“Surf and Turf” - Landscapes and Seascapes in Watercolor.



Clear Morning on Dry Branch
Ron Haeberle

 While this exhibition is not limited to landscapes and seascapes, they are the centerpiece. It is a collection which includes both older pieces that represent “landmarks” in the development of way I paint and new work that is still damp.


When I began painting, much of my early effort went into paintings of buildings or street scenes representing places I had visited. I was frustrated in the effort by producing stiff, uncomfortable looking images lacking the sense and feel I sought from watercolor. I began to cast about for a different approach. Surveying the works of others, I was soon able to find paintings to which I could simply say – “I like that”. I used that inspiration to begin to create landscapes that satisfied my desire to produce work that gave a comfortable sense of being there. A long series of landscapes has followed. Almost by definition my landscapes contain water. I suppose this comes from the challenge this presents in painting and the interest it adds if you can get it right.

It is no surprise then that portraying the sea with watercolor was the next challenge. My objective was to create images that would capture the sea in a realistic way without becoming overly romantic in the manner of many seascapes. It was my good fortune to strike the balance I was seeking very early on. A continuing series of surf paintings has been the result. In the process of doing research (sitting in a beach chair at varying times of the day) I begin to understand the profound way the sun, sky and wind determine the personality of the ever changing sea. There is no shortage of new images to record.

Morning Surf XII
Ron Haeberle

In the interest of full disclosure the exhibit includes a smattering of other subjects – the odd building, still life and portrait. These represent a continuing interest in attempting any subject that represents a challenge. As often happens, this has opened the door to a series of architectural paintings of Huntington buildings of both beauty and historical importance.

Most importantly these works represent my attempt to allow the viewer to experience a moment in time in a place they may not have visited. Not only by seeing but sensing the smells and sounds and feeling the warmth of the sun or the cool of the shade.