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”, and exemplified by a dramatically lit and romanticized portrayal of the landscape.

Most recently, Robert Butler was named Knight of the Imperial Order of the Star of Honor of the Ethiopian Empire by order of His Imperial Highness Prince Ermias Haile Selassie.

“For many years. . . I have lived close to nature and witnessed the beauty my privileged eye has been allowed to see. As an artist, it is important to me to share my experiences, and whenever I work, it is the larger view that I strive to maintain. I invite you to look at your experience in the same way. The textured tapestry we call reality is constantly changing. An artist is one of the few who will be privileged to add his or her special splash of color.”
- Robert Butler 1999