TOM HAAS

“As an oil painter, I strive for a broad sense of realism, painterly brushwork, and the impression of light on form. Landscapes reflect my love of nature and outdoor painting. I am especially drawn to portray the American West–deserts, mesas, plateaus, pine forest and timberline mountains. The variety of climate zones in the United States offer a wide range of interesting subjects to paint. Many destinations have colorful myths, legends and history that enhance the natural beauty for me. I hope my present-day impression of this world is a valuable contribution to you and those who follow us.”

The National Park Academy of the Arts recognized Tom Haas as being in the “top echelon of representational artists working today” with its Award for Excellence three years in a row.

He won Best of Show at the Tucson Museum of Art’s San Xavier Mission exhibition. And he earned the Phippen Museum’s Foundation Award twice in Prescott, as well as many other awards and honors including magazine articles, solo exhibitions, and an invitation to The White House, Washington, D.C., in celebration of the Art in Embassies program (for his paintings at The Residence of the United States Ambassador, Geneva, Switzerland).

Tom Haas has experienced countless hours painting on location throughout the United States—especially the Southwest. He’s had a studio in Arizona for more than 40 years and lives with wife Vicki. A prolific painter, Haas is known for a variety of subjects including genre, Western, wildlife, still life and landscape.

Are you interested in a few more personal details?

I was born in Saginaw, Michigan in 1952, and spent summers on a Michigan farm as a boy. I was inspired by the art on feed and grain calendars and by books for kids that featured great illustrators especially N.C. Wyeth.

My family moved to Arizona where I met Vicki in Scottsdale. That’s when we were teens, and I was beginning to take painting seriously. We’ve been married since 1972. No kids but our dog, Sam, is in many of my paintings–you can find them on this website.

Click for full: TOM HAAS BIOGRAPHY and CHRONOLOGY

Mountain Bling – Colorado 11″ x 14″ oil painting by Tom Haas

March 2022 reply to inquiry asking if Tom ever used acrylic paint:

Oil has been Tom’s medium of choice throughout his career of well over 40 years. But he did first explore acrylic painting in high school along with drawing using pencil, graphite, ink, pastels, Gouache watercolors and colored markers. His later fine art and commercial art education was self-directed through books, classes offered by a few admired painters, museums, travel and lots of experimentation and painting outdoors.

For a time in the 80s, Tom made a living drawing perspective illustrations from architectural plans using ink on Mylar, Gouache watercolor on matboard, and sometimes magic markers or multi-media. He also designed many commercial exhibits for corporate clients, and made wood furniture and fixtures with power tools for our homes. While most of his fine art awards were for oil paintings, one was for a rare graphite drawing of a horse, titled Dottie. Even though his personal fine art has been focused on oil painting (since he purchased his first tube), Tom welcomed acrylic painters in his classes when he taught for awhile.

Vicki