A Tribute to Texas Rivers

a tRIBUTE TO TEXAS RIVERS

william reaves fine art • march 1 - march 30, 2013

An Artful Tribute to The Rivers of Texas William Reaves Fine Art is proud to team with The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment to offer this exhibition entitled, A Tribute to Texas Rivers. This tribute follows our popular Water Rites exhibition of 2010, and offers viewers yet another extraordinary selection of Texas artworks spanning some 85 years.

The works on display depict the beauty and natural force of Texas rivers, and remind us of their vital place in the lives and art of all Texans.

Texans do seem to possess strong affinity for their rivers! I must admit that the river images here bring to mind fond recollections of days spent on and about such splendid waterways. Having grown up on bottom-lands near the mouths of three Texas rivers, it occurred to me early on that the land was inextricably bound to the ebb and flow of those great streams.

Every ranch and farm in our area was sourced in some manner by the rivers or tributaries that fed them, and the gargantuan petro-chemical plants which abounded in that country fed off the rivers’ resources as well. The small towns about us all nestled beside one of these old rivers, clinging to them in one way or another for their character, recreation and sustenance.

The rivers I knew growing up, the Brazos, San Bernard and Colorado, as well as the people and other wildlife living on them, left lasting impressions and contributed to personal perspectives on life and the balance of nature. I still love those rivers and I suspect that any Texan fortunate enough to spend time in and around the plethora of Texas river-ways has similar regard for them as well.

Certainly, as the paintings in this show attest, Texas artists have been profoundly influenced over time by the rivers they encounter around them.

It has been said that great Texas art is landscape inspired, and if this is the case, then rivers must surely hold a place of prominence as a most inspiring aspect of that landscape. Perhaps more than any other element of our natural environment, it has been the rivers of our state that have provided the quintessential backdrop for our indigenous artists in their quests to convey the beauty and grandeur of Texas. How could it be any other way, really? The Texas river system gives us form and forges the very shape of Texas. Rivers trace the limits of our towns, the bounds of

our counties and lend character and countenance to our bold and distinctive landscape. Our most storied landforms are chiseled and defined by rivers that have coursed through them for centuries, and it would be impossible for the artist to convey the geographic definitions of the Lone Star State without their reliance on the vital trail of rivers which string through the hills, plains and canyons of our state.

In this show, we feature a stunning collection of some fifty river images, executed by thirty-three artists working over a seventy-five year span. The exhibition is a remarkable tribute by these Texas artists, past and present, and includes some of the most significant and accomplished painters ever to have worked within our state. Their paintings, like the river subjects that inspire them, are to be treasured and enjoyed, and we urge friends and patrons to make time for this show.

In mounting the exhibition, the gallery is honored to count The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment as a partner and like-minded enthusiast for the endeavor. The Meadows Center, located at Texas State University — San Marcos, is one of the state’s leading research and development centers addressing water issues in the environment.

In addition to their appreciation of this show as a lovely assemblage of river paintings, leaders of the Center realize that exhibitions of this nature contribute to public awareness and appreciation of the state’s rivers and waterways, adding value and further reinforcing their important mission.

We remain grateful for the Center’s work in this area, and genuinely appreciative of their enthusiastic endorsement of this project. To this end, we are pleased to provide a portion of the proceeds of each sale in support the Center’s important academic and outreach agenda. Thus, patrons who acquire works from this show receive the dual benefits of not only attaining paintings that will enrich their own lives and homes, but also contribute to the Center’s advancement of knowledge and support of Texas rivers. That seems to us like an artful tribute indeed.

Bill Reaves William Reaves Fine Art

The Call of Texas Rivers Surely no element of the landscape presents a richer blend of culture and natural history than our rivers. The iconic streams of Texas are inextricably tied to our biodiversity, our economy and our souls.

And today, we are in danger of losing them. Our population here in Texas is going to double in the next fifty or so years and yet we have already given permission for more water to be withdrawn from many of our rivers than is actually in them.

Today.

The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University is honored to join with William Reaves Fine Art in celebration of the work of a talented group of artists who in this exhibition have so beautifully interpreted the rivers of Texas. In this Tribute to Texas Rivers, their expression joins that of poets, composers, scientists, anglers, paddlers and more who have through the years so eloquently helped the rest of us understand the meaning of rivers in our lives.

They are essential.

and in the face of what appears to be the worst drought in our history, it is both inconceivable and possible that they could literally disappear from our lives.

And so the stunning work of the men and women in A Tribute to Texas Rivers is also a cry for the rivers themselves. As we make our way into this new century which holds such promise for continued prosperity in Texas, may we be inspired by this work to dedicate ourselves to ensuring that our rivers will still exist for future generations of artists, to so skillfully interpret for our children and grandchildren.

Andrew Sansom The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment Texas State University — San Marcos

Long before Cabeza de Vaca washed up on the beach near Galveston, our rivers were providing food, transportation, life giving water and, one suspects, inspiration to the earliest Texans. In the centuries that have followed they have fueled one of the largest economies in the world while at the same time providing our people with virtually unlimited opportunity for recreation, nourishment and reflection. Against this backdrop

Cover image: Reveau Bassett, Ducks in Flight, Big Sandy, c.1943, oil on canvas, 25.25 x 30 inches

Exhibition Checklist: A Tribute to Texas Rivers Plate Artist

Title of Work

Date

Medium

Dimensions

oil on canvas oil on canvas oil on canvas oil on canvas acrylic on polyfiber acrylic on polyfiber hand colored, nine-color lithograph charcoal on paper charcoal on paper hand colored, eight-color lithograph oil on board oil on board oil on canvas oil on canvas oil on canvas watercolor oil on canvas oil on canvas mixed media oil on canvas oil on masonite oil on canvas oil on canvas oil on canvas oil on canvas on board oil on canvas

26 x 36 in.

24 x 30 in.

12 x 48 in.

25.25 x 30 in.

20 x 42 in.

48 x 42 in.

1 2 3 4 5 6

Randy Bacon Randy Bacon Randy Bacon Reveau Bassett Mary Baxter Mary Baxter

Clear Fork of the Brazos, Shackelford County The Canadian River (near Canadian) The Canadian River at HW 87, #2 Ducks in Flight, Big Sandy Rio Conchos at La Junta Rio Grande at Dawn

2013 2011 2013 c.1943 2013 2013

7

Margie Crisp

Early Spring in the Basin, Series II, 16/20

2012

8 9

Margie Crisp Margie Crisp

Great Egret Morning on Buffalo Creek

2005 2000

10

Margie Crisp

Summer River, Series II, 16/20

2012

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Keith Davis Keith Davis Pat Gabriel Henri Gadbois Henri Gadbois Hunter George Robert Harrison Robert Harrison William Hoey William Hoey Alexandre Hogue Lee Jamison Lee Jamison John Elliot Jenkins John Elliot Jenkins M. Walton Leader

Three Sisters I Three Sisters II Wet Wash Moment in Time Past the Cypress, Ingram Crossing the Guadalupe Blue Hole On the Llano Early Moon Shoal Creek Paluxy River Formations After the Rain On Foreign Waters On Barton Creek, Austin, Texas Untitled (Winter Landscape) The Little Blanco

2013 2013 2013 2013 1986 2003 2012 2012 no date no date no date 2011 2011 c.1910 c.1930 c.1930

17 x 22.5 in.

30 x 22 in.

22 x 30 in.

17 x 22.5 in.

24 x 18 in.

20 x 16.75 in.

8 x 21 in.

22 x 28 in.

24 x 30 in.

12 x 16 in.

18 x 24 in.

50 x 70 in.

17 x 23 in.

20 x 24 in 12 x 16 in.

18 x 36 in.

17.5 x 23.5 in.

20 x 24 in.

18 x 24 in.

28 x 36 in.

Exhibition Checklist: A Tribute to Texas Rivers Plate

Artist

Title of Work

Date

Medium

Dimensions

27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48

Laura Lewis Laura Lewis Leila McConnell Leila McConnell William Montgomery Noe Perez Noe Perez Noe Perez Frank Reaugh Bill Reily Robert Rogan Porfirio Salinas Jeri Salter Jeri Salter Charles Shaw Erik Sprohge Erik Sprohge Debbie Stevens Richard Stout Franz Strahalm Bob Stuth-Wade Rolla Taylor

Brazos Clay Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River Calm Day Tributary Fish Story A Bend in the Rio Grande Cactus with a View River Rock - Pedernnales Cliff, Rio Grande Mystic Fisherman Blue River Untitled (Verbena in a River Valley) Guadalupe River Bank Reflections Fishermen Three Night Visions on the Rio Grande West of Hunt Rio Frio The River Guadalupe River Cathedrals on the Colorado The Old Groesbeck Home

2012 2000 2012 1985 2013 2013 2013 2013 no date 1964 1959 c.1955 2011 2011 1988 1985 1991 2013 2012 c.1930 2012 1926

34 x 32 in.

40 x 48 in.

35.5 x 45.5 in.

30 x 48 in.

36 x 50 in.

24 x 36 in.

20 x 24 in.

11.5 x 15.5 in.

6.75 x 3.5 in.

22 x 29 in.

14 x 28 in.

27 x 37.5 in.

16 x 20 in.

30 x 38 in.

12 x 16 in.

60 x 90 in.

22 x 28 in.

48 x 72 in.

30 x 40 in.

28 x 36 in.

32 x 19 in.

8 x 10 in.

49

Jim Woodson

Untitled

1996

50

William Young

The Source of the Brazos

2009

oil on panel pastel on panel oil on canvas oil on canvas oil on canvas oil on canvas oil on canvas oil on board pastel on paper watercolor duco on board oil on canvas pastel on board pastel on panel acrylic on panel acrylic on board acrylic on board oil on panel acrylic on canvas oil on canvas acrylic on canvas oil on board acrylic and graphite on paper acrylic on masonite

18 x 24 in.

51

William Young

Riki Plays the Ghost of Maria Juarez, the White Lady of Frio Rio

2013

oil on canvas

23 x 18 in.

8 x 56 in.

Plates

1. Randy Bacon, Clear Fork of the Brazos, Shackelford County, 2013, oil on canvas, 26 x 36 inches

2. Randy Bacon, The Canadian River (near Canadian), 2011, oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches

3. Randy Bacon, The Canadian River at HWY 87, #2, 2013, oil on canvas, 12 x 48 inches

4. Reveau Bassett, Ducks in Flight, Big Sandy, c.1943, oil on canvas, 25.25 x 30 inches

Above 5. Mary Baxter, Rio Conchos at La Junta, 2013, acrylic on polyfiber, 20 x 42 inches

Left 6. Mary Baxter, Rio Grande at Dawn, 2013, acrylic on polyfiber, 48 x 42 inches

7. Margie Crisp, Early Spring in the Basin, Series II, 16/20, 2012, hand colored, nine-color lithograph, 17 x 22.5 inches

8. Margie Crisp, Great Egret, 2005, charcoal on paper, 30 x 22 inches

9. Margie Crisp, Morning on Buffalo Creek, 2000, charcoal on paper, 22 x 30 inches

10. Margie Crisp, Summer River, Series II, 2012, hand colored, eight-color lithograph, 17 x 22.5 inches

11. Keith Davis, Three Sisters I, 2013, oil on board, 24 x 18 inches

12. Keith Davis, Three Sisters II, 2013, oil on board, 20 x 16.75 inches

13. Pat Gabriel, Wet Wash, 2013, oil on canvas, 8 x 21 inches

14. Henri Gadbois, Moment in Time, 2010, oil on canvas, 22 x 28 inches

15. Henri Gadbois, Past the Cypress, Ingram, 1986, oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches

Left 16. Robert Harrison, Blue Hole, 2012, oil on canvas, 18 x 24 inches

Below 17. Robert Harrison, On the Llano, 2012, oil on canvas, 50 x 70 inches

18. Hunter George, Crossing the Guadalupe, 2003, watercolor, 12 x 16 inches

19. William Hoey, Early Moon, no date, mixed media, 17 x 23 inches

20. William Hoey, Shoal Creek, no date, oil on canvas, 20 x 24 inches

21. Alexandre Hogue, Paluxy River Formations, no date, oil on masonite, 12 x 16 inches

Left 22. Lee Jamison, On Foreign Waters, 2011, oil on canvas, 17.5 x 23.5 inches

Below 23. Lee Jamison, After the Rain, 2011, oil on canvas, 18 x 36 inches

Left 24. John Elliot Jenkins, On Barton Creek, Austin, Texas, c.1910, oil on canvas, 20 x 24 inches

Bottom left 25. John Elliot Jenkins, Untitled (Winter Landscape), c.1930, oil on canvas on board, 18 x 24 inches

Bottom right 26. M. Walter Leader, The Little Blanco, c.1930, oil on canvas, 28 x 36 inches

27. Laura Lewis, Brazos Clay, 2012, oil on panel, 34 x 32 inches

28. Laura Lewis, North Pease River, 2013, oil on canvas, 40 x 40 inches

Left 29. Leila McConnell Calm Day, 2012 oil on canvas 35.5 x 45.5 inches

Below 30. Leila McConnell Tributary, 1985 oil on canvas 35.5 x 45.5 inches

31. William Montgomery, Fish Story, 2013, oil on canvas, 36 x 50 inches

Left 32. Noe Perez, A Bend in the Rio Grande, 2013, oil on canvas, 24 x 36 inches

Bottom left 33. Noe Perez, Cactus with a View, 2013, oil on canvas, 20 x 24 inches

Bottom right 34. Noe Perez, River Rock - Pedernales, 2013, oil on board, 11.5 x 15.5 inches

35. Frank Reaugh, Cliff, Rio Grande, no date, pastel, 6.75 x 3.5 inches

top right 36. Bill Reily, Mystic Fisherman, 1964, watercolor, 22 x 29 inches

right 37. Robert Rogan, Blue River, 1959 duco on board, 14 x 28 inches

38. Porfirio Salinas, Untitled (Verbena in a River Valley), c.1955, oil on canvas, 27 x 37.5 inches

39. Jeri Salter, Guadalupe River Bank, 2011, pastel on board, 16 x 20 inches

40. Jeri Salter, Reflections, 2011, pastel on panel, 30 x 38 inches

41. Charles Shaw, Fishermen Three, 1988, acrylic on panel, 12 x 16 inches

42. Erik Sprohge, Night Visions on the Rio Grande, 1985, acrylic on board, 60 x 90 inches

43. Erik Sprohge, West of Hunt, 1991, acrylic on board, 22 x 28 inches

Top left 44. Debbie Stevens, Rio Frio, 2013, oil on panel, 48 x 72 inches

Top right 45. Richard Stout, The River, 2012, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 40 inches

Left 46. Franz Strahalm, Guadalupe River, c.1930, oil on canvas, 28 x 36 inches

Left 47. Bob Stuth-Wade, Cathedrals on the Colorado, 2012, acrylic on canvas, 32 x 19 inches

Below 48. Rolla Taylor, The Old Groesbeck Home, 1926, oil on board, 8 x 10 inches

49. Jim Woodson, Untitled (left panel), 1996, acrylic and graphite on paper, 8 x 56 inches

Woodson, Untitled (right panel)

50. William Young, The Source of the Brazos, 2009, acrylic on masonite, 18 x 24 inches

51. William Young, Riki Plays the Ghost of Maria Juarez, the White Lady of the Rio Frio, 2013, oil on canvas, 23 x 18 inches

William Reaves Fine Art 2313 Brun Street • Houston, Texas • 77019 Tel: 713.521.7500 Email: INFO@reavesart.com www.reavesart.com