Abita Springs Artist Dale Hauck has become a well-known and appreciated St. Tammany artist. While his background is in painting, especially lifelike portraits of birds, he began to work in the intricate woodworking art of duck decoys, rocking horses, and small tables. Now he produces large colorful paintings of nature in motion.
A recent exhibit of art works by Dale Hauck was shown at the Abita Springs Trailhead museum. According to information posted at the exhibit, Hauck has "always loved the wilderness." He began drawing very young, he said, and after six years in residence at a monastery, he learned art and began a very productive career, winning awards and taking part in numerous art shows.
Over time, he learned to be more creative in his renderings of natural wildlife and scenery, he explained. He moved to Abita Springs in 1974 and continued to grow more popular with art galleries. He opened an art gallery and frame shop in Abita Springs in late 1978.
In the 1980's he met Ben Ploger, an artist and professor, and Dale's perspective in art changed. His realistic and conservative style transitioned into a more fluid and colorful form.
Today his art is a part of many public and private collections.
In 1981, the chamber of commerce said about Hauck, "The appeal of Dale Hauck's art work lies in the fresh approach he takes with his media in depicting the further dimensions of the world of nature. He works in wood, acrylic and watercolors."
His bird paintings and prints are favored items at auctions and galleries. Hauck is known for his wildlife paintings executed with a high level of detail and precision, and his work can be found in many private and public collections in Louisiana and the United States.
Here are news items from the late 1970's telling about his work and exhibitions. Click on the images below to make them larger and more readable.
The "Dale Hauck Retrospective" exhibit described him as one of Abita’s most esteemed artists, a visionary and a naturalist. "Dale Hauck creates paintings offering a view of his connection to the natural world. His subjects are birds, amphibians, beautiful nudes, sunsets, tigers, and rapturous landscapes," according to the Trailhead Museum website.
