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 Ray Hassard
Fine Art
​

https://www.rayhassard.com/contact

https://www.instagram.com/rayhassard/

https://www.facebook.com/people/Ray-Hassard-Fine-Arts/100034733661610/


Recent


Picture
End Of The Road
   Pastel ‐ Panel ‐ 8 x 14 

Picture
 The Basement Door is Ajar
​
gouache on paper, 6" x 8"

Picture
The Butter Dish
​​
gouache on paper, 6" x 8"​

Picture
Clean!!
​​
gouache on paper, 6" x 8"​​​

Ray Hassard was born and raised in the New York area. Growing up, he attended Saturday classes at the Museum of Modern Art, and took community education art classes at local schools and art organizations. He studied at Pratt Institute, and, more importantly, spent hours and hours at New York's wonderful museums and galleries. Ray moved to Buffalo NY in 1977, where he was awarded several commissions, including one for a 45 foot long wall piece in the subway system the city was building. In 1985, he and his husband came to Cincinnati and became co-owners and publishers of  American Record Guide, a classical music CD review magazine.

Picture
Accident 2
  Pastel ‐ Paper ‐ 14" x 11"
   $1,500.00 

Ray has been a prominent painter on the Plein Air circuit for the last 10 years, traveling around the country with destinations including Hawaii, Texas, Arkansas, Maryland, Virginia, New York and more. He has won top awards in Indiana, Maryland and Texas for his plein air pastels. He has also been invited to judge at many events, including Cape Ann Plein Air, 2021 IAPS Chicago Exhibition and Kekionga Plein Air, Ft Wayne Indiana.

Ray has been involved with the Taft Museum of Art in Cincinnati in their program Artists Reaching Classrooms for over 5 years. He also leads the monthly Signature Member critique sessions at the Cincinnati Art Club.
​
Besides art, Ray's major interests include contra dancing, roller coasters, and travel. He has visited over 75 countries, with India being his favorite. Three painting trips there with friend and fellow artist Debra Joyce Dawson led to a joint show of their paintings of India and Bhutan at the Richmond Art Museum in January 2010. In that same year Ray painted in Spain, France and Croatia. He returned  to Cuba to paint in January 2020. 

Ray is represented by Oxford Gallery, Rochester NY,  and in Cincinnati by Cincinnati Art Galleries.

Picture
6:42 AM
Pastel - 12" x 16" 
$1250

Picture
Flying the Beam
Pastel -20" x 16" 
​$1750

Picture
Into the Light
Pastel - 12" X 16" 
​Sold

Picture
In the Night Flower Market
Casein on Aluminum Panel - 12 x 16 
​$1100

Picture
October Sparkles
Casein on Aluminum Panel  - 6 x 12
​$950

Picture
Spring Tangle
Casein on Aluminum Panel - 12 x 12
​$985

Picture
To the Sea
Casein on Aluminum Panel  - 9 x 12
​ Sold

Picture
Indiana Spring
Casein on Aluminum Panel - 12 x 12
​$985

Picture
Saturated
Oil - 12 x 16
Sold

Picture
Stop!
​ Oil - 20 x 24
​Sold

Artist Statement

I love to paint stuff that looks like stuff, and I love to paint the stuff that I love.
That’s the short version. The longer explanation is that I am concerned with painting the world around me in a representational way. Early on, in the 1970s and 80s, my style was photorealist. Once I began painting en plein air in the 90s, that changed dramatically, and I now consider myself a realist/impressionist painter working in the tradition of Sargent, Sorolla, and Zorn. I continue to evolve away from the “objectivity” of photography as I move deeper into the “subjectivity” of emotional response to place. I take special delight in finding the beautiful, meaningful, and fascinating aspects of what most people consider mundane and commonplace in the world.

Drawings & Prints


Picture
Brady 2
​    Black and White charcoal on paper. 
12 x 18.
 $500.

Picture
Lightshow
​
Black and White charcoal on paper. 
12 x 18.
 $500.

Picture
Bradley 5
​
Black and White charcoal on paper. 
12 x 18.
 $500.

Picture
Dexter 4
​Black and White charcoal on paper. 
12 x 18.
 $500.​


Picture
Jason
black and white charcoal on paper. 
 12 x 18.
$500


Selected Recent Awards and Exhibits
​
2025    Mountain Maryland Plein Air, Cumberland MD—First Place
IAPS Online Spring Exhibit, Master Circle—Gold Medal Award    
Enduring Brilliance, Pastel Society of America 
Top 100, Pastel Journal
2024    American Impressionist Society Online show
American Impressionist Soc Small Works Showcase, Anderson Gallery, St Simons GA
Member Show, University Club, Cincinnati OH
2023    Artist in Residence, University Club, Cincinnati OH
Art Renewal Centre Annual Salon, Finalist
Small Works Invitiational 4, Justin Vining Gallery, Indianapolis, IN
Art League of Hilton Head Biennial, Hilton Head GA— Hon Mention
Viewpoint 55, Cincinnati OH—Award of Excellence
Plein Air Magazine Salon
125th Annual Exhibition, Richmond Art Museum, Richmond IN—Traditional Landscape Award
2022    Plein Air New Bern, New Bern, NC 
NOAPS Best of America 2022, Award of Excellence
2021      In a Different Light, Oxford Gallery, Rochester NY
NOAPS Best of America 2021, Dana Gallery, Missoula MT
Moments: The Plein Air Movement, Artlink Gallery, Ft Wayne IN
Annual Plein Air Summer Show, Crystal Moll Gallery, Baltimore MD
Lincoln Gallery, Co, Watermedia Award, Hon Mention
Art League of Hilton Head Biennial, Hilton Head GA— Hon Mention
Shadows on the Teche, New Iberia, LA
2020      Art Renewal Centre Annual Salon, Finalist
En Plein Air Texas, San Angelo TX
RAA&M Nationa 2020, Rockport Art Association and Museum, Rockport MA

Selected Bibliography

  The Light at the End of the World; The Skagen Painters, Plein Air Magazine, December/January 2025
   Portfolio: Fairs and Amusement Parks, Plein Air Magazine, October/November 2021
   The Landscape Painter’s Workbook, Mitchell Albala, Rockport Publishers 2021
   Portfolio: Country Roads, Plein Air Magazine, Aug/Sept 2021
   Why Pastel is Perfect for Plein Air, Plein Air Magazine, Aug/Sept 2020
   Local Color, Pastel Journal December 2020
   Pure Color 2, The Best of Pastel, North Light Books
   AcrylicWorks6, Creative Energy, North Light Books
   Top 100 Landscape Category, finalist, Pastel Journal, April 2018
   Portfolio: Interiors, Fine Art Connoisseur, Mar/April 2018
   Portfolio: Industrial Sights/Sites, Fine Art Connoisseur, Nov/Dec 2017
   AcrylicWorks 5: Bold Values, North Light Books
   Strokes of Genius 9: Creative Discoveries, North Light Books
   Pastel World 2017, Pastel Journal, Sept/Oct 2017
   Plein Air Portfolio: Bridges, Plein Air Magazine, April-May 2017
   Ray Hassard, Gold Medal Winner Top 100, Pastel Journal, April 2014
      
Bibliography  

Top 100 Landscape Category, finalist, Pastel Journal, April 2018
Interiors, Fine Art Connoisseur, Mar/April 2018
Industrial Sights/Sites, Fine Art Connoisseur, Nov/Dec 2017
AcrylicWorks 5: Bold Values, North Light Books
Strokes of Genius 9: Creative Discoveries, North Light Books
Pastel World 2017, Pastel Journal, Sept/Oct 2017
Plein Air Portfolio: Bridges, Plein Air Magazine, April-May 2017
Ray Hassard, Gold Medal Winner, Pastel Journal, April 2014
Artist Profile: Ray Hassard, Plein Air Magazine, Oct-Nov 2013
Ray Hassard: Depicting Places, American Art Collector September 2013 
Painting Indiana III, Quarry Books, 2013
In Conversation with Ray Hassard, ZoneOneArts: http://www.zoneonearts.com.au July 2013
The Art of Travel, Pastel Journal August 2012
Artist’s Feature, Figure: Ray Hassard, PSA Pastelagram Spring 2012
Souvenir Program Cover, IAPS 2011 Convention, Albuquerque NM
Power of the People Pastel Journal October 2010
Poetry & Passion: The Art of Pastel, Richmond Art Museum Catalog; Author, Introductory Essay, Summer 2008
Artist to Artist with Marc Hanson, Create Better Paintings.com author, January 2008
Painting Bhutan Tashi Delek Magazine, co-author, July-September 2007 (www.tashidelek.in)
Painting en Plein Air in India American Artist Magazine, co-author, January 2006

Societies 

Cincinnati Art Club Signature Member
 Indiana Plein Air Painters Association
 Ohio Plein Air Society, Charter Member
 Mid America Pastel Society, Signature, Master Pastellist
 Pastel Society of America, Signature Member
 International Assoc of Pastel Societies, Eminent Pastellist
 National Oil and Acrylic Painters Association, Signature Member
 American Impressionist Society


Picture
All that Glitters
​22 x 30
Oil
Sold


 Ray Hassard
Fine Art
​

https://www.rayhassard.com/contact

https://www.instagram.com/rayhassard/

https://www.facebook.com/people/Ray-Hassard-Fine-Arts/100034733661610/


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