The Art of the Automobile

Barbara Salter
February 14, 2014
Fred Haase is one of only a handful of contemporary American artists who specialize in painting
automotive portraits. As a collector of vintage Corvettes and motorcycles, he appreciates the beauty that
lies within the details. He combines this knowledge with his distinctive style of painting to create portraits
that pay tribute to the uniqueness of the subjects he chooses to portray.


"Dressed in Black," 2013,
kAcrylic on canvas 36" x 48"
All images courtesy Fred Haase







Its more than that, however, that sets Haases work apart from that of other artists or photographers.
According to veteran racecar driver John Stevenson who, along with his wife Susan, owns the
championship-winning Stevenson Motorsports racing team, Haases own racing experience has
provided him with incomparable insights that are boldly reflected in his art.
Stevenson is the proud owner of Haases first automotive painting. Freds talent is amazing. He
captured the essence of what we do in the garage, Stevenson said. Most other car paintings are just
what you see at first glance. The more you look at Freds painting, the more you see. Its abstract, but
you can definitely tell what it is. Having a racing background, Fred knows what to capture and how to
recreate the energy. It delivers the message. That painting is one of the most unique pieces of art we
have, Stevenson added. To Haase, who has only recently revisited his early dream of being an artist,
thats the highest praise he can receive.
Inspired by his creative mother and encouraged by his art teachers from an early age, Haase originally
planned to make his living as an artist. He studied acrylic painting and pottery at Mankato State
University, in his home state of Minnesota, until 1967, when he decided he'd had enough of the bitter

cold Minnesota winters.
It was Thanksgiving break. I jumped on my motorcycle and drove all the way to Florida, he said. All he
had with him was what he could carry on his bikeand his artistic talent.
Luck was with him and he landed a job working as a sketch artist for NASA during the Apollo Space
Program. It was a wonderful job for a 23-year-old kid, he said. I would sketch the astronauts on the
launch pad as they practiced. I loved that job. I got laid off at the end of Apollo, otherwise Id probably
still be there.
After NASA, his artistic talent took Haase in another direction. He went from sketching people to
technical drawing for the high tech defense contractor Raytheon. Haase spent a year there before
returning to Florida where he started what was Racal-Datacom, the global
data communications company. While at Racal, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical
Engineering at the University of Miami. Haase worked with Racal for 23 years, heading up the Advanced
Network Sales Group when he retired.
He moved back to his Minnesota to be closer to family, but quickly realized he wasnt ready to retire yet.
Haase became an entrepreneur and helped start two high tech companies: a telemedicine company,
which used a telephonic stethoscope and other instruments to provide medical services via telephone to
the homebound; and one of the first Internet education companies, providing online courses in
Radiologic Technology. Both companies were ahead of their time and both became leaders in their
fields. Haase retired again in 2008.
With his children grown and the business world behind him, Haase finally had the time to pursue his art.
He hadnt picked up a paintbrush in 40 years, but for Haase it was as if he'd never put his brushes away.





"The Roar Before The 24," 2011,
jjjjjjjAcrylic on canvas 24" x 30"










My style really hadnt changed much since I was in college, he said. The best way to describe it is a
cross between Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and Andy Warhol. His brightly colored, quasi-abstract images
are recognizable, yet startling and thought provoking. The energy within each piece is palpable. Haase
said that some people have likened his work to the energetic action painting style of LeRoy Neiman.
The fun of my paintings is that they are ambiguous. Different people see different images in the same
painting, he said. Colors, shapes, and motion within a painting guide a viewer's impression of that
painting. The effect a painting has on a viewer relates to the person's life experiences as much as the
painting itself.
I probably enjoy painting portraits more than anything, said Haase. Each portrait reflects Haases
personal interpretation of the subjects unique energy. Its fun. Theres a risk in it that, with my style of
painting, the victim is either going to love it or totally hate it.








"Captain Courageous" (self portrait), 2012,
kkkkkkkkkAcrylic on canvas, 30" x24"












After painting portraits as gifts for family and friends, he soon began getting commissions. With time on
his side and the joy of painting as his muse, Haases dream of being a working artist was resurrected.
Haase had barely begun painting again when he received a call that had him packing up and moving
back to Florida again. This time his destination was Daytona Beach, home of the historic Daytona
International Speedway.
A friend from Haases Florida days had designed an innovative personal cooling system for racecar
drivers and asked Haase to help take the new product to market. Once again, Haase couldnt resist the
challenge. He signed on as Chairman and CEO of Action Circuit Productions, the company that
developed the Kool3 Cube driver cooling system. For Haase, it was an incredible opportunity to indulge
his lifelong passion for things that go fast.
Ever since he was 12 years old, Haase had been building and racing motorcycles. He raced dirt bikes
for several years starting on a 250cc Greeves and retiring on a Yamaha YZ360 when he could no
longer keep up with the 16-year-old kids. Decades later, he still owns and rides a Harley Davidson Wide
Glide that he bought new in 1981.
When he was in college, Haase became enamored with Corvettes. Corvettes are Americas true sports
car. Especially in the early days, they were designed to be a sports car. Theyre still the most
technologically sound American racecar that you can drive on the streets," he said. I like owning a piece
of automotive history. Each car is different and has its own story; its own soul."
He bought his first brand new Corvette in 1963. Since then, Haase has owned and painstakingly
restored a number of Corvettes. Three of them, the 53, 57 and 67 models earned the coveted
Bloomington Gold certification which, as car collectors know, confirms that the Corvettes were preserved
or restored within 95% of the way they appeared when they originally left the factory.
With this kind of a background, its no wonder that Haase was delighted with the opportunity to launch a
revolutionary cooling system for race drivers. And what better testing grounds than Daytona
International, one of the worlds most famous motorsports racetrack?
Haase became a regular fixture at the track. Some of the most well known names in auto racing worked
with him to test out the new cooling system. The Stevenson Motorsport team was especially helpful. To
reciprocate, Haase painted his first car portraitthe number 57 Chevrolet Camaro that the Stevenson
team races in the Rolex racing series.
Stevenson team crew chief Mike Johnson and driver Matt Bell helped me test my Kool3 driver cooling
system early on in my product development, said Haase. Expressing my thanks to Johnny Stevenson
is basically why I did the painting. I wanted to create a memory that he would never forget. I gave it to
Mr. Stevenson at a Rolex race in New Jersey two seasons ago, Haase said. He was thrilled with the
painting. It was great fun to surprise somebody like him who could, in reality, buy any painting he wanted
to. I took a great deal of satisfaction from his reaction to the painting. That motivated me to go on with
my automotive paintings.
Following the enthusiastic reception he received from Stevenson and others who saw the painting,
Haase began adding portraits of Corvettes and motorcycles to his portfolio. The majority of these
paintings spotlight one element of the vehiclethe dashboard, a wheel, the grill, etc. He enhances what
most appeals to him while capturing and preserving history and the integrity of the vehicle he paints.
Each painting is a portrait, said Haase. A portrait does not have to be of a person. I use color, brush
strokes and light to make the subject come alive. Automotive aficionados will immediately be able to
identify the cars in the paintings. Others will enjoy the whimsical colors and feelings the painting inspires.
I like happy paintings. I want viewers to look at my paintings and then walk away in a good mood.
You can see more of Haases art at http://www.oceanbooksandart.com/fred-haase-acrylic.html.

Barbara Salter Nelson is the President of Phred Ink, a Florida-based company that specializes in business
communications strategy development and implementation. She is also a successful freelance writer. Her work has
been published in a variety of business and lifestyle publications. Prior to starting Phred in 2005, she was a
corporate communications executive and worked with well-known companies including American Express, Alamo
Rent-a-Car, and Sunbeam Products.