Drawing animals has always been an impulse or me. It’s been my pastime of choice for as long as I can remember, as much of my time was spent exploring the outdoors as a child and learned to care for a variety of pets and livestock. Because I was exposed to fishing and hunting at an early age, I developed great sense of responsibility to care for and conserve both habitat and wildlife, and learned to appreciate our country’s model of conservation. I knew I wanted wildlife art to be my profession when my painting of a redhead drake won the 2006-2007 Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest when I was 15 years old. I still continue to enter the Federal Duck Stamp Contest each year. The program has greatly expanded my knowledge and appreciation of waterfowl and wildlife conservation. My work has had the honor of being featured on the Nevada State Duck Stamp, the National Duck Stamp Collectors Society Stamp for multiple years, and has placed second in the Federal Duck Stamp contest twice. I have also had the privilege of being a featured artist in the 2016 film The Million Dollar Duck (which aired on Animal Planet ), a suspenseful feature length documentary about the unique world behind the Federal Duck Stamp Contest, directed and produced by Brian Golden Davis. Since my early involvement in conservation stamp programs and through numerous connections with other artists, photographers, hunters and outdoor enthusiasts, my scope has broadened to all kinds of wildlife from around the world. One of my first honors was being juried into the Society of Animal Artists, along with receiving the Roger Tory Peterson Institute Award of Excellence in 2019. Other honors include multiple Society of Animal Artists museum exhibitions, becoming a finalist for the 2021 & 2024 David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation Wildlife Artist of the Year, and inclusion into the into the prestigious Birds In Art exhibition at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson art museum in Wausau, Wisconsin in 2024 & 2025. Currently I show my work at the Easton Waterfowl Festival and the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition. I also have an increasing amount of work available through other shows, including Mountain Oyster Club Contemporary Art Show and Sale, Settler’s West Galleries shows, and Legacy Gallery‘s Annual Small Works Show.
Rebekah with the cast and director of “The Million Dollar Duck”
I choose to paint wildlife not only because I grew up exploring the Missouri outdoors which led to my innate love for nature, but also because I believe that animals, particularly wild ones, are nature’s masterworks and are the ultimate display of beauty, creative expression and life. By immersing myself into the animals and their habitats, I can escape the daily pressures that come with the self-aware human mind. Painting animals forces a close observation of anatomy, how each part flows into the next, and how light reveals every form and texture. My work aims to provide the viewer with a personal connection to a world that thrives apart from our presence, creating a window into both majestic and intimate moments in nature that we are seldom fortunate enough to witness in person. My work features wildlife from Alaska to Africa and everywhere in between. My hunger for adventure has led to incredible wildlife encounters in these places, which is what drives me to share those experiences through my paintings. The process of creating art has proven to be much more than sitting down to start a painting; it’s become an entire lifestyle full of risk, wonder and excitement.
I learned to paint in acrylics but later transitioned to oils as my primary medium, although occasionally I experiment with other various mediums. I like to choose compositions that are unique and memorable, and I often look for ways to convey my subjects from a new perspective. Like the individuality of each particular animal, every piece of art I create has its own originality and impression. As an artist I will always strive to do my subjects justice with each new piece.
Besides painting, I have taken on other endeavors that each seem to support and interpret each other in some way. I’ve enjoyed playing music (guitar and violin) since high school, and currently play at local gigs and weddings on occasion. In 2021 I earned my private pilot license which has allowed me to take my exploration and sense of adventure to quite literally a new level. Painting, music and flying share so many parallels that often occur to me out of nowhere. I like to think of them as a three-legged stool which is the platform for my creativity and sense of accomplishment. I currently reside in Deepwater, Missouri with my husband Olen and work part-time as a substitute rural carrier for the US Postal Service. Olen works as a full-time rural carrier while also running our cattle farm. When I’m not hauling mail, I’m busy creating art and finding new ways to reveal nature’s masterpieces.