Now CULTURE
AVIATION & ARTISTRY Jeff Krausert’s life journey of pursuing two passions
BY GABBY LEIGHTON
82
So Scottsdale! June ‘21
Jeff Krausert is one of the lucky people to pursue both of his life’s passions: aviation and art. Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Krausert’s love for the arts began as a hobby in middle school. He started with sketching and painting, which then advanced to studying cartooning and oil painting. “I became art editor for the school newspaper as well as the yearbook staff where I designed and sketched my senior yearbook in 1974,” Krausert says. He then went on to major in fine art, pursuing oil painting and studying art history at University of Minnesota. “My biggest influences were Norman Rockwell, and cartoonist Mort Drucker. I find Norman Rockwell's work most compelling and fascinating, and I use his painterly style in my portraits and caricature sketches,” Krausert says. After graduating in 1979, he switched gears to pursue a career in aviation, joining the Air Force in 1980 and serving a successful 20-year career before retiring from Air Force One in 2001. Though he had aviation on the mind, his love for art never faded. “Throughout my flying career in the Air Force, I was continuously producing artwork for various squadrons, high-ranking leadership, the White House, and Air Force One,” Krausert says. “I painted aviation wall murals, designed T-shirts, logos, Air Force One Christmas cards and caricatures for retiring White House military staff personally signed by sitting presidents.” He also won first place in the USAF Artist Craftsman Competition with his Native American wood carvings. Upon leaving the Air Force, Krausert went back and forth between his two passions. He flew for Prince Bandar bin Sultan (Saudi Ambassador to the United States) before retiring from flying in 2005 to open an art gallery in Charlottesville, Virginia. But his retirement didn’t last long as he was soon up in the air again, this time relocating to the Valley to serve as Scottsdale-based Discount Tire founder Bruce Halle’s chief pilot in 2006. His love for two industries finally collided, as he also worked as Halle’s design/portrait artist, producing numerous portraits, illustrations, logos and aircraft paint schemes. “The greatest highlight, and most special part of my career were the years I worked closely with Bruce T. Halle, owner of Discount Tire, who, aside from leading his successful company, was an avid art collector,” Krausert says. “Through the many portraits and design work he commissioned, he personally involved himself in the creative process, guiding me with a focus on quality and attention to detail, helping me produce a body of work I never thought possible.” These days, Krausert mostly does commissioned oil portraits, paintings, sketches, and caricatures. For more information or to purchase or commission art, email jeffreykrausert@aol.com.
