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Robert M. Hinkelman
 From the beginning, I have been drawn to nature’s infinite moods and displays. Look at the ocean and feel its relentless energy. Contrast that to the gentle flow of a stream and the serene, colorful autumn forests and mountains. Feel the bite of the winter wind over the snow. Then, when light creates breathtaking effects, the brush moves effortlessly.
My painting career began back in 1979 on a career broadening assignment in Buffalo, NY, as both a need to do something creative and a partial cure for cabin fever. Shortly thereafter, I was transferred back to New Jersey where I took night courses in landscape painting at the Morristown High school Adult Education Program. Annette Querques, a college Art Education teacher, was the instructor. Perhaps her finest teaching attribute was the ability to adapt her instruction to the type of painting that the student as most interested in and excited by.
 However, for many years, it was family first, job second and painting third. In essence, that meant squeezing in a couple of hours in front of a canvas between taking the kids to the party and picking them up afterwards.
There were a few shows such as the 25th Anniversary Clinton (Clinton, NJ) Mill Exhibit where I received the Silver Medal. Some of my paintings were included in exhibitions at what was then Nabisco’s Regional Headquarters in Whippany, NJ and in AT&T’s Bedminster, NJ location. I also did commissions, sold to fellow employees and participated in open air shows on weekends.
In 1996, I moved to Stuart, Florida, on the Treasure Coast. Over the ensuing years, more and more time has been spent with books, brushes, paint and canvas. There have been shows, private sales and donations to charitable art auctions. At a recently held art auction for a home for abused children, one of my paintings sold for $2,000.
I am a self-taught artist who has compiled countless hours of on-the-job training practicing sketching, composition and color management. The art books on the shelf are wrinkled and ragged. My wife and I are regular travelers who always take time to visit museums, galleries, beaches and back country roads. Analyze the masters for the education and inspiration. Our digital camera is always at hand.
The low country marshes and savannahs of the southeast have been a constant source of inspiration. The marshes, trees and water have so much fascination and inspiration. So much so that the Agora Gallery in lower Manhattan exhibited several of my paintings from late April – mid-May, 2006. A few months before, the Backus Gallery in Fort Pierce, Fl., displayed my paintings in their annual four county show.
Last year, I developed my own web site under the www.yessy.com umbrella. The site is: www.yessy.com/rhinkel661. Go there and you will see what I have done and what will be.
Over the years, my painting has moved through various themes. I have focused on mountains and lakes, moved to barns and water mills, then to old fishing boats and further to the red rocks of Sedona. Lately, the themes have been birds of prey, seascapes, the low country of the Carolinas and the waters and marches of Florida.
The “Chatfield” in my studio, “Chatfield’s Palette” is derived from my mother’s family name of generations of people who loved the arts.
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