In his Chaska, Minnesota, studio, Jim Hautman added a few finishing touches to his latest painting of a bobcat in the wilderness.

"The scene of this one is in south western Montana," he said, while painting some moss onto a tree.

The painting is small, but the detail is substantial. It's just one of thousands of paintings Jim Hautman has created in his lifetime, nearly all of them centered on wildlife and the outdoors.

"I like to fish, I like to hunt, I like to bird watch," Jim Hautman said when talking about his inspirations. "Everything I like to do seems to happen outdoors, so painting nature was just kind of natural for me."

Jim Hautman's artistic ability was first recognized at a young age. He recalled a painting assignment in kindergarten. He impressed his teacher. He impressed h

See Full Page