For most of his professional life, Thomas Stiltz has worked as an art director, photographer, and painter. His experience with photography brings sensitivity to light and form. His strong sense of composition and picture space, combined with a flair of the dramatic, naturally lead him to create striking paintings. His purpose is to stimulate the viewer with feelings and emotion about the common, ordinary objects of our lives. Thomas Stiltz received his Bachelor of Arts in painting, and Master of Arts in photography and design from the University of Delaware. Once painter to influence Stiltz is Cezanne, whose still-lives show devotion to the solidity of objects and form revealed through color. Stiltz's paintings also reflect the inspiration gained from his studies of the works of Jan Vermeer. It is apparent from Stiltz's work, that lie is impressed with Vermeer's depiction of the interaction of light and objects, his emphasis on detail, and the effect of diffused light on backgrounds and shadows. The paintings of Thomas Stiltz are created with a devotion to old world techniques, often using many layers to build up the paint surface. Backgrounds are glazed with many layers of color for depth and richness, and objects are rendered with a strong emphasis on naturalism.