ROBERT HAUTMAN Bob was born on January 31, 1959, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Bob's interest in art began at a very young age. His mother, being an artist herself, encouraged him even before he attended kindergarten. One day while Bob was in class in the first grade and engrossed in his drawing, the teacher happened to walk by. "What are you doing?" she exclaimed. "Drawing naked ladies," he replied. "In school?" she questioned. Bob looked up and said, "Why not? Mom paints them all the time." At a loss for words, the teacher walked away. The rest is history. Hunting and fishing were part and parcel of his childhood. His parents owned a farm some distance from Minneapolis and the whole family would retreat to it on weekends and short vacations. The days were filled with hunting and fishing. When Bob was eight years old he managed to hook and land a ten pound northern pike. When a boy that young lands a fish which is nearly as big as he is…that's a memorable experience. Bob did not choose art as a career; art sort of chose him. While attending St. Louis Park High School in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, he made pottery to earn expense money. After graduation he continued making pottery for about three years to supplement his income as a sub-contractor for house painting, sheet-rocking, and roofing. Gradually, he began to paint birds and mammals on his pottery prior to glazing and firing. He continued to sub-contract in the housing industry until he was twenty-four. At that time, Jim, his brother, who followed art quite a bit in high school, was painting wildlife on driftwood and doing very well selling his work through a local gallery. Bob figured that it sure beat painting houses, so he tried his hand at it. Both his mother, who was a commercial artist, and Jim encouraged him to stick with it. Shortly, a career began to form. In 1988 both he and Jim decided to try for the Minnesota duck stamp design. Bob won and Jim placed third. Competing against the big names in Minnesota wildlife art and winning, gave both Bob and Jim the impetus needed to launch a career in art. Prior to trying his hand at painting, Bob entered the world of competitive ski racing. He moved to Winter Park, Colorado, to determine if he could make a living by skiing. Although he was -- and still is - an accomplished skier, he wasn't - as he puts it - "even close to making a living." He returned to Minnesota and now skis simply for the exhilaration. In some areas, he and Jim sign out to go "out of bounds," a term meaning that they won't be using the regulated slopes but will ski in any direction they choose. This privilege is reserved only for highly skilled downhill skiers. Bob's skills are not limited to painting and skiing. He carries an eight handicap in golf, plays hockey four or five days a week, and is an excellent chef. He has been on the winning golf team three times in the Moonlight Masters, an unusual tournament in that it is played in the dark of night. It is held at Dahlgreen Golf Course located just southwest of Minneapolis. Glowsticks are placed on the tees, the 150 yard markers, and on the flagsticks on the greens. A glowstick is placed inside the ball and glows for about two and one-half hours after activating it. It stays visible even in the woods. Bob has converted about 6 of his 80 acres into a small driving range. It is roughly 190 yards long, just good enough to sharpen his short game. He hopes to improve enough to beat his brother, Jim, who always seems to win by just a couple of strokes. Anything is possible in golf.
Hunting has always been a high-priority passion for Bob. He's proven that he is a good woodsman for he has successfully stalked deer with a bow. Ducks and geese are high on his list of preferred game and, he has traveled as far as Alaska to obtain the specimens he wanted. Once on a trip to Alaska, he intended to collect a fine pair of red-breasted mergansers, a duck which is difficult to obtain in good plumage. He shot a very fine pair, but before he could retrieve them, a pair of bald eagles swooped down and carried off both ducks. It was a case of mixed emotion; disappointment in losing the ducks, but exhilaration in witnessing the dive and piracy by the eagles. Bob is proud to have been able to use his position as a duck stamp design winner to further the cause of conservation. He said "Getting out, meeting people, and making speeches to create a greater awareness of our natural environment is extremely important." |
Russell Fink Gallery |