Backyard Trails 16.5" x 16.5" Prismacolor On Strathmore Paper Original ~ $1,400 |
* Featured in Hill Country Sun Magazine January 2013
* Featured in The Show Circuit Magazine Jan/Feb 2014
Lore of the Bluebonnet 11" x 17" Prismacolor On Strathmore Paper [SOLD] |
to Japan, the lily to France, the rose to England and the tulip to Holland. It's not
only the state flower but also a kind of floral trademark almost as well known to
outsiders as cowboy boots and the Stetson hat."
- Jack Maguire
* Featured in Hill Country Sun Magazine January 2013
* Featured in Sunwatcher Magazine Spring 2014
Homage to the Bluebonnet 11" x 17" Prismacolor On Strathmore Paper [SOLD] |
They're as blue as the deep, deep sea,
Their smiling faces bring gladness,
For they bloom for your and for me.
Bluebonnets, so gorgeous and stately,
In your mantle of blue and of green,
In the spring when you're in your full glory,
You're the loveliest sight ever seen.
You're beautiful when you sway in the sunshine,
You look like waves of the sea,
Ah, Texas was wise in her choice of flow'r,
So we offer our homage to thee."
- Julia D. Booth & Lora C. Crockett
* 2013 Brazoria County Fair (Floral)
The predictably bold curiosity of raccoons brings a
smile to my face, but their nocturnal clock and sneaky
personality leave them frustratingly elusive to my photography. That all changed when a desperate high school senior that needed to pass
my art class asked if there was anything he
could do for extra credit. He agreed to assist me in acquiring some raccoon
photographs. The next morning I was
shocked as I entered my classroom to see a well fed raccoon sitting in a cage. After thoroughly documenting
the coon, which I named Roger, he was rewarded with a treat and released into the wild. My goal in this
artwork is to communicate the inquisitive and comical nature
of the intelligent mammal while evoking a sense of connection with the viewer
through their lovable and deceptive pet like resemblance.
* "First Place" 2012 Galveston Art League Juried Art Show
* Cover Art for Hill Country Sun Magazine January 2013
This piece is reflective of an experience I had on my first
trip to Rockport, TX. I had
created several floral artworks that had garnered a lot of interest, but I
expected the coastal town of Rockport to provide me with gulf coast images, leaving
me pleasantly surprised when I discovered a beautiful cemetery filled with
flowers of all types. I was
stunned at the level of color and life that was in full bloom encased within an
environment associated with death and mourning. Visually, the contrast between the "Lantana's" bright and simplistic
petals and the dramatically dark leaf patterns offer the same subtle sense of
restfulness and peace I encountered as I first documented this beautiful cemetery.
* "First Place" 2012 Brazosport Center Fall Juried Show
* Featured on Prismacolor's website
* Featured in IN Magazine March/April 2014
* Featured in Sunwatcher Magazine Spring 2014
* Featured on Prismacolor's website
* "First Place" 2013 Bay City Art League Juried Show
* Featured in Sunwatcher Magazine Spring 2014
Armadillos are known as “Poor Man’s Pig” throughout the South. I was on my way back to the campsite at Brazos Bend State Park when an armadillo nonchalantly
strolled past, nose buried in the foliage by my boots. Apparently, mealtime was a bigger
concern than the presence of a hiker. I began snapping several photos of the armadillo blanketed in the evening light. Between photographs the surrounding trees shifted colors as the sun set, offering
a new canvas of colors. From an artistic standpoint, I enjoyed
exploring the wonderful variety of color and texture in this piece, from the
armadillo’s intricate armored pattern, to the colorful leafs, to the setting
sun’s light.
* Featured in Hill Country Sun Magazine January 2013
* "First Place" 2013 Brazoria County Fair (Wildlife)
Henry Beecher once said, "Flowers are the sweetest things God ever made, and forgot to put a soul into." There is a truth to the joy flowers breathe into our world. Symbols of healing within a hospital room, tokens of apology after a fight, glimpses of life within a cemetery - the list goes on. It is with the above mentioned that "Wildflower Sunburst" grew to life within my studio. An artwork intended to be bright and full of soul.
* "Third Place" 2013 Bay City Art League Juried Show
* Featured in The Show Circuit Magazine Jan/Feb 2014
* Featured in IN Magazine March/April 2014
* "Best of Show" 2014 Brazosport Center Fall Juried Show
"Like a bird on a wire * 2013 Brazoria County Fair (Floral)
Glimpse of Beauty 11" x 17" Prismacolor On Strathmore Paper [SOLD] |
During a recent trip to a Texas State Park, I experienced
dreadful weather and unimaginable misfortune as I pursued new reference
material for future artworks. I
was cleaning up my campsite on the final day when I noticed a beautiful cardinal
resting in the branches of an old oak tree. I grabbed my camera and was able to capture one quick shot. Then, in the blink of an eye, the bird
was gone. It is through this momentary
flash of nature’s majesty that I came up with the title of this artwork, "Glimpse of Beauty." Within this drawing
I dramatically enhanced the blurred vision of branches framing the bird,
suggesting even this created artwork is fleeting.
Curious Coon 18" x 12" Prismacolor On Strathmore Paper [SOLD] |
Deer Friends 14" x 11" Prismacolor On Strathmore Paper [SOLD] |
Deer Friends |
“Greater love
has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” –Jesus Christ,
John 15:13
Friendships will
be placed in your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. Regardless of how they form, friends
are a gift and worth our gratitude.
Within this drawing, the glimpse of two gentle deer share time together
as sunlight blankets the path before them. Friendships will always carry with them an unknown future, symbolized in this drawing by
a path leading off into the distance.
The level of friendship may only be discovered when we step out of our comfort zone
and begin to share our joys, sorrows and life experiences with others.
Feeding Fawn 12" x 18" Prismacolor On Strathmore Paper [SOLD] |
"Love is a song that never ends
Life may be swift and fleeting
Hope may die yet love's beautiful music
Comes each day like the dawn
Love is a song that never ends
One simple theme repeating
Like the voice of a heavenly choir
Love's
sweet music flows on"
- Composed by Larry Morey, Love is
a Song
Main Title of Bambi
Fuzzy Fawn 24" x 16" Prismacolor On Strathmore Paper [SOLD] |
I
frequently draw deer in my wildlife artworks, and always enjoy capturing their elegant
silhouettes. In the encounter that
inspired this drawing, I was fortunate to obtain the unmatched beauty of a
resting fawn tucked away in the foliage as daylight dimmed. Emotion is
certainly evoked as the tiny deer reflects something more like a pet or stuffed
animal a child might grasp. It is
within “Fuzzy Fawn” that the viewer may search within the deer’s eyes and come
face to face with himself or herself.
* "Second Place" Brazosport Center 2012 People's Choice* "First Place" 2012 Galveston Art League Juried Art Show
* Cover Art for Hill Country Sun Magazine January 2013
Gulf Coast Seagulls 11" x 17" Prismacolor On Strathmore Paper [SOLD] |
Seagulls have long been a favorite bird for me to
observe. Living on the Texas coast,
I have come to view ocean and seagulls as synonymous. It’s my observations and enjoyment of seagulls, which
eventually led to this particular artwork. The two gulls are strikingly similar in contrast to the
rolling waves behind them, but on closer observation it is strangely apparent that
one of the seagulls is missing a leg.
The coastal bird is known for losing their legs through horrific, but
sadly all too common action by vacationers, where they offer food in one hand
and then attempt to grab the bird when they fly close enough. The blurred ocean waves and undisguised
pencil work in the background are the abstract suggestion to the frailty and impermanence
of life.
Lantanas 11" x 17" Prismacolor On Strathmore Paper [SOLD] |
Prickly Pear Cactus 11" x 17" Prismacolor On Strathmore Paper [SOLD] |
Former vice president John Nance Garner, also known as
“Cactus Jack,” so eloquently extolled the virtues of the cactus, from its
hardy durability to its orchid-like beautiful flowers. It was during a trip to Aledo, TX, I
stumbled upon a gorgeous prickly pear cactus and understood why Mr. Garner was
so passionate about that particular plant. The cactus interpreted in this artwork stood tall as I
documented it, wearing a crown that glowed in the hot afternoon sunlight. I made it my mission to illuminate
this cactus in a noble effort to offer others a similar experience. The tendrils of blurred color cutting through the cactus and
bleached background further enhance the depth of field, setting the cactus
apart from its surroundings.
* Featured on Prismacolor's website
* Featured in IN Magazine March/April 2014
* Featured in Sunwatcher Magazine Spring 2014
Tattered Butterfly 24" x 16" Prismacolor On Strathmore Paper [SOLD] |
Beauty is often misunderstood. While the superficial voice screams for beauty achieved only in magazines through the skills of
photoshop elitest, nature has a different interpretation. Life leaves a
mark regardless of how hard we run from it and that is what inspired “Tattered Butterfly.” There
is a spiritual transformation as butterflies
emerge from their coccoons, but is that untested beauty lost as the butterfly
nears the end of its life? I argue beauty is magnified over time as we face challenges and continue to shine.
* Featured on Prismacolor's website
* "First Place" 2013 Bay City Art League Juried Show
* Featured in Sunwatcher Magazine Spring 2014
Poor Man's Pig 20" x 16" Prismacolor On Strathmore Paper [SOLD] |
* Featured in Hill Country Sun Magazine January 2013
* "First Place" 2013 Brazoria County Fair (Wildlife)
Wildflower Sunburst 11" x 17" Prismacolor On Strathmore Paper [SOLD] |
Bird's Eye View 20" x 16" Prismacolor On Strathmore Paper [SOLD] |
Bird's Eye View |
I have long been fascinated by birds of prey, particularly
Red-tailed Hawks, which are a hallmark throughout North America. I have always lived and traveled in and
around the rural countryside where it’s not uncommon for your only company to
be a bird of prey, a lone speckled spot soaring across a big Texas sky. The challenge in this piece was
balancing the impressive beauty and color palette with the fierce and deadly
characteristics known of raptors and then orchestrate that into a harmonious composition.
* Featured on Prismacolor's website* "Third Place" 2013 Bay City Art League Juried Show
* Featured in The Show Circuit Magazine Jan/Feb 2014
* Featured in IN Magazine March/April 2014
* "Best of Show" 2014 Brazosport Center Fall Juried Show
Like A Bird On A Wire 14" x 10" Prismacolor On Strathmore Paper Original ~ $750 |
Like A Bird On A Wire |
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free"
- Johnny Cash, Bird on a Wire
* Featured in Colored Pencil Magazine August 2014
Knee Deep 16" x 28" Prismacolor On Arches 140 lbs Paper [SOLD] |
The ocean is my only medication
Wishing my condition ain't ever gonna go away"
- Zac Brown Band, Knee Deep
* Printed in 2013 Texas Gulf Bank 100 Year Anniversary Coffee Book
* "Best of Show" 2013 Brazosport Center Fall Juried Show
* Selected for the 2013 National Society of Artists Fall Juried Show
* "Special Merit" 2013 Light, Space & Time Juried Show
* "Best of Show" 2014 Galveston Art League Winter Juried Show
* Featured in Sunwatcher Magazine Spring 2014
The Mockingbird - A True Texan 20" x 16" Prismacolor On Arches 140 lbs Paper Original ~ $1,200 limited time Christmas sale price |
"The mockingbird is found in all parts of the State, in winter and
in summer, in the city and in the country, on the prairie and in the
woods and hills...is a singer of distinctive type, a fighter for the
protection of his home, falling, if need be, in its defense, like any
true Texan..."
- The Texas Legislature 1927
* Featured in Fort Worth, TX City Magazine December 2013
* "Honorable Mention" 2014 Texas City Juried Art Show
Texas A&M Bluebonnet 11" x 17" Prismacolor on Strathmore Paper [SOLD] |
As a native Texan, I look forward to the spring when
bluebonnets, along with other wildlife flowers, begin to paint the countryside
in vibrant color. “Texas
A&M Bluebonnet” was a departure for me from the traditional bluebonnet
that I so often create. This highly detailed drawing resonates with the brilliance of Texas springtime. The “Texas
Maroon” bluebonnet was designed by an Aggie horticulturists, Greg Grant, in an effort to create
a bluebonnet representative of Texas A&M colors. Eventually, the Aggie succeeded in producing a bluebonnet that both pays homage to the state flower and offers respect of Texas A&M’s long standing legacy. My effort within this artwork was to generate a high contrasting color scheme that allows the bluebonnet to make a bold statement on behalf of both Texas and Aggies alike.
* Featured in IN Magazine March/April 2014
Deer are so graceful and delicate that it is with intricate care that I approach this subject, not wishing to deliver an artwork unworthy of their royal position among the animal kingdom. Look closely within the detail of this drawing and you will see deep within the color palette a depth of life within the eyes and velvet antlers "The Prince" wears atop his head like a crown.
* Featured in Colored Pencil Magazine August 2014
* "Best of Show" 2015 Bay City Juried Art Show
"Birds of a Feather" began with a intricate study of painted buntings, the most gaudily colored North American songbird. My intentions were to display an array of different colored males in all their glory. The challenge came in discovering a background suitable and complimentary to the vivid brilliance of the birds. It's this conscious effort that allows the viewer to appreciate the birds' elegant form as they perch upon a Guajillo tree.
* Featured in IN Magazine March/April 2014
The Prince 30" x 18" Prismacolor on Arches 140 lbs Paper Original ~ $3,600 |
* Featured in Colored Pencil Magazine August 2014
* "Best of Show" 2015 Bay City Juried Art Show
More Than A Peck 8" x 10" Prismacolor on Arches 140 lbs Paper [SOLD] |
You must remember this, A kiss is still a kiss
A sigh is just a sigh, The fundamental things apply
As time goes by
And when two lovers woo, They still say, "I love you"
On that you can rely
No matter what the future brings
As time goes by
Moonlight and love songs - Never out of date
Hearts full of passion - Jealousy and hate
Woman needs man - And man must have his mate
That no one can deny, It's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory, A case of do or die
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by
- Frank Sinatra, As Time Goes By
The title for this artwork, "Aerial Pursuit," was derived by the bird's buoyant flight and dog-like barks which inspired famed ornithologist R. C. Murphy in 1936 to describe them as "unworldly...aerial beagles hot on the scent of aerial rabbits." Skimmers are incredibly graceful migratory birds to observe as they swiftly glide over the shimmering gulf coast of Texas.
* "First Place" 2014 Galveston Art League Fall Juried Show
The title for this artwork, "Aerial Pursuit," was derived by the bird's buoyant flight and dog-like barks which inspired famed ornithologist R. C. Murphy in 1936 to describe them as "unworldly...aerial beagles hot on the scent of aerial rabbits." Skimmers are incredibly graceful migratory birds to observe as they swiftly glide over the shimmering gulf coast of Texas.
* "First Place" 2014 Galveston Art League Fall Juried Show
Birds of a Feather 22" x 16" Prismacolor on Arches 140 lbs Paper [SOLD] |
New Perspectives 16" x 22" Prismacolor on Arches 140 lbs Paper Original ~ $900 |