Rocky Hawkins Biography scroll down to view works

Rocky Hawkins was born in 1950 in Seattle, Washington and grew up in small towns near the Cascades Mountains. His interest in the mystery and spiritual aspect of Native American culture began in childhood through traveling to historic locations with his family. After completing high school, he attended college art classes and later the Burnley School of Art in Seattle. Although he initially pursued illustration and commercial art, he eventually transitioned to fine art painting in search of greater self-expression. He now resides in Montana, where he continues to be deeply influenced by the lore and spirituality of Native American cultures.

In his work, Hawkins captures the raw emotions and elements of Native American culture in a non-traditional way. He is not a storyteller, but rather focuses on the texture of the painting's surface, the relationships between colors, and expressing a feeling about what he sees. He draws inspiration from the Abstract Expressionists, such as Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Franz Kline, and often incorporates the gesture of water into his paintings to create a sense of flow and movement. He encourages viewers to trust in the emotion and mystery of his work rather than seeking a specific narrative.