By David Patterson
R. B. Hamilton spent much of his career in the corporate world, serving as corporate vice president of public affairs for Abbott Laboratories in Chicago. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Hamilton later moved to North Carolina, where he became known for helping restore historic buildings in downtown New Bern and for launching CoastalNet, which grew into one of the state’s largest Internet service providers.
But it was the water that ultimately inspired what he decided to do next.
A lifelong student of marine life, Hamilton began collecting antique prints of fish and shore birds years ago. Before long, he decided to create his own artwork, painting the colorful species he encountered in the creeks and coastal waters around him. His collection has since grown to include dozens of species of fish, as well as crabs, herons, egrets, and other birds that call the Southeast coast home.
Entirely self-taught, Hamilton has earned numerous honors, including Best in Show and several first-place awards for his acrylic paintings. Today, his artwork appears not only on gallery walls but also on handbags, decorative pillows, tote bags, and other home accessories designed with the help of his wife, interior designer Betsy Drake.
Hamilton is a member of the Plantation Artists’ Guild and Gallery (PAGG), where visitors can view some of his work with that of other accomplished local artists. The gallery is located at 94 Amelia Village Circle, Fernandina Beach, Florida 32034, in the Shops at Omni Amelia Island.
His paintings reveal more than the beauty of the coast. They tell the story of a man who turned a passion for the natural world into a second career.
