Herb was a New England artist whose work ranged from greeting cards and watercolors to commercial illustration. He lived in Epping, New Hampshire, and West Newfield, Maine.
Made for everyday life
His artistry appeared on thousands of greeting cards, calendars, bookmarks, books, advertisements, and other products. Originals and prints of his watercolors are now in private collections across the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe.
Herb studied at the School at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. He named Grant Wood and the French Impressionists among his favorite artists, but his own pictures retained a firm, humorous point of view.
A working artist
In southern Massachusetts, Herb and fellow artist David B. Tibbetts drove from small businesses to factories in a 1960s VW panel bus, making art for newspaper ads, flyers, and printed promotions. In Medfield, he worked from a home studio on color separations for greeting cards and printed materials.
After moving to Epping, he continued commercial work while painting more freely. Herb and his wife Lorraine worked together in the business.
Carried forward by family
George Rauh, Herb's eldest son, now curates a selection of his father's work. George's account is not a distant artist statement. It is a family record, full of studio stories, jokes, and a practical understanding that Herb made art to support a family as well as to make something lasting.
“You were in sales, you know what to do, go sell something now,” Herb told him. The result is a collection still open to anyone who wants to bring a lively corner of New England home.