Gulfport Mississippi

 

William Carey University

Class of 2002 · Painting · Hattiesburg, Mississippi

 

MGCCC

Class of 1990 · Assoc. of Applied Science · Commercial Art & Advertising · Painting · Gulfport, Mississippi

 

Richard Alan Haugh was born and raised in Gulfport, MS. Even from a young age Richard Alan has shown signs of his artistic ability. Beginning with the usual boyhood subject matter; dragons, werewolves, aliens and monsters. During high school, he began to become more serious about his talents. Subject matter shifted to portraits and figure drawing. Richard Alan won 22 art awards during high school.

Richard Alan majored in Commercial art & Advertising at the local community college. His heart wasn't in it and worked part-time jobs until he could figure out what he wanted to do next. Richard worked on art in his spare time and put his paintings in local galleries. He finally decided to go back to college for fine art. College helped him develop his talent and techniques. Learning the business side of art was also important. While in college, Richard Alan changed subject matter to surreal portraits.

Richard lived with his parents during college, who lived five minutes from campus. Unfortunately, his father, Richard Jack, died two weeks before his last class had its final exams. Two months later he graduate college in 2002 with a BFA. His mother’s health was at a decline having Alzheimers. Richard Alan put off graduate school to take care of his Alzheimer mother, Down syndrome sister and work on his paintings. The three stayed on the coast during hurricane Katrina. With all the destruction around, they turned out good with hardly any damage. Unfortunately, most of the coast art galleries were destroyed. He is now looking to put his art in more galleries and exhibits outside of Mississippi. After eight years of taking care of his mother and putting his life on hold, she died in her sleep Dec. 2009. Richard Alan is now trying to restart his life and move forward with his art career while still taking care of his sister.

His style can be characterized as a form of caricature, lowbrow and/or surrealism. Some characteristics of his paintings are women with big eyes, long thick necks and bodies slightly smaller proportionately. Striving to achieve a certain look, Richard tries to make each painting better than the last. You learn something everyday. Richard wants what he learns to be about art and apply it to his paintings.

Some of his influences are artist in the lowbrow and pop surrealism art movements. Some of his favorite artist are: Mark Ryden, Lori Earley, Sas Christian, Ron English, Scott Brooks, Michael Hussar and many more.