Biography

When speaking to Dustin about his upbringing, good nature and work ethic, Dustin Otterbach is quick to light up with the gratitude he feels for his parents, Donald and Diana, for providing a stable and comfortable foundation with which to explore the world. His family thrived in the same house from birth through his high school education. Dustin feels very close to his mother and cherishes the special time that they spent together. In addition to providing her kids with a good home, Diana is an antique collector and, according to Dustin, has a fine artistic eye. Donald set a solid example to his boys as a father, friend and role model. Dustin says working in the garage with his Dad is a perfect day.

The fifth of six children, five of them boys, Dustin developed an easy-going sociability, taking it to the extreme in sports…with his older brothers often serving as his coaches. Dustin credits his childhood road trips in his family’s motor home with centering him on the importance of family, simple pleasures and exploring off the beaten path. This is where he discovered his inclination for making art from things that he finds in the environment, rather than from traditional media.

Dustin has displayed an entrepreneurial spirit since he was a child. At the age of 6 he sold day-old bread from a Radio Flyer wagon as the son of the District Manager for a major premium bakery. At the age of 35, Dustin has successfully owned and operated a number of businesses such as Budderstix skateboards,Valid board wear, Advantage Limousine Service, and Zion Auto Salon auto detailing.

When Dustin was 8, a family tragedy profoundly changed his reality. His teenage sister and her friends lost their lives when a drunk driver crashed into their car. It is important to Dustin to keep her artistic and vibrant spirit alive. Dustin maintains an exhaustive schedule of creating, networking and inspiring his fellow artists.

A stuntman at heart, Dustin first realized that he was compelled to dedicate his life to art when he transformed an old truck hood into a stunning, original sculpture. His first painting - executed on sheet metal using a pallet knife to mold the paint on the steel - was a life-altering experience. Dustin allows the origin and terrain of the metal to guide him as he translates the story. When viewing a work of Otterbach art, one has the sense of the energy released in that translation. Dustin further facilitates that energy by mounting his paintings with a magnet. Dustin’s talent to help people release admiration and emotion is what we have always counted on the artists among us to do. This begins to explain the success of the two galleries Dustin has owned and operated in Laguna Beach.

The popularity of Otterbach Art resulted in more of Dustin’s out of-the-box thinking and began as a means for him to share his art with a broader section of friends, charities, and collectors that the scale and labor of his paintings would not permit. The sheer number of inquiries to purchase cuffs made it clear to Dustin that he was onto an idea that moved people. With this, Otterbach Designs was launched. His wrist cuffs and chokers work astonishingly on both sexes of literally every age. With this, Dustin successfully crossed over his art into nothing less than a culture statement.

Ultimately, Otterbach Art and Otterbach Designs encompass all of Dustin’s most valued beliefs: community work, fierce independence, uncovering art in everything, and pursuing one’s dreams.