Richard Plasschaert was born on April 25, 1941 in New Ulm, Minnesota, a peaceful little community about seventy-five miles southwest of Minneapolis. His father was an army career man and like all other military families, they were constantly on the move. Richard’s formative years were spent in Red Bank, New Jersey, and from there to various parts of the deep south. He realized at an early age that he possessed a special ability to capture the beauty of nature in painting. He maintains that there never was a time in his life that he wasn't interested in art. If he wasn't actually pursuing his career in art, he was thinking about it, reading about it, or sharpening his artistic skills by doodling, painting signs, or painting designs on automobiles. For a time he even engraved firearms with scrollwork and scenes of animals. Through the use of warm colors and subtle highlights, he is able to interpret the outdoor world in a way that we can all understand and appreciate. Richard has spent over 40 years in the fields of commercial art, layout and design, portrait art, and landscape and wildlife painting. His work has been displayed in galleries from California to Connecticut and most notably the National Academy Galleries in New York City. Plasschaert's wildlife career took off after his entry "Two Mallards in Flight" was chosen as the design for the 1980-81 Federal Duck Stamp. Overnight he joined the ranks of America's top wildlife artists. In addition, his work has been chosen for multiple "First" state Duck Stamps including North Dakota, North Carolina and New Hampshire. Other awards include the first Minnesota Conservation Stamp, The Louisiana Turkey Stamp, the National Turkey Stamp, and the New York Duck Stamp. In 2001, Richard was chosen as the International Artist of the Year for Ducks Unlimited. Richard resides in Waseca, Minnesota with his high school sweetheart, Mary.