BEHIND THE SCENES / ORANGE COUNTY : Striking a New Pose

International model Robb Havassy doesn’t like to be typecast as just another guy with good looks and a knack for strolling down a runway. Hey, he’s an artist, too.

In between photo and fashion work for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Georgio Armani, Havassy, 28, is a dedicated painter.

After a gig, he returned to his Newport Beach home and studio and put together a showcase of his work, which was seen by 300 people at the Cannery restaurant in Newport Beach on Sunday.

Cannery general manager Teri Hatleberg says she makes a habit of showing new artists at her eatery. Havassy fit the mold; this was his first exhibition.

As guests checked out more than 60 pieces of his art, Havassy says, he spent the evening “basking.”

His work, which reflects what he calls “soulful” themes, from romance and maternity to surfing and music, includes oil paintings, charcoal renderings, pastels and watercolors. A self-trained artist, he says he paints “between modeling, surfing and golf sessions.”

“I was really, really overwhelmed by the support,” he says, “and I was stoked that everyone thought that the art was pretty amazing. That was the only thing I could have control over, and I was pretty happy the way it all turned out.

“The night was definitely a blur to me, and I couldn’t have asked for more from my first show. The energy was really great.”