About The Artist...

Gerald W. Putt - Wildlife & Nature Artist . . .

Putt is a self-taught wildlife artist and is a product of his environment.  He grew up in a family of outdoorsmen.  He too became an outdoorsman as well as a conservationist.  Starting at a early age, Putt loved and respected the outdoors and what it provided for him and his family.  While in kindergarten, Gerry's artistic talent was recognized by his teachers and fellow students.  Putt was the youngest of six children and was raised by a single Mom who loved all her children.  Gerry's older brothers and sister all had some sort of talent with their hands.  He remembers his older brothers competing in sports, tying trout flies, hunting, fishing, cooking and his sister crocheting, sewing or playing the bass drum in the high school band.  While in high school Gerry was on the wrestling and track & field teams.  He excelled in the javelin throw (throwing over 200 feet) until he pulled muscles in his lower back.

 Putt's been a full-time wildlife-artist for over 40 years.  As an avid outdoorsman, Gerry also enjoys tying trout & salmon flies, hunting, fishing, cooking (wife Kathy doesn't mind), using the smoker, shooting sporting clays, playing golf, running a sewing machine, doing home repairs and creating items from wood.  He grew up with the attitude, "I'll just make or do it myself".  Putt believes, "Everyone has some sort of talent, it's just whether there's a market for that talent."  Gerry feels very lucky that there is a market for his talent.

Even at a very young age and not permitted to cross the street in front of his house, Gerry would still go over to the neighborhood lake and play in the cold spring water.  While there, he would be accompanied by the local ducks and geese.  They were some of his first subjects when his pencil hit the paper.  Today elk, turkey, deer, hunting dogs, ducks and birds of prey are some of the subjects that have harvested the most awards and praise for Putt's talent.

Many people now know Gerry because of his work with PA GAME NEWS.  One of his earliest artistic goals ( just a dream at the time) was to be on the cover of PA GAME NEWS.  The late Ned Smith was one of his mentors.  So in 1981, PA GAME NEWS featured one of Putt's paintings on the cover.  "I was so proud to have my first Game News cover!".   Along with his cover work, Gerry does spot illustrations which appear inside the magazine.  These "spots" have become popular purchases as gifts and for collectors alike.  Today Putt is second only to Ned when it comes to the total number of art covers on "GAME NEWS".  To date, Putt has done fifty-six PA GAME NEWS covers and that number is still climbing.  In 1983 Ned Smith was commissioned to do the "First-of-State" PA Duck Stamp.  In fact the first three PA Duck Stamps were commissioned.  It wasn't until 1986 that the PA Duck Stamp opened for national competition.  That first year of "open competition", Putt finished in the TOP-5 out of approximately 100 entries and he continued entering year after year.  Then in the 1991 competition, Gerry finally WON the PA Duck Stamp with a pair of wigeons.  During the competition, his wife Kathy noticed her nervous husbands normally warm hands were as cold as ice but after winning he was on cloud-nine.

Putt's most recent duck stamp win is the 2023 Maryland Duck Stamp.  His acrylic painting of wigeons titled "Marsh Buddies" took Top Honors besting all the other entries from across the U.S. and his other two entries tied for second.   He also won the  2022 Pennsylvania Duck Stamp. His acrylic painting of a pair of canvasbacks, titled "Sunrise Canvasbacks" bested all other entries and making him the first and only fourteen-time winner of his "home state" competition.    Putt's other Pennsylvania wins came in 2020, 2018, 2015, 2013, 2011, 2009, 2007, 2005, 2002, 2000, 1998, 1996 and 1991.  In Pennsylvania an artist can not re-enter the year following a win.  So the winning-artist must sit-out and become one of the judges for the following year's competition.  Also for 2021, 2022 & 2023 Gerry won the PA GAME COMMISSION'S "Working Together For Wildlife" fine art competition (2021 Elk, 2022 Ruffed Grouse and 2023 White-tailed Deer)

He has won many other state duck stamp competitions as well (Colorado, Illinois, North Carolina, Maryland & Nevada).  In the prestigious Federal Duck Stamp competition he's been in the "Top-10" many times including the 2022 Federal Stamp contest. His highest finish came in 2014 when he was in the "Top-5". 

As a "guest-artist", Gerry attends & donates artwork to many "Fund raising Banquets" every year.  The many-thousands of dollars raised from the sale of his donated artwork has helped conservation organizations such as Trout Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation  (life-member), Ducks Unlimited (life-sponsor), The Nature Conservancy, Ruffed Grouse Society, Keystone Elk Country Alliance (life-member), National Wild Turkey Federation, PA Trappers Association, Quality Deer Management Association, Whitetails Unlimited and many others.  Because of Gerry's willingness to help conserve wildlife & habit, Putt was awarded the "CONSERVATIONIST OF THE YEAR" award for 2020 by the PA Trappers Association, Chapter #8.

Putt's original paintings, limited-edition prints and giclees are in collections world-wide including the collections of former U.S. President George W. Bush and former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge.

Gerry and his wife Kathy travel to many art shows every year - "We like getting out and meeting the people who buy my art".  While at art shows, Putt enjoys doing demonstrations by actually doing a painting.  "I don't mind if folks look over my shoulder while I'm painting.  I know what I'm doing, they don't."  The public learns to appreciate an artist's talent and they know painting isn't something just anyone can do.  Sometimes, somebody will ask Gerry, "Of all your paintings that you have done, which is your favorite?".  Putt answers, "I haven't painted it, yet." 

While doing paintings at shows, the public's favorite comment that Gerry hears over his shoulder is, "You missed a spot." or the kids ask, "HOW do you do that?".  Gerry's to responsed to the with something that they might relate to by saying, "I don't know.....But did you ever ask the kid in your class, who can run the fastest, how he or she can run so fast?"   They quickly figure out that God has blessed Putt with a "gift".  Because of this "gift", Gerry will occasionally take on the job of doing private and corporate commission pieces of art for homes and offices.  These pieces of art become very special to those folks who then own and cherish them forever.

Gerry wishes to say, "Thank you to all my past, present and future customers for your support of my talent over the last forty-plus years.  Without you I could not have made it this far nor would I be able to continue into the future.  Again thank you.".

Putt hopes you enjoy his artwork and if you find something that you can't live without... please let him know and he'll arrange a sale.  Thank you for checking out his new web-site and to all of you, "Happy Trails!".