Prestigious Outdoor Event Invites Ray Hassard to Return
The mission of Cape Ann Plein Air Competition is to preserve and promote Cape Ann’s legacy as the birthplace of American Plein Air painting. So it is no surprise that Ray Hassard was once again invited back to this prestige event in the Cape Ann communities of Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the Sea.
Ray’s main medium is pastel, but he also works in oils, acrylics, and gouache. He is widely regarded for his urban scenes featuring such figures as on-duty police and iron workers doing construction.
Shown here is the painting he completed at the competition (Low Tide at Beacon Marine, 12” x 12”, pastel). After painting it on a narrow floating dock which rocked when anyone walked past, Ray realized the great benefit of solid ground.
Ray was born in Freeport NY. He studied at Pratt Institute, and moved to Buffalo NY in 1977 where urban landscapes became his primary theme. Ray won several commissions, most notably one to create and install a large wall piece for the subway the city was building. In 1987 he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, much to his surprise, and decided it was a pretty good place to be.
Ray is a Signature member of the Cincinnati Art Club and the Pastel Society of America; MidAmerica Pastel Society has designated him Master Pastelist. He is in the Master Circle of the International Association of Pastel Societies. In 2013 he was Artist in Residence in Dinan, France for the month of June. His work appears in recent pastel, acrylic and drawing publications from NorthLight Books.
He participates in juried plein air competitions often and has won top awards in New Harmony IN, Richmond VA and San Angelo TX. In the last three years he has painted in Plein Air Easton, Wayne PA Plein Air Festival, Mountain Maryland (Cumberland), Bucks County Plein Air, Plein Air Maui, Finger Lakes Plein Air, and was awards judge for the first Cape Ann Plein Air event in 2016. He is the Chair of the Ohio Plein Air Society’s annual competition this year and 2019. It will take place Sept 27-30 and is open to all with no jurying in and will be based in Mariemont. For more information, go to http://ohiopleinairsociety.com/.
Ray received Third Place at the Club’s ViewPoint 49. He loves painting, gardening, travelling, dancing and rollercoasters, maybe not in that exact order.
Story Telling Artist 