Diego has a long way to go in that regard, but it is making some small headway.
The art fairs and small galleries are wonderful and give exposure to many artists who wouldn’t have a public face otherwise. The best thing San Diego can do for artists is to encourage its citizens to look at and buy art. Also the more public art the City has the more people will be aware of art as a positive force and the more everyone will want to participate in that collective energy.
Art in schools is a key as well and should be encouraged at all costs. I was a good student, and art class was my favorite time of the week. It answers so many needs for a maturing mind.
Contact Info:
- Website: robertadyer.com
- Phone: 619-990-4983
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