Robert Straube (1937 - 2006)

 

Bob Straube was a Minnesota studio and Plein air painter, skilled in oil, watercolor, and acrylic painting.  His artistic abilities were recognized and encouraged as a child, resulting in formal training while in elementary and secondary schools.  In 1962, with a degree in Commercial Art from Southern Illinois University, Straube started his professional career in advertising layout.  His loose style was formed quickly and he became widely recognized as one of the Midwest’s most prolific painters, producing over 5000 works of art for commercial, public and private collections. 

 

His work was exhibited in galleries in the Twin Cities, Chicago, and Scottsdale.  In addition, his artwork was used by Deluxe Check printers and for Courage Center cards, and a large body of his work was displayed in financial institutions.  Straube is also known for his aviation art.  He was a member of the Air Force Art Program and some of his works hang in the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Pentagon. 

 

During his life, he enjoyed teaching classes, demonstrations, and workshops in either oil or watercolor painting. He was also a past president of the Northstar Watercolor Association and a member of the Midwest Watercolor Society, the American Society of Aviation Artists, and the Minnesota Artists Association.