Robert Butler was born in the small timber and farming community of Baxley, Georgia in 1943. The first four years of his life were spent with his parents in a log cabin that he fondly remembers as an environment that perfectly reflects his African/Cherokee heritage.

    In 1947 events transpired that brought Robert to the community of Okeechobee, Florida. A move that must have been providential because it was here on the shores of Lake Okeechobee in the heart of Florida's backcountry, that he developed a familiarity with the woods and waters that are so honestly rendered in his paintings. It is correct to say that Robert Butler was tutored by nature itself.

  His professional career began in 1968. Robert honed his skills by pushing the limits of his artistic talents, and accumulated a vast amount of knowledge by creating more than one hundred paintings a year. With no formal training to facilitate an inherent artistic spirit Robert developed a style now known world wide as the "Butler Style" exemplified by a dramatically lit and romanticized  portrayal of the landscape.

Exhibits/Displays

Zora Hurston/Festival (Judge)  
Orlando, Florida
Bethume Cookman College  Daytona, Florida
Hillsborough Community College 
Tampa, Florida
Stetson University Law School 
Clearwater, Florida
Orlando History Center Orlando, Florida
Florida House Washington, D.C.
Dusable Museum Chicago, Illinois
Florida State Capitol Building
Tallahassee, Florida
Tampa Museum of Art Tampa, Florida
Friends of the Library Tampa, Florida
Appleton Museum Ocala, Florida
Daytona Museum of Art/Science
Daytona, Florida
Florida A&M University Tallahassee, Florida
Gulf Coast University Pensacola, Florida
University of Florida Gainesville, Florida
Miami Museum of Art/Science Miami, Florida
Strawberry Festival Judge Plant City, Florida

Newspapers/Magazines Articles

Florida Wildlife Magazine Cover 78'
Hydro Magazine
Florida Trend Magazine
Fort Lauderdale Sentinel
St. Pete Times
Miami Harold
Lakeland Ledger
Tampa Tribune
Gulf Coast Life
Pensacola Sun
Florida Land and Livestock News
The Florida Cattlemen Cover 96'
Winter Haven News Chief
Orlando Sentinel
Ocala Star Banners
Gainesville Sun
Tallahassee Democrat
Sarasota Harold-Tribune
Okeechobee News
The Monroe Journal
Gainesville Sun
Judge for Miniature Art Society of Florida 04'
News Chief 04'

Public/Corporate Collections

Sun Bank Punta   Gorda, Florida
Florida Power & Light   Tampa, Florida
TECO Electric   Tampa, Florida
Holland and Knight   Tampa, Florida
Fifth District Court   Lakeland, Florida
First National Bank   Clearwater, Florida
Lakeland Ledger   Lakeland, Florida
WLKF/WWRZ Radio   Lakeland, Florida
Commercial INS Consultants 
Lakeland, Florida
Brocton Museum   Brocton, Mass.
Dusable Museum   Chicago, Illinois
Florida Department of Agriculture
Tallahassee, Florida
Beijing Zoo Director   Beijing, China
CF Industries/Head Office   Beijing, China
Imabari Mayors Office   Imabari, Japan
Imabari High School   Imabari, Japan
Plaid Enterprises   Atlanta, Georgia
Rollins Inc.   Atlanta, Georgia
Florida FFA Training Center
Haines City, Florida
Daytona Museum Art/Science
Daytona, Florida
British Embassy/Agricultural Dept.
Washington, D.C.
Florida State Fair/ Hall of Fame  
Tampa, Florida
Florida Garden Club Office
Tallahassee, Florida
Florida A&M University
Tallahassee, Florida
Smithbilt Auburndale, Florida
Citrus & Chemical Lakeland, Florida
Ben Hill Griffin Inc. Frostproof, Florida
Turner Ranch Corporation Immokalee, Florida

TV & Radio APPEARANCES  

WFLA NEWS FEATURE      
Tampa, Florida 
WUSF TV                         Tampa, Florida
          (Painting Southern Landscape & Fund-raiser)
WEDU TV                        Tampa, Florida
          (3 Series Nationwide Painting Florida Southern Landscape)
WUFT-TV
WCJB-TV
WUFT- FM
WJUF-FM
WRUF-FM

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