Painter, sculptor, and printmaker Rob Schouten was born in Rotterdam, The Netherlands in 1956. Schouten attirbutes his early interest in visual arts stemmed from being raised by an interior architect, and a love of drawing. After completing secondary school, he enrolled in the School for Graphic Arts in Utrecht and studied printmaking and graphic design, graduating in 1977.

Prior to graduation, Schouten spent the summer of 1976 hitchhiking throughout the United States. Upon his return he took a job at an advertising firm, but was quickly convinced to pursue fine art as a career, having found inspiration in the U.S.'s Western landscapes. He returned to the U.S., settling in Seattle, Washington. By the spring of 1980 he was making a career selling his works at the famous Pike's Place Market.

In 1983 Schouten relocated to Whidbey Island in Puget Sound. He turned his focus to selling through galleries distributors, initially in the Seattle area, and then in the San Francisco Bay area. He also founded Great Path Publishing with his wife, Victory, publishing and promoting posters, greeting cards and journals.

Feature articles about Rob's work have appeared in Magical Blend and Quest magazines, and his art has been on book and CD covers for Barbara Marx Hubbard, Cyrill Scott, Lama Anagrika Govinda, Steven Halpern, and many others. In 2001, his work provided the stage backdrop and graphic identity for the Awakened World Conference in Palm Springs, California. Early influences on Rob's work were the Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher, the Surrealists Rene Magritte, Salvador Dali and 19th century Symbolist artists. Perhaps more than these artist, Rob's work has been influenced by the work of Carl G. Jung, Joseph Campbell and his own studies of numerous Eastern traditions, primarily Buddhism.

In 2008 the Schoutens opened a gallery for Whidbey Island artists -- featuring painting, sculpture, ceramics, and jewelry -- which still operates today.