Texas Masters of Fine Art and Craft Show

Donald G. Van Oppens

linda — Fri, 21 May 2010 15:21:20 +0000

After retirement in1988, Donald returned to his early love of working with wood, studying at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, under the tutelage of world-renowned wood turners. Specializing in retaining the natural edge of the wood, he creates unique art objects as well as exquisite utilitarian pieces such as salad bowls, boxes and vases using a wide variety of both tropical and native Texas woods. The most noticeable tactile feature to his work is the ultra-smooth finishes he creates. His work must be touched and handled to be truly appreciated.

J.B. Pena

linda — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:40:39 +0000

Judy Boyles Pena first became enamored by weaving in 1972 when she saw a friend’s old Truchas rug loom, and asked if she could take a try. Through trial and error she began weaving, beginning with rugs and progressing to garments. Being self-taught, she developed a unique style, and in 1980 she started “Handwoven Originals” along with two friends. “I also have a passion for collage, paper and fabric”, which has lead to the creation of various collage collections.

“I’d say I am most inspired by our landscape colors and hues. I love what I do and do what I love, as they say.”

Wayne Rossi

linda — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:41:46 +0000

Wayne’s desire to create with his hands, along with his interest in artistic sculpture came together through cold steel and the heat of the cutting torch. Each art piece is hand-cut with great care and attention to detail. “My desire is to create a piece of art that brings a smile to everyone’s face for years to come.”

One of forty Texas artists chosen to represent the State of Texas as a Texas Original Artisan, Wayne plies his craft at D.S. Iron Works in Dripping Springs.

Denise and Diana Steinhagen

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:35:52 +0000

After years of pursuing jewelry making as a hobby and studying the work of other jewelers, getting laid off from their jobs almost simultaneously launched the professional jewelry careers of these sisters. One can tell from their finished product that the San Marcos artists are still having fun and a growing customer base will attest to the quality of their craftsmanship. Working independently, they use a wide variety of stones and techniques to create a fresh style of their own. “Our designs vary widely…so customers can usually find something that appeals to their tastes – especially if they like large jewelry that makes a statement.”

William Smith

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:34:57 +0000

William Smith was born and raised in South Texas, where he learned about ranching and cattle. A selftaught artist, William’s love of his Western Heritage is the inspiration of most of his paintings. He tries to create “memories” for those who view his art work. His paintings have been displayed in the Corpus Christi Art Center, Bryant Gallery [Kingsville,TX], Beeville Art Museum [Beeville, TX]and in numerous private collections throughout the United States.

Bill Scheidt

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:33:28 +0000

Bill creates many of his paintings from his personal experiences. Influenced by his father at an early age, Bill spent much of his life hunting. He still believes responsible hunting is part of “nature’s balance,” an equilibrium determined by the Creator who placed us and all the creatures and plants on this planet. Bill believes that, as the intelligent species, we need to cherish as well as use the resources given to humanity. He attempts to convey through his art an awareness of his experiences in the world of nature. His portrayals of wildlife in their natural surroundings engaging in their activities without human interventions, are the product of his many ventures throughout the Western United States.

Amado Peña

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:32:21 +0000

Amado Maurilio Peña, Jr. was born in Laredo, Texas in 1943. He studied art and education at Texas A & I (now Texas A & M Kingsville), where he received his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees. Amado’s first love is art, and he has been a successful professional artist for more than 30 years.His artwork is inspired by places such as Canyon de Chelly, Spider Rock, Monument Valley, Enchanted Mesa, Acoma, and Black Mesa. These sites are part of an enduring landscape that speaks of the ancient heritage of a region that is now known as Arizona and New Mexico. Amado’s artwork is defined by its bold color and form and dynamic composition. Through his art, he communicates his vision of a land, its people and their art.

Steven Napper

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:27:53 +0000

The vivid color of Steve Napper’s pastel paintings is so intense that it awakens the sense memories of the smells and sounds of the scenes he represents. This West Texas native began his career as a commercial artist in Los Angeles after receiving his BA and MA of Fine Arts at West Texas State University. Eventually he returned to Texas where, for the last 35 years, he’s been building an international reputation as a master artist and teacher of pastels and other media as well. He’s a member of the most prestigious art organizations in America and his awards are too numerous to mention.

Benito Loera

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:26:53 +0000

After 25 years in residential construction, Benito Loera decided on a change in lifestyle. In 1998, he pursued his life-long dream of designing furniture as a career. With the help of his son, Daniel, he started to build small furniture such as cedar chests and coffee tables. As his business grew, he began to concentrate on working with natural mesquite — including the worm holes, bark inclusions and burls in his designs. With the help of his wife, Doris, and Daniel, he started filling some of the cavities of the wood with gemstone material, including turquoise and lapis lazuli. Now his award-winning product line has grown to include aromatic cedar chests, inlaid tables, jewelry and jewelry boxes, pool tables and much more.

Curtis Laudermilk

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:25:20 +0000

Curtis Alston Laudermilk has been turning wood for over a quarter century. He creates lamps, vases, bowls, platters, and crosses from native Texas mesquite. A retired educator with experience in both the public schools and the Texas Youth Commission, Curtis is attracted to mesquite because of its unique characteristics. Hard, dense and extremely stable when drying, its tenacity has enabled it to defy all attempts at eradication. The native wood is rendered by this artist into objects that are given character by the irregularities like burls, bark inclusions and other “beauty marks” left by Mother Nature.

Gail Kincaid

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:23:49 +0000

Almost from her birth in the Texas Panhandle, Gail has pursued her dream to be an artist. She developed her talent in art classes throughout her formative years. In college, she discovered jewelry design and after more than 30 years of jewelry making, her sculpted pieces in gold and silver, set with gemstones are recognized for the quality of their craftsmanship as well as the artistry of their design. Gail has exhibited at juried art shows throughout the Southwest and her sunny disposition, as much as the brilliance of her jewelry, has created a loyal following of patrons wherever she shows.

Monroe Jackson

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:22:50 +0000

Monroe Jackson, who styles his jewelry creations as “One of a Kind by Drago,” began dabbling with silversmithing and gemcutting in 1967. Since then he has exhibited his fabricated, mixed metal, award winning work in galleries, tradeshows and juried exhibitions around the country. Monroe calculates that he has sold a piece of jewelry to a resident of each state in the Union. His customers have come to appreciate the innovative shapes and patterns in his jewelry, as well as its comfortable functionality, accompanied by distinctive gemstones, especially opal.

Jurgen Hasbron

admin — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:33:47 +0000

A self-taught sculptor, Jurgen was born in Trier, Germany, but has spent most of his adult life in the southwestern United States. He began his art career carving wildfowl in wood, but soon moved on to stone and bronze. His fascination with nature and Native American culture is expressed in his sculptures which convey his respect for these elements of his adopted land. Jurgen was privileged to sculpt a life-size Longhorn steer’s head for the Sister Cities organization of Fort Worth that was presented to Trier, Germany for installation in its garden honoring the sister city status of his two hometowns.

Manny Franco

admin — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:32:11 +0000

Born in Coyame, in the northwest state of Chihuahua, Mexico, Manuel’s academic training was as a mining engineer. After several years, Manuel left mining to pursue his love of art. His early artistic inspiration came from his mother, who worked with ground glass, creating images similar to sand paintings. Manny’s choice of subject matter ranges from Southwestern, Western, wildlife, portraiture, Native American and still life, rendered in oil, pencil, pastel, bronze or watercolor. Each piece is characterized by the fine detail for which he’s become recognized. After thirty years of exhibiting, Manuel’s work has become popular throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Melanie Fain

admin — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:30:23 +0000

Melanie’s work allows you to get up close and personal with the smaller creatures that share their world with us. Like the other Texas Masters artists she’s had an intense, life-long interest in the natural world. Melanie spent her youth exploring the various natural habitats near where she lived, becoming familiar with the inhabitants and gathering information which she now uses in her designs. Her earliest memories include a preoccupation with drawing, painting, and sculpting which she continues to pursue in her studio located on seven acres in the Texas Hill Country. In this beautiful landscape, she is inspired by the wildlife she sees every day. She translates her sensitive perceptions into elegant watercolors and hand-colored etchings which find broad appeal among naturalists and sportsmen alike. Since beginning her art career in 1982, Melanie’s work has garnered top awards in juried art shows throughout the US and in prestigious national and international competitions.

John English

admin — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:28:16 +0000

John has always had an interest in art but decided to try making a living as a professional baseball player in the Houston Astros’ and Colt 45s’ organization. After three baseball seasons a shoulder injury ended his career. While earning his livelihood with an electrical utility company, he developed a passion for photography which led to a business shooting weddings and portraits. His love of nature began to express itself in his photography and John started exhibiting his work in art shows and gaining recognition for his skill and artistry. Among the many first place awards he’s received was “Best in Category” at the 2005 Texas Arts and Crafts Show in Kerrville. Not only does John enjoy sharing his vision of the beauty in nature at art shows but also in publications throughout the country including Texas Highways and Smithsonian Magazine.

Janice Clark

admin — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:26:29 +0000

After taking a class on making metal flowers in 1972, Janice Clark began giving them as gifts while improving her own skills and technique. In 1980, she made her first sales at a museum benefit and after returning to her homestate of Texas in 1986, she began the production of her native wildflower collection. Her creations grace the boardroom of the National Wildflower Research Center in Austin as well as the offices of other public figures. Now the botanically accurate flowers, which she cuts out and assembles out of aluminum and hand paints, brighten the lives of the patrons who flock to her exhibitions at juried art shows and sales all over Texas.

Randy Bryant

admin — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:25:14 +0000

Randy Bryant has merged his childhood interest in rocks, fossils, Indian artifacts and love of the outdoors with his adult training as a draftsman to shape his professional career. This native Texan excels in creating his “One of a Kind Works of Art” of hand fabricated settings for his personally cut gemstones, including intarsia and inlay. Many of the settings include double and triple overlay, with mixed metals (sterling, 14kt & 18kt gold) employing a variety of texturing methods. He has exhibited his award winning work at juried art shows throughout the Southwest.

Roy Brown

admin — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 09:35:43 +0000

Roy Brown has been involved in the Arts for more than 30 years. With a Masters Degree in Fine Art from Southern Methodist University, he has pursued his passion for pottery and its elevation to an art form through a continuous process of past and present influences from his surrounding environment. Roy also works periodically on a local ranch which allows for clarity and insights into the forces that underlie his creations. An accomplished metalsmith as well as a potter, he expands his artwork to include metal that is hand forged to fit the designs of his pottery. From finials on lids, to bases for his larger platters, Roy, searches for the forms that will enhance his work. He divides his time between his family ranch in Ballinger, his studio, Design Origins in Lincoln County, New Mexico and exhibiting at shows throughout the Southwest.

Dan & Linda Baker

admin — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 07:15:05 +0000

Daniel and Linda Baker exhibited at their first art show in 1974 and have been a fulltime jewelry-making team since August of 1976. They produce jewelry of sterling silver, various gold karats and platinum using lost wax casting and a variety of fabrication techniques, including: granulation, reticulation, and mokume gane. They’ve won many awards in shows throughout the Southwest with their innovative designs which combine Classical and Celtic elements in contemporary settings. Their rings and pendants set with Ancient Greek and Roman coins and shards of glass and pottery have gained a worldwide following. Dan especially enjoys carving gemstones and working with fossilized ammonites in his “Jurassic Classics.”