Artists Of Texas Contemporary Paintings and Art

©Barbara Haviland  Barb's Garden 2014  Big Bend Mountains Medium oils on canvas Size  24  "x 18"  by Artist Barbara Haviland BarbaraHavilandFineArt.com This painting was done from my photos taken in Big Bend National Park in Texas.  The painting measures 24"x 18" and has been hanging in our den. Time to let the painting have a new home.    The painting is not framed but does have a wire hanger on the back. Click to Purchase the painting 

"You See Me" 40x60, Oil on Canvas This was inspired by my time at Big Bend National Park back in November of 2015.  John Muir wrote, " One learns that the world, though made, is yet being made; that this is still the morning of creation..." Available in Dallas at Mary Tomas Gallery.

"The Deep Sky" 36x36, Oil on Clayboard How to even put this into words? There is the sky we see all day and then at night there is the deeper sky. I didn't realize how much we were missing until I went to Big Bend National Park and saw for myself the deeper beauty that is in the black night. The more I gazed at it the more colors came out. Even the stars themselves had colors. Who knew there were such stars? It takes getting away from the city domes of artificial light. It's right there over us waiting to speak.

"Smoke on the Mountain" 55x55, Oil on Canvas This was the mountain range right outside my window every morning at Panther Junction. There are actually three peaks: Pummel (on the left), Wright (on the right) and Panther (not pictured). They looked like wrinkled rugs with patches of browns and grey-greens. During my time at Big Bend National Park I was able to experience some wonderful weather which included mist. I love the way it wraps around the folds and depths of the mountains giving it a sense of mystery and quiet beauty.

"Desert Waves" 36x60, Oil on Canvas Working steadily here in my studio for my solo show coming up in September from my residency at Big Bend National Park back in November of 2015. It was an incredible month of beautiful weather. The Rangers had just told me how lucky I was to see such weather in one month. This storm was rolling through. The next day the floor of the desert would be filled with cloud and mist as if the whole world were cloud. I pulled off the side of the road heading back to my cabin to take a shot of the clouds rolling over the Dead Horse Mountains. The air was humid and the wind was picking up. The light was like one thin line across that bumpy horizon. I wondered how long I would need to stand there until it took me in and I was covered in smoke.

"Sierra del Carmen" 36x72, Oil on Canvas Finished this bigger piece inspired by my residency at Big Bend National Park. I will be having a solo show of the Big Bend work in September at Marys Gallery Tomas in Dallas.

9 x 12 Oil on Panel One Thanksgiving we spent the holiday at Big Bend National Park.  Across the Rio Grande River is a small Mexican village, Terlingua. I took a few photos and used one as a reference for this painting.  Working on this brought back many a good memory! 

4x4 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord Click  HERE  to bid on this painting. Click  HERE  to view my blog. Finally posting again after two trips.  Our first trip was to Big Bend National Park in west Texas.  We had a really wonderful time!  The weather was perfect for hiking and when not hiking I took lots of photographs and did a few sketches.  We saw deer, lots of birds and butterflies, and a family of javelinas.  The nights were clear and thousands of stars hung in the sky.  It was all amazing and brought forth gratitude for such remarkable nature. Our second trip was to Portland, Oregon.  We didn't have much time there, but just enough to know that we would like to go back and explore more of Portland and Oregon in general. I haven't loaded my photographs yet, but I have high hopes they will be good.

Hot 'n Sticky by David Forks Oil on panel, 6"x6" This cactus was growing in the Badlands of Big Bend National Park.  After several years of above average rainfall, the Texas Transpecos has suffered the worst heat and drought on record. I have seen desert plants that require very little water to survive succumb to the extreme conditions. Fall is the rainy season in the Bend region and hopefully there will be increasing rainfall.  davidforks.com dforks.blogspot.com

"On the Grapevine Hills Trail" by David Forks Oil on panel, 11"x14" This was painted pretty fast and spontaneously. I used a no. 8 flat almost entirely for this piece to avoid unwanted detail and to concentrate on value and color. davidforks.com dforks.blogspot.com