Marie Spaeder Haas is an avid watercolorist who spent most of her early years near the shores of Lake Erie in northwestern Pennsylvania. She started painting and drawing most often with a tube of lipstick on the walls of her childhood home and continued, even while pursuing an education in the biological sciences and a career teaching high school biology in Erie. In addition to her watercolor and drawing pursuits, she has also experimented with other aqueous media, including acrylics and silk dyes.

While living in Erie, she conducted watercolor and drawing classes and had her own Sycamore Gallery as artist in residence at Villa Maria College/ Gannon University where she displayed her work along with the work of area artists. She shares, “I am painting and drawing images all the time, not necessarily with any particular medium, but I am always considering colors, textures, shapes and forms. I feel especially fortunate to be able to look at this beautiful creation around me and experience it as a biologist and as an artist at the same time. It energizes and inspires me.” In recent years, she has been experimenting with incorporating textile techniques into her watercolor work with fun and amazing results.

Marie frequently exhibits her drawings and watercolors in solo, juried, and invitational shows throughout the United States. Her work is found in private and corporate collections in the United Sates, Australia, Canada and Japan. She has signature membership in the Tennessee Watercolor Society, the Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society, and the Southern Appalachia Artists Guild. She currently works out of her studio in Ocoee, TN.