Former judge?s art graces U.S. postage stamps
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Haston spent over 28 years behind the bench passing judgment on an untold number of cases, but these days the local artist and retired jurist has found himself on the other side of the fence, as far as his artwork is concerned. Haston recently submitted some of his paintings to be reproduced on stamps approved by the U.S. Postal Service and produced in association with Pitney Bowes. At least three of his pieces have been accepted so far, including a portrait of his granddaughter, Lucy.
?It?s no big deal,? says Haston. ?Anyone can do it. All you have to do is submit your work and if it?s approved, then they issue a stamp.?
Haston does admit there are some criteria involved, however, including subject matter. No military or war themes are accepted for instance, and the artwork does have to meet Postal Service standards. In Haston?s case the work is good enough that local Postmaster Charles Bogle has made Haston?s stamps available at the McMinnville Post Office. Haston also had an exhibition of his work featured recently at The Station-Pure Art gallery on Morford Street.
Much like the man himself, Haston?s work is colorful, complex, meticulous, and amazingly eclectic. His pieces range from incredibly dense and detailed works, to those which are quite sparse and relatively unadorned, but all of his art demonstrates a keen intelligence, a sure and natural eye for composition and color, and a confident artistic vision.
All of which is pretty amazing when you consider the artist is completely self-taught and has never had a lesson. Haston himself, who came to his art rather late in life, can?t explain exactly how it came about, or even when it started.
?I honestly can?t tell you,? he said. ?People have asked me that, but I have no idea. In fact, I didn?t wet a brush until 15 years ago. I thought I had a little ability to draw with pencil, but I never tried it. And then one time it just dawned on me, you know, try a little color. So I tried oils, and that?s just way beyond me, so then I got some acrylic paint and started playing around with that. But I had no training of any kind.?
He did say he gave it some thought early on, but never followed up on it.
?I told my daddy back when I was going to graduate school that I?d like to take an art class,? Haston recalled, ?and he said, ?Well, that?s just fine. If it?ll pay your way through law school, you do it.? So that was the end of that.?
In the end, Haston didn?t actually start painting until he was around 55 years old. He says what drew him into it was an innate love of color.
?I just love color,? he said. ?It?s a lot of fun to me to colorize things. I enjoy that part of it.?
And what?s his favorite color?
?Oh, I?m a red and orange man,? he said with a smile. ?I?m a big Tennessee fan too.?
Though he says he doesn?t have any major influences in his art, or ascribe to any particular style, he does have at least one artistic hero ? Norman Rockwell.
?The great artist for the Saturday Evening Post. I love what he did,? Haston said. ?I can?t approach that of course, and never intended to, but I have done some copies of his work.?
Not only has Haston developed his own unique and eclectic style, he also utilizes some unorthodox painting techniques. He doesn?t use easels or have a studio area in his home, preferring to paint while sitting on the couch in his living room with his brushes in a plastic cup on an end table. For a palette he uses a thick oval paper plate.
Haston says he doesn?t paint for himself, but dedicates and gives his creations to friends and family, including the late Dr. Barun Mukherji, optometrist Norman Rone, and son Chuck, who flew commercial jets for a time.
?I?ve never sold or tried to sell a single one. I try to paint for somebody else,? Haston said. ?Chuck?s airplanes have always fascinated me, so I?ve painted every plane he?s flown. That?s really kind of how I got started.?
One might think the former judge took up painting for relaxation, but Haston says that?s not necessarily the case.
?People say, ?Well it?s a great relaxation for you,?? Haston said. ?But when you?re doing something kind of like graphic arts, it?s hard work. I mean, it?s labor intensive. I don?t enjoy that part too much. I kind of like it when I finish it and I think I?ve done a pretty good job. But it?s hard work for me.?
Haston says one of the main benefits of his late-life entrance to the world of art is the way it has opened his eyes to the world around him.
?A friend of mine, Ann Smotherman, she?s quite an artist herself. She used to tell me, ?You know, you come alive and you see things after you start to paint that you would never have thought you would notice or have any appreciation for.? And she?s right about that. Places you go, things you do, looking at a little bush, the shadow it casts. It?s fascinating, but you see that and it makes you want to create, gives you some enthusiasm. That?s really something to me.?