The Ron Haist Story

I have always had creative tendencies. As a child, my snowmen would be lifelike and riding a horse. I would sketch or draw whenever the opportunity presented itself. At 12 years of age, I was asked by a local gentleman in my hometown of Hespeler, Ontario (now part of Cambridge) to make signs for the pigeons he bred. The task was to apply to a panel the type of pigeon and paint a picture of it. Wow! I had no idea there were so many different pigeons. This led to boat lettering at a local lake. During my junior years I was constantly doing posters and murals for the school halls. Of course, these were all approved projects.

Although my first love has always been art, I decided to pursue a career in commerce rather than follow my natural artistic bent. After school I took a position with a brokerage firm in Toronto. Even though the work had it's excitement, I soon found myself longing to create.

Armed with a palette and canvas, I created enough work to host a small local. The show was a success and further inspired me to take courses and study all that I could of what I now realize was my calling. I stayed with the brokerage firm for seven years, painting at night and on weekends. I studied under people like Andy Donato, now with the Toronto Sun Newspaper, Sheridan College, as well as local life drawing classes. I found my drive to create grew stronger every day.

It was with great pleasure that I watched as my work was gaining appreciation. There were many successful shows, radio interviews and newspaper articles. Recently, I was featured on HGTV's Sue Warden CraftScapes. I am proud to say I now have paintings throughout the world. Yet none of this gives me as much pleasure as when someone buys a piece of my work and I see the joy of ownership on their face. The appreciation of my work by others is seconded only by the pleasure of creating a new piece.

Several years ago while working with airbrush, I was asked to produce a billboard. I found myself going in a totally new direction. My work was now being shown on posters, billboards, television ads, vehicles and the sides of buildings. This led to a long career in the commercial trade. However, once again, I felt the internal drive to create. Although you may say that this is what I had been doing all along, I felt compelled to express myself on canvas.
Most of my creative life I have done my work from my home studio, now in the Caledon, Ontario area. In the 1990's I bought a log cabin in the Kawartha area on a beautiful lake dotted with islands and adorned with wind-swept white pine. You can just see the Group of Seven in this setting. I soon built a free standing studio into a cliff, over-looking the lake. Since the completion of that studio, I have finished many pieces of work between my home and cottage studios. When at the cottage I understand some of the feelings that overcame that wonderfully talented Group when they viewed this fabulous country.

Along with my oil and acrylic works on canvas created at the cottage studio, I rediscovered the carving talent I had as a child. Working with wood, was yet another way to express my art.

Of late, I have found a high demand for cottage renderings, as well as carved signs for cottages and businesses. My carved signs have proven to be a step beyond the average sign by creating hand-painted murals according to customer's specifications. Again, my greatest reward is the appreciation of my work by the customer.

Since opening this web site, I have found a broader market for my work and have been shipping
throughout the world.

If you have any questions or comments I invite you to contact me.

I hope you enjoy browsing through my site.