BIO
Education:
M.A. Counseling and Art Therapy,
Southwestern College, Santa Fe, New Mexico
B.A. Studio Arts and Art History
University of Minnesota
Amy Hautman was raised in a Minnesota family of nationally recognized artists, where creativity was woven into everyday life. She earned her B.A. in Studio Arts and Art History from the University of Minnesota, later owning and operating an art gallery before moving to North Carolina to raise her family and devote herself to painting full time.
Drawn to the transformative power of the creative process, Amy pursued a master's degree in Counseling and Art Therapy at Southwestern College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Today, she balances her work as a professional artist with her career as a psychotherapist with a focus on art therapy. Working from her studio in Bluffton, South Carolina, where she lives with her husband, musician, Rog Bates, Amy has spent her life exploring the beauty and mystery of the natural world through paint. Her work is inspired by the quiet moments of observation that reveal the extraordinary within the ordinary. Whether painting whimsical birds, sculptural rock formations, or expressive abstract landscapes, she seeks to capture nature's vitality, wonder, and spiritual resonance.
Known for her masterful command of watercolor and oil, Amy combines technical precision with luminous color and expressive composition to create paintings that invite reflection and tap into the joy of life.
Amy's paintings are held in hundreds of public and private collections throughout the world.
Amy Hautman Bates M.A, LPCC, ATR-BC
"Of all the ways we express ourselves, painting is the language I know best. Art is the way I connect with life . When the world feels chaotic, I pick up the brush and a calm comes over me, assuring me that I am in the right place at the right time. All my energy comes into focus and I am at peace.Some people fish, some meditate, I paint.
As a naturalist, I am often inspired by some detail of nature. Describing the beauty of the object is less important than capturing its miraculous essence. An ordinary subject, like a simple chicken, when painted and infused with color and movement creates a strong, powerful and lasting statement that takes me beyond my usual way of thinking. In the process, I pay homage to the universal connection of all things."