Rosie Bouse
Ron Hale and his wife Nancy lived in many colorful places during his Navy career: Rhode Island, Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, Cuba, and Spain. After retiring from the Navy in 1990, where he served as a Chief Boatswain Mate, Hale’s interest in art accelerated. He had time to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Art degree with a concentration in graphic design. He and his family settled in Wilbraham, Mass., where he worked in the field of advertising and painted murals inside homes as side jobs.
Later, while Ron was employed by a touring bus company that covered a vast area of the northeast, he had time to sketch scenery while passengers were enjoying their activities. He works in pen and ink, acrylic, and colored pencil. Ron designed the cover of his wife Nancy’s book, My Journey, published in 2013 by WestBow Press. It is available in the Local Author section of the Robson Ranch library.
Ron is talented at woodworking, has designed some of their furniture, and makes many of his own frames. On a toy box constructed for their grandson, he painted a whimsical version of Noah’s Ark. Presently, Ron is designing wooden Christmas trees with lights to brighten up the Compton/Bradford neighborhood. Keep an eye out in November as they begin to twinkle.
Ron finds the Paint & Palette Club to be stimulating, as members learn from one another. In July the club was fortunate to have Ron teach a class, Keeping It in Perspective. You will be seeing some of his students’ work in the glass case reserved for Paint & Palette creations in the CATC building.
Some of Ron’s favorite things to draw are cars, patriotic pieces, ships, composites, and New England barns. Ron’s great-grandfather was Native American Cree from the Quebec Province. Perhaps it is because of his heritage that he has a keen interest in depicting intricate sketches and paintings of nature. His Native American-themed drawings are boldly stunning. His faith also shows through if you are fortunate to view his inspirational works featuring pious saints and tender Madonnas trimmed in gold.
Hours for the Indian Paintbrush Room are Mondays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Membership for the year is $10. We hope you’ll stop by if you have any questions or interest in any level of art. Upcoming activities often appear in the Clubs/Activities emails from the HOA office under Paint & Palette Club. Would-be participants must register in Room 103 in the CATC building to ensure a space.