Artist Statement

My work explores the enduring relationship between nature, structure, and human perception. Rooted in a lifelong attraction to beauty, spirituality, and the natural world, my paintings seek to communicate tranquility through color, texture, and light. Whether depicting monumental landscapes or iconic urban forms, I approach each subject with reverence, emphasizing both its physical presence and its energetic resonance.

Although art surrounded me from an early age—my father was a professional artist working in New York City’s mid-century advertising and fine art world—I initially pursued a different path. I was trained in science and dentistry, disciplines grounded in precision, structure, and observation. These foundations continue to inform my artistic practice today, shaping how I see form, balance, and the underlying order of the natural world.

I came to painting later in life, following my father’s passing, when I inherited his studio materials. What began as an experiment soon developed into a committed studio practice. Working primarily in acrylics and with palette knives, I embrace layered surfaces, texture, and the process of continual revision. I am drawn to landscapes—particularly mountains—for their timelessness and quiet authority. They embody permanence, resilience, and scale, standing in contrast to the fleeting motion of the sky, which I paint as a source of energy, movement, and emotional charge.

In recent years, I have extended this exploration to Philadelphia’s architecture, painting historic and iconic structures with the same respect I give natural forms. In these works, the built environment becomes monumental, echoing the solidity of mountains against an ever-changing sky. I frequently work en plein air, allowing light, atmosphere, and immediacy to shape the final image.

My goal is for every square inch of the canvas to hold visual and emotional interest. I am attentive to small details as much as expansive forms, believing that nature’s beauty exists equally in the grand and the subtle. Through my use of color, contrast, and texture, I aim to create paintings that invite reflection and convey a calm, grounded energy—offering viewers a moment of stillness and connection.

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Artist Biography

Born in New York City in 1959, Eric Spieler earned a BA in Chemistry from Queens College (CUNY) and a DMD from Penn Dental Medicine. After a 35-year career in dentistry, he developed a dedicated painting practice, informed by scientific observation, aesthetic sensitivity, and a lifelong engagement with visual art.

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Education

1976 - 1980
City University of New York, New York, NY
B.A. (Chemistry)

1980 - 1984
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
D.M.D.

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Faculty Appointments

1996 - 2000
Selectives Faculty, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, Philadelphia, PA

2018 - 2025
Instructor, Department of Preventive and Restorative Sciences University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
Expert in CAD/CAM digital dentistry

2022-2025
Course Director, Operative Dentistry, Advanced Restorative Dentistry, Microscopy, University of Pennsylvania, School of Dental Medicine, Philadelphia, PA

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Membership in Professional and Scientific Societies

2014 - 2017
Alumni Executive Board Member, University of Pennsylvania, School of Dental Medicine, Philadelphia, PA

2017 - 2021
President of Alumni Executive Board, University of Pennsylvania, School of Dental Medicine, Philadelphia, PA

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Academic Committees at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine

2017 - Present
CE Advisory Committee

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Bibliography

Peer Reviewed Research Publications

Spieler, E. L. and J.M. Dirienzo: Characterization of the major Outer-membrane proteins of Actinobacillus- Actinomycetemcomitans. Journal of Dental Research vol 60 pp.523-523, 1981

Dirienzo, J. M. and E. L. Spieler: Identification and Characterization of the Major Cell Envelope Proteins of Oral Strains of Actinobacillus Actinomycetemcomitans. Infection and Immunity, Jan. 1983, pp 253-261

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Non-Peer Reviewed Research Publications

Spieler, E. L.: Preventing toothbrush abrasion and the Efficacy of the Alert toothbrush: a review and Patient study. Compendium of Continuing Education Dentistry, May 1996, 17(5) pp 478-80,482, 484-5.

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Alternative Media

Patents

E. L. Spieler and R .M. Berman: Force Sensitive Handle for For Hand Operated Implement. US 5282291, Feb 1, 1994

E. L. Spieler and R. M. Berman: Force Sensitive Handle for Hand Operated Implement. US 5502861, Apr 2, 1996

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Professional Achievements

2009
Certificate in CAD/CAM Dentistry, CEREC

2010
Advanced Certificate in CAD/CAM Dentistry, CEREC

2013 - 2014
Angie’s List Super Service Award Winner, (given to the top 5% of Dentists in Philadelphia), Oasis Dental LLC

2015
Preferred Provider for Invisalign Orthodontics

2018
Expertise.com Named Top Twenty Dental Practices in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area

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Teaching

‍Artist in Residence, Penn Dental Medicine
Monthly painting classes for students, staff, and faculty

Exhibitions

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Solo

‍2014
Gryffin Café, Wayne, PA

2015
Nicole Miller, Manayunk, PA

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Group

‍2014
University of Pennsylvania Dental School, Philadelphia, PA

2015
Arthur Ross Gallery, Juried Show, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

2024
Plays and Players Theatre, Philadelphia, PA

2026
InLiquid March for Art, Crane Arts Building, Philadelphia, PA

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Press

2024
‍Collide Zine, Featured Artist