My Backstory- and Personal Lifelong War

I’m not famous- but probably one of the busiest artists you never heard of, having been commissioned (Thank You Lord!) to execute literally tons and thousands of square yards of public art works in Texas from Houston to Kerrville. And in spite of institutional opposition, I have been granted by God to create an epic legacy to communicate my message. For decades, more or less ignored by Liberal Media, you will also not be likely to know my background story. Or why I am I so bent against Liberalism. Democrats.

My war with Libs started in childhood, working in the Goldwater for President headquarters in Houston, Tx, while listening to (then) California Governor Ronald Reagan nominate him at the Republican National Convention. THAT WAS IN 1964.

Ronald Reagan warned us then about the Socialist attack on our society. It proved true for me about ten years later as an Art Major at North Texas State University, (now University of North Texas) where my Liberal art professors drummed me out of their art school during my sophomore portfolio review, even though I was making A’s and a better artist than anyone in my class. (Selling my works at the time over in Dallas at a prestigious art gallery).

They called me an “anachronism,” and assured me that I would not find acceptance there. They advised me to change my major. It all culminated to that ridiculous result because, when they asked me why I sculpted or painted, I merely, naively said “…to glorify God and His creation.” From that point on, they were resolute in my rejection. You can see that, ultimately, I did not accept their counsel. But I did change majors, until I regrouped, and after prayer and re-commitment of my art to God, I quit school, got married and got a job. Eventually I got an art degree at Sam Houston State, and had a wonderful career as a muralist.

Still, I became an arm of the Liberal takeover of Texas education, painting murals in many public schools in five counties, often with “Mullti-culturalism” as the core theme. “Jesus loves the little children, red and yellow, black and white…” Right?

YES BUT, along with that theme came a quiet, underlying rebuttal of American Exceptionalism. If you do not know or appreciate what that is, then you are a successful product of Liberal indoctrination. If you do not understand that not all cultures, not all governments, not all religions are basically the same, and in fact you and I live in the GREATEST COUNTRY ON EARTH (or used to be) and we are blessed by the one true, LIVING GOD that engineered all of that, then you are a product of the slow but sure intellectual agenda of Communism.

I have been kicking against these Communist/Socialist “goads” all of my life. I quit doing murals for the public schools after doing a memorial for a Bryan, Tx school principal. Her grandchildren had been tragically killed, and in their memory, along with the mural was to be a plaque which read, “In God we trust these little ones.” Upper school administrators forbid it. When we offered to change the plaque to that motto on our US coins, (“In God We Trust”) it was still forbidden! That was around 2014.

The Liberal/ Communist’/ Atheist indoctrination of our educational system was complete.

But some of us are still fighting. And we know WHO will prevail in the end. What is your backstory? If Evil has not tried to trip you up, then choose Christ and step out and see how fast, and how relentlessly it will. Still, I would rather be a fencepost in Heaven than a prince in a Rolls Royce La Rose on the highway to Hell.

And that is the America many Republicans are fighting against with their totally fearless, awesomely effective, and yes, somewhat socially and politically retarded president. If he is fortunate, and has truly accepted Jesus as his Savior, (tough to tell, but we cannot judge) he might end up as a fencepost in Heaven with me, and I will gladly hang a laurel wreath around him for his trials and persecutions, and perhaps, the last great effort to right our national ship.

ART SHOW- OCT 15 THRU NOV 30! @ FSG FINE JEWELRY IN SALADO.

Yes! I am installing a one-man show in Salado, Texas right now! It's called "50 Years an Artist in Texas," Most of the work is already up (over twenty paintings), still painting some others... Here are some that you can see if you are able to catch the exhibit- IF they have not been sold and carried off!

"Wonderful Day" 18 x 24, $575. The theme of the show is simple, "God still reins!"

"Red Oak Fire"- 11 x 14, $230

"Palo Duro Bison Honeymoon"- 11 x 14, $230

"Summer's Mill in the Morning Mist" 8 x 16, $230

"The Change of the Seasons"- 18 x 22, $650

This is first of show of its kind in a long time. There will be a great variety of sizes of paintings, from 5" x 7", to 3 ft by 4 ft. Some "Plein Air" art (sketched on location, 8 x 10's, 11 x 14's) have been "finished" and will be offered for sale. I hope that you can find your way to Salado to see it.

"As the Deer Pants for the Water"- 24 x 36, $1075

"Independence" (Independence, Texas)- 24 x 36, $1075

"McKittrick Canyon Romance"- 36 x 48, $1600

McKittrick Canyon Glory" 36 x 48, UNFRAMED, $1600

"Heavenly Pasture," Retired and Contented! 20 x 30, $720

"Deer Valley Bluebonnets"- 20 x 30, $720

"Grandma's Irises" 8 x10, $125

"Summer's Mill Falls" 11 x 14, $230

DREAM COME TRUE

It was certainly the biggest thing in my career. An artist's dream come true. A monster job, ultimately 140 feet of murals at the prestigious Star of the Republic Museum at Washington on the Brazos. And now slated for obliteration; strangely, another dream, now about to come true.

Several years ago I woke up with something like a night terror... once in a blue moon God puts a prophetic dream in my sub-conscious mind. I dreamed that they were painting over my murals at the museum... covering the walls with forest green. Off with the old, on with the thoughtless, artless dozer of progress. It was horrible.

“That was a BAD DREAM!” I thought to myself. But surely, they would never do THAT. Pardon me for saying, but my mural was not just large in the museum, it was large in my mind; my contribution to Texas History. Something to inspire the generations. Something which took three people and eight months to complete... and too wonderful and beautiful for any intelligent people to ever destroy.

But alas, that nightmare was also a “dream come true,” as future renovations are completed. If you loved it, you better go get one last look at it. The museum will go through a renovation, and the murals will be obliterated. What will go up to replace them? I do not know. But they we will never find an artist to put on those walls what they have enjoyed for the past twenty years. If they did, it would cost the State of Texas over to $100,000. And, it may not be as accurate or as comprehensive, or as well done. My guess is they plan some hi-tech digital screens to dazzle Texas school children, who do not have enough hi-tech screens already in their lives. I say, they do not have enough ART in their lives. Can you imagine the outcry when the Catholic Church does the same thing in the Sistine Chapel?

But that is the way of our culture these days... nothing is sacred, they are removing statues and markers left and right. The younger generations apparently want to interpret our history to their tastes and preferences. But I say it is symptomatic of a sick culture... one that has already witnessed so much destruction of our heritage... in the name of tolerance and inclusion! And one that has had to fight to save the ALAMO for God's sake. If Texas, and Texans no longer want the mural, well, it is their right. But I truly believe that whomever is making these decisions, like George P. Bush, will rue the day they messed with Texas, and took our heritage and our art so flippantly. And the loss will be on their short-sighted heads. But that's just me.

Whatever the case, I believe that it might take the destruction of these monuments to wake up the rest of us, to understand the intellectual and spiritual war we are in... and perhaps are in denial of. As the Huns move in and tear down much of what we love, and understand, and perhaps things we have taken for granted, until Texas is not Texas anymore.

Note: It cannot be removed. Painted directly on the gypsum walls... Removal of the pieces would be cost prohibitive, not to mention, who has a 10 x 100 ft. wall to offer to give it a home?