Waterfowl and bears Jamestown artist creates wildlife images

Jeff Hoff knew since he was in the first grade that he could draw, but it wasn’t until his first semester in college that he learned how to paint.

Hoff, of Jamestown, is a wildlife artist whose main subjects are waterfowl and the occasional bear. He has worked for Otter Tail Power Co. for 21 years.

Hoff said he grew up and went to school in Devils Lake. When he was in first grade he drew a picture for his first-grade teacher. When he turned 18 and graduated high school, that first-grade teacher gave that drawing to his mother.

“Apparently she like my drawing that she kept it that long,” he said.

Hoff said he always wanted to try painting, but didn’t do so until his first semester at North Dakota State University. He said he went to NDSU to see if he could join the football team as a walk-on player, a kicker. As he was trying to fill out his schedule for that first semester, all the classes he wanted to take were full, so he signed up for a painting course that filled a time slot he needed.

“Just taking that one class, I found I enjoyed it (painting),” he said.

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