Rockne Knuth was born in 1941 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. An avid naturalist Rockne frequents the woodlands, fields and marshes of Wisconsin. It is there he draws his inspiration for recreating the wilderness in his art.
Rockne has done covers and inside illustrations for several wildlife publications as well as work for both the National Wildlife Federation and the National Audubon Society. He frequently exhibits his work in galleries throughout the country. He has been included in seven of the Leigh Yawkey Woodson's "Birds in Art" exhibitions and associated tours, including one to Beijing, China. Two of his pieces are in the museum's permanent collection.
He has won four Wisconsin conservation stamp competitions including the 1979 and 1983 Wisconsin Duck Stamps, the 1984 Great Lakes Trout and Salmon Stamp, and most recently, the 1998 Wisconsin Turkey Stamp.