Virtual Art Tour

Robert Schott, American, born 1948

Carubbean Beau

Born in Akron, Robert Schott moved to St. Petersburg, Fla. when he was 10 years old. He left behind the lake of his earliest memories, the lake he swam in, fished, boated on and claimed as his own, and traded it for a larger lake, the Gulf of Mexico. After graduation from Northeast High School in 1966, he served a tour in the Navy, then earned his degree in anthropology from the University of Florida in 1974.

The year 1981 brought Schott to a major crossroads in his life. After having spent seven years “traveling and working,” with no art training in his background, but having a belief in his own talent, Schott decided to give in to his “secret longings to become an artist. I dropped everything I was doing at the time and painted. It was like beginning a new life. It was wonderful.”

Schott now works in many media, but his favorite is watercolor on paper. His subject is the natural world. He paints the graceful wading and diving birds he first saw while strolling and fishing on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico.

Through his work, Schott tries to share with us the beauty of the world for which we may sometimes have too little. His most impressive work to date, a nearly year-long labor, was housed in the five story atrium of the City Center, in downtown St. Petersburg. There, Schott created a 42-foot mural that showcased unique tropical birds. After the building was sold, the piece was removed and part of it is now hanging at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo. Of his dedication to quality Schott has said, “Whether art disturbs or pleases, it has an impact on our lives. I want my work to have a positive influence on whoever sees it.”