Hill Country Love Affair: Interpretations of a Texas HeartlandW i l l i a m R e a v e s F i n e a R t • O c t O b e R 1 8 – n O v e m b e R 1 6 , 2 0 1 3

P L e A s I n g H I L L C o u n T r y V I e w s b y o V e r 3 0 T e x A s A r T I s T s , s P A n n I n g 8 5 y e A r s

Randy bacOn • maRy baxteR • JOy caRRingtOn • emma RichaRdsOn cheRRy • maRgie cRisp • Keith davis • Ruth duncan

• santa duRan • JOn Flaming • henRi gadbOis • RObeRt haRRisOn • alexandeR hOgue • caRl hOppe • lee JamisOn •

lauRa leWis • William mOntgOmeRy • ancel nunn • geORge demOnt Otis • nOe peRez • haROld ROney • pORFiRiO salinas

• JeRi salteR • William slaughteR • debbie stevens • bOb stuth-Wade • ROlla taylOR • RObeRt WOOd • amOng OtheRs •

hill cOuntRy lOve aFFaiR:InTerPreTATIons of A TexAs HeArTLAnd

OctOber 18 – NOvember 16, 2013

Opening Reception: Saturday, October 26, 20135 - 8pm

noe perez, Evening Colors, 2013

as the exhibition title implies, a hill country love affair is an art exhibition celebrating the glories of the texas hill country. here for the viewing is a fine selection vintage and contemporary paintings by over thirty texas artists, all of which feature this beloved sector of the state in one form or fashion. the works shown have been executed by their respective artists over a period of roughly eighty-five years. it is a lovely assemblage of artworks featuring the grand mix of wildflowers, wildlife, rivers, lakes and vistas which characterize in the hill country environs. a visit is certain to bring pleasant viewing for all who attend, as this is a worthy exhibition simply based on the beauty of the works alone.

however, beyond being merely a collection of pretty paintings, this exhibition underscores that most fundamental quality of true texas art - a profound “sense of place”. it has been noted that the best of texas paintings marvel us because they connect to the archetypical spirit and instinctive nature of place which looms quietly (and sometimes not-so-quietly) within the collective consciousness of all texans. perhaps no other spot within the bounds of the great state is more evocative of genuine “texas place” than the texas hill country, and as the paintings on the walls attest, the region has beckoned to texas painters since art first blossomed in the state. indeed, texas artists have been engaged in a mad love affair with the texas hill country since the very beginning, and the masterworks in art which have resulted from their enduring romance are at least part of the reason that this rugged texas heartland is revered today as one of the state’s most identifiable environmental treasures.

starting with the likes of hermann lungkwitz or Friedrich Richard petri, notables among a first wave of immigrant artists settling in central

devotion to Place: Texas Artists and the Texas Hill Countrytexas in the 1850s, texas painters have been inclined to give romantic interpretations to the lofty hills and rocky riverbeds endemic to the area. the twentieth century ensued with impressionist painters such as the Onderdonks, notably Robert and Julian, and “papa” José arpa achieving popular acclaim by virtue of their stunning canvases of verdant texas hills and scrubby south texas countryside that surrounded their san antonio homes. their painterly output, coupled with their notable prowess as art teachers, helped to inspire a popular movement of “bluebonnet painters” and set dozens of would-be protégées scouring about the texas hills in search of flower-covered vistas to paint.

by the end of the Roaring twenties, texas and san antonio had evolved as the epicenter of the arts for the south and southwest. san antonio’s energetic art league, underwritten by its “patron-in-chief”, edgar b. davis, boldly offered a heralded national painting competition which encouraged both texas painters, as well as american counterparts from other states, to capture farming, ranching and other scenic landscape of the texas hill country and its adjacent territories. several of the artists who actively participated in these san antonio competitive exhibitions, as these events were formally titled, are shown in this particular exhibition, including emma Richardson cherry, alexander hogue, peter hohnstedt, eloise polk mcgill, gilbert neumann, harold Roney, Rolla taylor and others. Other notable exhibitors include Oscar e. berninghaus, adrian bewer dawson dawson-Watson, W. herbert dunton, edward g. eisenlohr, Frank tenney Johnson, audley dean nicols, and ella K. mewhinney.

the 30s and 40s introduced yet another wave of hill-country painters onto the texas scene. Foremost among these were Robert Wood and

porfirio salinas, and strong examples of their works are found here as well. these artists extended the landscape traditions started by Onderdonk, arpa and others, turning out exquisite canvases populated with their own fields of flowers, dusty roads, spreading live oaks and blooming cacti. their works resonated with texans of the era and found homes among the most prominent of lone star families.

the allure of the texas hills did not escape the attention of the artists/instructors of the newly formed university of texas art department either. these professors, along with a bevy of talented students, sketched and painted the austin countryside prolifically, albeit with more abstracted, avant-garde style then their san antonio-based contemporaries. in this show, examples by constance Forsyth, William lester and everett spruce speak to their affinity for the hard-scrabble farms and rocky streams which dotted the vicinity.

Returning to studios after the war, salinas and other texas painters continued to pursue their fascination with hill country subject matter, painting wonderful examples throughout the middle and latter scores of the twentieth century. Others, such as William slaughter followed their lead. One of the grand artists to emerge in texas after the war was ancel nunn, whose painting here of the german-engineered sisterdale school house offers a sensitive tribute to the elegant legacy of indigenous structures which stand as monuments in time in these texas hills.

texas painters of the present century have been likewise smitten by this storied landscape, finding new and inventive ways to paint and preserve the timeless qualities of the texas hill country. artists such as mary baxter, noe perez, Robert harrison, lee Jamison and laura lewis lend their respective forms of impressionism to this classic subject matter. Randy bacon, bob stuth-Wade and debbie stevens use measured, yet

strong brushwork and careful overlay of paint to capture the unique light and texture of the land they paint. artists such as Jeri salter, erik sprohge and hunter george bring hill country settings to life through exquisite works on paper, while Jon Flaming and Keith davis prefer more whimsical, colorful abstractions (and in davis’ case—found objects and carved wood) to convey the distinctive qualities of the vicinity.

and so on it goes. a long and continuous line of texas painters inspired by this glorious place, moved to capture its beauties and character in paint. the paintings here constitute a tribute to both subject and artists, and attest to the instinctive draw which this ground has held for texas painters over time. through a hill country love affair we invite you to experience your own personal journey to this special texas place. We have little doubt you’ll enjoy it, and that you will concur with us in affirming: long live texas, long live texas art, and god bless the texas hills!

Bill ReavesPresident, William Reaves Fine Art

hill cOuntRy lOve aFFaiR: INterpretatIONs Of a texas HeartlaNdOctober 18 - november 16, 2013

Artist Title of work date Medium dimensions (inches)

1 randy bacon Fort McKavett #1 2013 oil on canvas 18 x 24

2 randy bacon Fort McKavett #2 2013 oil on canvas 18 x 24

3 randy bacon San Saba River at the Presidio 2013 oil on canvas 18 x 24

4 randy bacon Llano River 2013 oil on canvas 18 x 24

5 randy bacon Pecans (Menard) 2013 oil on canvas 10 x 14

6 mary baxter Cattle Near Quihi 2013 oil on canvas 30 x 42

7 mary baxter Ducks in the Rain 2013 oil on canvas 30 x 24

8 mary baxter Two Cattle Egrets on a Rocky Point 2013 oil on canvas 30 x 36

9 Joy carrington Basket of Cactus no date oil on canvas 24 x 18

10 Joy carrington Hill Country Bluebonnets no date oil on board 10 x 16

11 Joy carrington Trees & Lake no date oil on canvas 24 x 36

12 emma richardson cherry Blue Bonnets & Indian Blankets no date oil on board 17 x 11½

13 margie crisp Righteous 2013 egg tempera on panel, 24k gold, water gilded 8½ x 7½

14 margie crisp Endangered Species Icon: Black-capped Vireo 2013 egg tempera on panel, 24k gold, oil gilded 11 x 14

15 Keith davis Woodpeckers and Cactus 2013 acrylic on wood 26½ x 17 x 9

16 Keith davis A Window on Texas: Spring in the Hill Country 2013 acrylic on wood 36 x 31 x 8

17 Keith davis A Window on Texas: Crows in the Kitchen 2013 acrylic on wood 29 x 26 x 9½

18 Keith davis A Window on Texas: Evening Song 2013 acrylic on wood 26 x 26 x 6

19 Keith davis Rabbit and Cactus 2010-13 acrylic on wood 21 x 13 x 5.5

20 ruth duncan Landmark Inn at Castorville from the River Road no date oil on board 11½ x 15½

21 santa duran Los Helotes Creek 1964 oil on canvas board 16 x 20

22 stella texas elmendorf Untitled (Barn) 1928 oil on canvas on board 12 x 16

23 Jon flaming Along the Road (Number 1) 2013 oil on canvas 18 x 24

hill cOuntRy lOve aFFaiR: INterpretatIONs Of a texas HeartlaNdOctober 18 - november 16, 2013

24 Jon flaming Cattle, Cotton, Cactus 2 2013 oil on canvas 48 x 60

34 constance forsyth Turkey and Rooster (Stand-off) 1956 litho crayon on paper 15 x 21

35 Henri Gadbois Ann's Trees 2009 oil on canvas 9 x 12

36 Henri Gadbois From the Terrace, Ingram 1978 oil on canvas 24 x 30

37 Henri Gadbois Gray Day on the Guadalupe 2012 oil on canvas 6½ x 8½

38 robert Harrison Hill Country Verbena 2013 oil on canvas 23½ x 29½

39 robert Harrison Springtime in May 2013 oil on canvas 18 x 24

40 alexander Hogue Texas Snow 1925 oil on canvas on board 12 x 16

41 peter lanz Hohnstedt Landscape no date oil on board 18 x 24

42 carl thomas Hoppe Untitled (Bluebonnets) no date oil on canvas 12 x 16

43 carl thomas Hoppe Landscape of Pinks 1954 oil on canvas 19½ x 23½

44 lee Jamison A Blue Heron 2013 oil on canvas 12 x 48

45 lee Jamison Morning and Evening and Night 2013 oil on canvas 30 x 40

46 lee Jamison First Light 2013 oil on canvas 36 x 60

47 laura lewis Good Night 2005/2013 oil on panel 25 x 48

48 laura lewis Hilltop 2009 oil on panel 40 x 24

49 laura lewis Rhapsody in Blue (Martin Ranch) 2013 oil on panel 20 x 48

50 William lester Dry Pastures 1943 watercolor 18 x 20

51 William lester Farm c.1944 oil on masonite 20½ x 26

52 eloise polk mcGill Untitled (Bluebonnets) no date oil on canvas board 16 x 26

53 William montgomery Nueces River: Rio Grande Leopard Frog and Coppery Dancer 2013 oil on canvas 30 x 42

54 William montgomery Tropical Parulas on Hackberry Creek 2013 oil on canvas 20 x 16

55 Gilbert franz Neumann Hill of Bandero 1927 oil on panel 9 x 12

56 ancel Nunn Sisterdale Schoolhouse 1972 acrylic on panel 31 x 23½

57 George demont Otis Untitled (Laundry Day) no date oil on canvas 16 x 20

hill cOuntRy lOve aFFaiR: INterpretatIONs Of a texas HeartlaNdOctober 18 - november 16, 2013

58 Noe perez Evening Colors 2013 oil on canvas 20 x 30

59 Noe perez Hilltop Blooms 2013 oil on canvas 30 x 24

60 ernst raba San Antonio, Texas 1925 oil on canvas 16⅛ x 20⅛

61 Harold roney Shimmering Sunlight 1926 oil on canvas board 12 x 13½

62 porfirio salinas Road to Utopia c.1950 oil on canvas 20 x 24

63 porfirio salinas Untitled (Landscape) no date oil on board 6 x 8

64 Jeri salter Finding a Way Though the Fog 2013 pastel 12 x 21

65 Jeri salter Patchwork Barn 2013 pastel 12 x 21

66 Jeri salter Reflections 2011 pastel on panel 30 x 38

67 William slaughter Untitled (Winterscape) no date oil on canvas 23½ x 35½

68 erik sprohge Hope: Hilltop, Guadalupe Ranch Estates 2013 watercolor 21¼ x 14

69 erik sprohge River Rock: North Fork, Guadalupe 2013 watercolor 19¼ x27

70 erik sprohge Cliff Face: North Fork Guadalupe 2013 watercolor 21½ x 29½

71 debbie stevens Longhorns of Willow Creek 2013 oil on canvas 24 x 48

72 debbie stevens 80% Chance 2013 oil on panel 24 x 24

73 bob stuth-Wade Early Afternoon, Sulphur Springs 2013 acrylic on paper mounted on panel 15⅝ x 19⅝

74 bob stuth-Wade Buck Point, Dry Years 2013 acrylic on paper mounted on panel 19⅝ x 15⅝

75 bob stuth-Wade Cathedrals on the Colorado 2012 acrylic on canvas 32 x 19

76 rolla taylor Cactus 1901 oil on canvas 9½ x 13¼

77 rolla taylor Privilege Creek, Bandera Road no date oil on canvas board 16 x 20

78 rolla taylor San Jose Mission, S.A. no date oil on canvas board 11½ x 15½

79 robert Wood Untitled (Cactus) no date oil on board 12 x 16

80 robert Wood (attributed) Hill Country Road no date oil on canvas 25 x 30

1. randy bacon, Fort McKavett #1, 2013, oil on canvas, 18x24 inches

2. randy bacon, Fort McKavett #2, 2013, oil on canvas, 18x24 inches

2. randy bacon, Llano River, 2013, oil on canvas, 18x24 inches 4. randy bacon, Pecans (Menard), 2013, oil on canvas, 10x14 inches

5. randy bacon, San Saba River at the Presidio, 2013, oil on canas, 18x24 inches

6. mary baxter, Cattle Near Quihi, oil on canvas, 30x42 inches

7. mary baxter, Ducks in the Rain, 2013, oil on canvas, 30x24 inches

8. mary baxter, Two Herons on a Rocky Point, 2013, oil on canvas, 30x36 inches

9. Joy carrington, Trees and Lake, no date, oil on canvas, 24x30 inches

10. Joy carrington, Basket of Cactus, no date, oil on canvas, 18x24 inches

11. Joy carrington, Hill Country Bluebonnets, no date, oil on board, 10x16 inches

12. emma richardson cherry, Blue Bonnets & Indian Blankets, no date, oil on canvas, 17x11.5 inches

13. margie crisp, Endangered Species Icon: Black-capped Vireo, 2013, egg tempera on panel, 24k gold, oil gilded, 11 x 14 inches

14. margie crisp, Righteous, 2013, egg tempera on panel, 24k gold, water gilded, 8.5x7.5 inches

15. Keith davis, Rabbit, 2010-2013, acrylic on wood, 21x13x5.5 inches

16. Keith davis, A Window on Texas: Spring in the Hill Country, 2013, acrylic on wood, 36 x 31 x 8 inches

17. Keith davis, A Window on Texas: Crows in the Kitchen, 2013, acrylic on wood, 29 x 26 x 9½ inches

18. Keith davis, A Window on Texas: Evening Song, 2013, acrylic on wood, 26 x 26 x 6 inches 19. Keith davis, Woodpeckers and Cactus,

2013, acrylic on wood, 26½ x 17 x 9 inches

20. ruth duncan, Landmark Inn at Castroville from the River Road, no date, oil on canvas, 12x16 inches

21. santa duran, Los Helotes Creek, 1964, oil on canvas board, 16x20 inches

22. stella texas elmendorf, Untitled (Barn), no date, oil on canvas, 12x16 inches

24. Jon flaming, Cattle, Cotton, Cactus 2, 2013, oil on canvas, 48x60 inches23. Jon flaming, Along the Road (number 1), 2013, oil on canvas, 18x24 inches

25. constance forsyth, Turkey and Rooster (Stand-off), 1956, litho crayon on paper, 15x21 inches

26. Henri Gadbois, Ann’s Trees, 2009, oil on canvas, 9x12inches

27. Henri Gadbois, From the Terrace, Ingram, 1978, oil on canvas, 24x30 inches

28. Henri Gadbois, Gray Day on the Guadalupe, 2012, oil on canvas, 6½ x 8½ inches

29. robert Harrison, Hill Country Verbena, 2013, oil on canvas, 23½ x 29½ inches

30. robert Harrison, Springtime in May, 2013, oil on canvas, 18x24 inches

31. alexander Hogue, Texas Snow, 1925, oil on canvas board, 12x15 inches

32. peter Hohnstedt, Untitled (Landscape), no date, oil on board, 18x24 inches

33. carl Hoppe, Landscape of Pinks, 1954, oil on canvas, 20x24 inches

34. carl Hoppe, Untitled (Bluebonnet), no date, oil on canvas, 12x16 inches

35. lee Jamison, A Blue Heron, 2013, oil on canvas, 12x48 inches

36. lee Jamison, First Light, 2013, oil on canvas, 36x60 inches

37. lee Jamison, Morning and Evening and Night, 2013, oil on canvas, 30x40 inches

38. William lester, Dry Pastures, 1943, watercolor, 18x20 inches 39. William lester, Farm, c.1944, oil on masonite, 20½ x 26 inches

40. laura lewis, Good Night, 2005-2013, oil on panel, 25x48 inches

41. laura lewis, Hilltop, 2009, oil on panel, 40x24 inches

42. laura lewis, Rhapsody in Blue (Martin Ranch), 2013, oil on panel, 20x48 inches

43. eloise polk mcGill, Untitled (Bluebonnet), no date, oil on canvas board, 16x26 inches

45. William montgomery, Tropical Parulas on Pulliam Creek, 2013, oil on canvas, 26x20 inches

44. William montgomery, Nueces River Rio Grande - Leopard Frog and Coppery Dancer, 2013, oil on canvas, 30x42 inches

46. Gilbert Neumann, Hill of Bandero, 1927, oil on panel, 9x12 inches

47. ancel Nunn, Sisterdale Schoolhouse, 1972, acrylic on panel, 31x23½ inches

48. George demont Otis, Untitled (Laundry Day), no date, oil on canvas, 16x20 inches

49. Noe perez, Evening Colors, 2013, oil on canvas, 20x30 inches 50. Noe perez, Hilltop Blooms, 2013, oil on canvas, 30x24 inches

51. ernst raba, San Antonio, Texas, 1925, oil on canvas, 16⅛ x 20⅛ inches

52. Harold roney, Shimmering Sunlight, 1926, oil on canvas board, 12 x 13½ inches

Shimmering Sunlight listed in the third annual exhibition of Work by Houston artists, museum of fine arts, Houston, 1927

53. porfirio salinas, Road to Utopia, c.1950, oil on canvas, 20x24 inches

53. porfirio salinas, Untitled (Landscape), no date, oil on board, 6x8 inches

54. Jeri salter, Finding a Way Though the Fog, pastel on paper, 12x21 inches

55. Jeri salter, Patchwork Barn, 2012, pastel on paper, 12x21 inches

56. William slaughter, Untitled (Winterscape), no date, oil on canvas, 23½ x 35½ inches

57. everett spruce, Untitled (Landscape with Sun), no date, pen and ink, 10¼ x 13 inches

61. debbie stevens, Longhorns of Willow Creek, 2013, oil on canvas, 24x48 inches 62. debbie stevens, 80% Chance, 2013, oil on canvas, 24x24 inches

63. bob stuth-Wade, Cathedrals on the Colorado, 2012, acrylic on canvas, 32x19 inches

64. bob stuth-Wade, Buck Point, Dry Years, 2013, acrylic on paper mounted on panel, 19½x15½ inches

65. bob stuth-Wade, Early Afternoon, Sulphur Springs, 2013, acrylic on paper mounted on panel, 15½ x 19½ inches

left 66. rolla taylor, Cactus, 1901, oil on canvas, 9½ x 13¼ inches

bottom left 67. rolla taylor, Privilege Creek, Bandera Road, no date, oil on canvas board, 16 x 20 inches

bottom right 68. rolla taylor, San Jose Mission, S.A., no date, oil on canvas board, 11½ x 15½ inches

70. attributed to robert Wood, Hill Country Road, c. 1940, oil on canvas, 25x30 inches

69. robert Wood, Untitled (Landscape with Cactus), no date, oil on board, 12x16 inches

Hill Country Love Affair: Interpretations of a Texas Heartland

October 18 – November 16, 2013 Opening reception: October 26th, 5-8pm

The Texas Watercolor Tradition

November 22 – december 21, 2013Opening reception: November 23rd, 5-8pm

Holidays at the Haley

the Haley memorial library, midland, texasdecember 5 – 11, 2013

Opening reception: december 5th, 5-8pmlecture with dr. michael Grauer: december 7th, 1pm

wILLIAM reAVes fIne ArTupcoming Fall 2013 exhibition schedule

WIllIam reaves fINe art2313 bruN street • HOustON, texas • 77019tel: 713.521.7500 emaIl: INfO@reavesart.cOm

WWW.reavesart.cOm