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Curators' Picks: June 26 Texas Art Signature® Auction
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Alissa's Picks
Alissa Ford | Vice President, American & Western Art
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It is impossible to discuss Texas art without mentioning the masterful work of David Bates. We are thrilled to offer several exceptional paintings by Bates in this auction, and one of my favorites is Little Blue Heron,
1987. In this remarkable work, Bates transforms a familiar wetland bird into a commanding presence within the landscape. The heron’s deep blue form rises gracefully from the water, its sweeping silhouette energized by expressive brushwork and rich mahogany tones. Reeds, water lilies, and a luminous moon create a richly layered setting that reflects the artist’s enduring connection to the Texas coast. Built from bold shapes, strong linear rhythms, and vibrant color, the composition reveals the underlying architecture of the marsh while retaining its sense of mystery and life. Rather than pursuing strict naturalistic detail, Bates distills the landscape to its essential forms, capturing its rhythm, atmosphere, and vitality. The result is a painting that celebrates both
the elegance of the heron and the enduring beauty of the coastal wetlands it inhabits.
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I adore this monumental work by Mark Haworth, which beautifully captures the interplay of light, atmosphere, and the rugged grandeur of the American Southwest. Born and raised in Texas, Haworth has long drawn inspiration from the landscape surrounding Fredericksburg, explaining, "The scenery around Fredericksburg is a constant source of inspiration. There is a beautiful quality of light here. The way this light falls on the pastoral landscape, creeks and hills spiritually moves me, so that I must capture it on canvas and paper before it all changes or disappears."
In Elk Canyon, 1984, Haworth presents a sweeping canyon vista framed by dramatic sandstone cliffs, a reflective stream, and a small herd of elk grazing in the foreground. The composition masterfully balances the monumentality of the landscape with the quiet presence of wildlife, while shifting sunlight and gathering clouds imbue the scene with a sense of movement and atmosphere. Richly layered in color and mood, Elk Canyon exemplifies Haworth’s ability to convey both the majesty and tranquility of the Western wilderness, transforming a specific place into a timeless and immersive experience.
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Having spent most of my life seaside, I can’t help but to love Fred Darge’s Resting, Three Brown Pelicans. Darge was truly one of Texas’s most beloved artists, celebrated for his vivid depictions of the state's wildlife, landscapes, and coastal environments. A lifelong outdoorsman and naturalist, Darge brought a keen eye for observation and an abiding respect for nature to his paintings, creating works that are both artistically engaging and scientifically informed. In Resting, Three Brown Pelicans,
Darge turns his attention to one of the Gulf Coast’s most iconic birds, portraying a trio of pelicans gathered along a sandy shoreline against a backdrop of sparkling blue water and distant land. The composition is both charming and dignified, capturing the distinctive character of the birds through careful attention to posture, plumage, and expression. Bathed in bright coastal light and framed by sea oats and rolling waves, the scene reflects Darge’s deep appreciation for the natural beauty of the Texas coast. Through its crisp detail, vibrant color, and sense of place, Resting, Three Brown Pelicans exemplifies the artist’s enduring ability to celebrate the wildlife and landscapes that define the American South.
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Frank's Picks
Frank Hettig | Vice President, Modern & Contemporary Art
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Texas art occupies a unique place in American art history, blending regional identity and diverse cultural influences into a distinctly Texan visual tradition. From pioneering landscape painters to innovators who focus on Texas identity:
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A.D. Greer's Across the Marsh exemplifies the enduring appeal of Texas landscape painting through its luminous atmosphere, meticulous realism, and romantic interpretation of the natural world. Although born in Oklahoma, Greer became one of Texas's most celebrated landscape painters, earning national recognition for his evocative Western scenes and works collected by prominent figures, including President Lyndon B. Johnson.
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Vernon Fisher's Dairy Queen (diptych) (1977) reflects the evolution of Texas art from regional subject matter to contemporary conceptual practice. Drawing on one of the most recognizable symbols of small-town Texas life, Fisher transforms the familiar roadside landmark into an exploration of memory, language, and perception. Born in Fort Worth, he became one of the most influential contemporary artists to emerge from Texas, achieving international recognition through major museum exhibitions and inclusion in the collections of institutions such as the Guggenheim Museum, the Hirshhorn Museum, and SFMOMA. His career demonstrates how Texas artists have contributed not only to the cultural identity of their state but also to the broader discourse of contemporary art worldwide.
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Karlyn's Picks
Karlyn Lienhard | Cataloguer, Fine Arts
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Josephine Oliver was a student and eventual teaching assistant of prominent Texas artist Frank Reagh. Oliver travelled with Reaugh to West Texas eight times over the course of ten years, where she would sketch up to four pastels daily, amassing over 70 pastels from these trips alone. Entering the Big Bend is one of these incredible studies of the Texan landscape. While small in size, as this pastel needed to be portable and fit within her sketchbook, they feel monumental. I feel as though, if I were to keep walking forward, the plateau would start to grow larger. Entering the Big Bend
allowed me a glimpse into Oliver’s intimate artistic practice. I can see how she constructed the landscape of Big Bend and how she chose to not continue the image throughout the entirety of the sheet, leaving the edges raw. In addition to being revolutionary for her artistic practice, these trips also deeply impacted her interpersonally. On her last trip she met prominent Dallas artist, Olin Travis (1888-1975), whom she married in 1935. Entering the Big Bend thus is not just a pastel drawing of the breathtaking Texas landscape, but more intimately a snapshot into multiple facets of Oliver’s life.
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Growing up in the Northeast, I heard countless stories about the beauty and majesty of Texas Bluebonnets. It was not until I witnessed their blooms in person, however, that I fully understood their importance. Their blooms make otherwise insufferably endless highways look absolutely magical, even if it is only for a few weeks. What is so captivating to me about Refuge
is that it’s tactile; I get the same emotional pull to this painting as I do to the massive blooms that unfold outside my car window. I feel as though I could walk straight into the composition and be on that hilly refuge overlooking the quiet Texan town below. The feelings of familiarity and comfort in Slaughter’s paintings are innate. His composition reflects an idyllic, poetic, and quintessentially Texan spirit that he as a Texas native understood innately.
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Find these and other outstanding Texas art in Heritage's Texas Art Signature® Auction. The auction's session is at 11:00 AM Central Time, Friday, June 26.
Sincerely,
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Alissa Ford
Vice President,
American & Western Art
AlissaF@HA.com
(415) 548-5920
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Frank Hettig
Vice President,
Modern & Contemporary Art
FrankH@HA.com
(214) 409-1157
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