Recently, I read a Nextdoor post from someone lamenting that she is new to the area and doesn't know what to do or where to have fun. Well, if you find yourself in an end-of-summer funk wondering how to shake it off and where all the fun is happening, this blog post is for you! I have so many exciting things to share that I cannot possibly squeeze them all into one post. But, I will do my best to share the best 5 or 6. Because this is primarily an art blog, that's where my focus is. And, since art can be found in so many unexpected places, you will find links to destinations you can explore in cities and towns that you might not have thought about before. And, yes, I've included a couple of my favorite art galleries, too! Did I leave out my own creations? Heck no. At the end of our Internet journey, you'll find my most recently completed works of art.
So, fasten your seat belt. It's time for an art road trip! Here we go...
So, fasten your seat belt. It's time for an art road trip! Here we go...
Last month's blog ended with a recommendation to stop by The Madeley Fine Art Gallery's Artists in Action - Sip N Shop event on Friday, August 2nd in Conroe, TX. In case you couldn't make it, let me give you a little taste. (Click on any of the photos below for contact info on each artist.)
The very next day, Saturday, August 3rd found my son and I at the Shark Celebration at Sea Center Texas in Lake Jackson, Texas. The event was quite crowded with happy shark enthusiasts. My son and myself among them! This was our very first time to visit and I was amazed that not only were the displays of local sea life top notch, but they also have a fine collection of coastal artwork on almost every wall. While getting photos of the actual fish in the aquariums was hard (you'll have to go there yourself to see the live fish), getting photos of the artwork was near impossible due to all the excited kiddos. So I literally had to stop by on another day just to pop in and take a few art photos.
You can't miss the beautiful bronze statue at the front entrance called, appropriately enough, A Fish Story.
You can't miss the beautiful bronze statue at the front entrance called, appropriately enough, A Fish Story.
There were also tons of fish sculptures pretty much everywhere, as one might expect.
There is a large reproduction of artist George Campbell's The Red Fisherman just before you turn to meet the aquariums. This is a great place to start and really captures the feeling of life along the Texas Gulf Coast which is the focus of SCT.
Literally every hallway and corridor has some artwork in addition to the educational exhibits. These are just a few...
If you want to take a little bit of the experience with you, Sea Center Texas also has a gift shop where (in addition to books, t-shirts and other keepsakes) you can purchase several high quality posters of Gulf Coast sea life. We really enjoyed our visit to Sea Center Texas and plan to book a tour to visit their hatcheries later this year.
Below are two examples of posters by artist Ben Kocian you can purchase in the gift shop.
August 11th I joined the Brazosport Art League and I couldn't be any happier. Everyone has been so nice and welcoming! I really feel like I am home. Right away I was offered a leadership position, so I will be the new BAL Art Shop Manager beginning this fall. Very exciting!
August 16th was the Artists Reception for the Brazosport Art League's Juried Show. Below are thumbnails of some of the winners. The artist's name is on each slide.
August 16th was the Artists Reception for the Brazosport Art League's Juried Show. Below are thumbnails of some of the winners. The artist's name is on each slide.
The judge did an amazing job and explained her reasons for choosing each piece. There were so many great entries to choose from! Below are two of my favorites. One of them won a prize and one did not. (Everyone is a winner IMO since they had to be judged into the show.) Which of all these artworks are your favorites?
Blue Frog by Sherry Hall Shelton
Piano Man by Dana Moody Stevens
Be sure to catch the show. So many beautiful artworks in all mediums. It was expertly judged by artist Paula Winter and runs through September 15th:
Brazosport Art League Gallery
400 College Drive
Clute, TX 77531
Brazosport Art League Gallery
400 College Drive
Clute, TX 77531
Do you ever schedule fun adventures for yourself? I try to have a Fun Day outing with my son at least once a week. Not being one to sit still for long, the very next Saturday 8/18 our destination was the Surfside Historical Museum. We have been to Surfside Beach, TX many times over the years and certainly since moving to the area. Lately, we like to play on the beach with our doggies. But this particular day we set out without canines in tow.
The Surfside Historical Museum is located on the second floor of the Surfside Beach City Hall. Outside are monuments that commemorate the Battle of Velasco and the sinking of the ship Acadia during the Civil War.
The Surfside Historical Museum is located on the second floor of the Surfside Beach City Hall. Outside are monuments that commemorate the Battle of Velasco and the sinking of the ship Acadia during the Civil War.
In all these years we had somehow never made it to the museum and were super pumped when we pulled into the parking lot. As we started toward the building we met a very nice fellow that took a bit of the wind out of the sails when he informed us that the museum was not opened on the weekends and that he was just leaving for the day. Before we had a chance to be disappointed, though, we learned that Mr. Jon Gerber is also a member of the Surfside Beach City Council. When he saw our sad faces he offered to open up and give us a private tour of the museum. How nice is that!? Inside, we were treated to a display of artifacts and exhibits from Surfside Beach and Fort Velasco.
Some examples include a hand made re-creation of Stephen F. Austin's ship the Lively...
Some examples include a hand made re-creation of Stephen F. Austin's ship the Lively...
...as well as a replica of battleship Brazoria, and several others.
There were many artworks representing early residents of the area as well as more modern inhabitants.
For those artists that love to draw or paint pictures of shells, you might be interested to know that this little museum boasts a large collection of seashells, some dating back as far as the 1700's.
Everywhere there were reminders that Surfside Beach was once Velasco, the birthplace and former capital of Texas.
Just outside the Surfside Historical Museum is a real treat: Fort Velasco! The current Fort Velasco Timeline Circle approximates the size and the location of the original 1832 Fort Velasco. The inner walls are covered with murals that tell the story of the Karankawa, the first people; the early days of the colony created by Moses Austin and later led by Steven F. Austin; the 1832 Battle of Velasco; and the signing of the Treaties of Velasco.
ALL of the murals were created by local artists from adults to school age children. This is a wonderful place to bring your family, picnic and learn about an important part of our shared history. (See slideshow of some of the murals below.)
ALL of the murals were created by local artists from adults to school age children. This is a wonderful place to bring your family, picnic and learn about an important part of our shared history. (See slideshow of some of the murals below.)
Beyond Fort Velasco are two hiking trails. The Fort Velasco Trail has educational displays every few feet with interesting little tidbits like the receipt from the suite where General Santa Ana was temporarily housed. (See below.)
The Bird and Butterfly Trail goes the opposite direction and not only has educational displays, but also benches, birdfeeders and birdhouses for your bird watching pleasure. It is well planted with plenty of shade. Surfside Beach is recognized as Bird City by the Audobon Society! You'll also find plenty of butterfly loving plants and a beautiful butterfly mosaic sculpture created by nonother than our new friend Jon Gerber! As it turns out, he is not only a councilman, he's a local artist!
If you are a birder, art lover, plein air artist, history buff or outdoor enthusiast, you owe it to yourself to stop by the Surfside Historical Museum and be sure to visit Fort Velasco and the nearby hiking trails. I do recommend waiting until mid fall, though. There is a lot to see and when we went it was blistering hot...in the triple digits. You want to be able to stay awhile to view everything and, unless you are used to the heat and covered in sunscreen as we are and were, fall would be much nicer.
Is there still more to see? Heck, yeah. This Internet art road trip is not quite over...
Our last Fun Day outing in August was Friday 8/23. Off we headed to a different beach in another nearby island town to explore a similar, yet different destination: Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary. A protected area of land located on the island of Quintana, Texas, this is a sanctuary for birds, particularly during migration season, and can be enjoyed by birders and nature lovers alike. The largest portions of the sanctuary are owned by Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, with smaller portions owned by the Town of Quintana and the Cradle of Texas Conservancy.
Last July's hurricane Beryl left it's mark on this community. Damaged murals and palm trees missing their tops are reminders of the mess caused by the recent category 1 hurricane. Still, the island charm remains.
Is there still more to see? Heck, yeah. This Internet art road trip is not quite over...
Our last Fun Day outing in August was Friday 8/23. Off we headed to a different beach in another nearby island town to explore a similar, yet different destination: Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary. A protected area of land located on the island of Quintana, Texas, this is a sanctuary for birds, particularly during migration season, and can be enjoyed by birders and nature lovers alike. The largest portions of the sanctuary are owned by Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, with smaller portions owned by the Town of Quintana and the Cradle of Texas Conservancy.
Last July's hurricane Beryl left it's mark on this community. Damaged murals and palm trees missing their tops are reminders of the mess caused by the recent category 1 hurricane. Still, the island charm remains.
With the observatory directly across the street, we parked in front of the Quintana Town Hall which sports a festive flamingo mural.
The Town of Quintana has won Community Achievement Awards for enhancing the beauty of the area and for conserving natural resources.
With that said, this is a heavily industrialized area and it is not uncommon to see huge tanker ships just a stone's throw away along with the MASSIVE Freeport LNG complex in the background. So, be aware of that before you make the trip otherwise it can be a bit of a visual jolt.
The main feature of the bird observatory is the observation tower which allows one to look down at all of the trails and across miles of natural habitat. This was not my first time here, but it was for Justin and he was a little nervous as we reached the third level of the tower. It's a long way down! There's no elevator, so you'll have to walk, but the view and the benches on each level make it worth the climb.
After spending time on the tower it was great to head out and hike the trails. There are plenty of benches to rest on, but bring water, especially in the warmer months. There are no vendors on Quintana.
After spending time on the tower it was great to head out and hike the trails. There are plenty of benches to rest on, but bring water, especially in the warmer months. There are no vendors on Quintana.
Educational displays are plentiful here. This is super helpful, especially if you are sketching, photographing and/or birding. We were a couple of weeks early for good bird sightings. September through November is really the time to view migratory birds. But, we did see a beautiful pelican and some raptors (too far off to get good photos, darn it). In addition, it might be interesting to note that there are historical markers at the end of some trails.
One of my favorite touches is the Gulls N Herons newspaper stand next to the observation tower. The quarterly birders' publication is FREE. Nice!
Some of the amenities on this island are still closed due to hurricane damage, so after visiting the observatory we drove down to a local fishing spot, the Quintana Jetty, to watch motor boats and tug boats cruise down the waterway. Just on the other side is the City of Surfside Beach with all it's colorful houses. Not a bad way to end the day.
The radical change in living environment (The Woodlands and Brazosport are visually and culturally much different) combined with the storm that welcomed us three days after our move, has caused an interesting shift in my artistic process. After creating a steady flow of stream-of-consciousness drawings for the last couple of years, my inner world has changed. Right away I'm visualizing completed artworks and experiencing a surge of turbulent yet optimistic images that beg me to bring them to life.
I gave a sneak peak in July's blog post of two pieces I had started. They are now finished. I submit them here for your interpretation and enjoyment. Let me know what you think.
I gave a sneak peak in July's blog post of two pieces I had started. They are now finished. I submit them here for your interpretation and enjoyment. Let me know what you think.
"Transformation"
9"H x 12"W unframed
13"H x 16"W framed
Markers, Gel Pen, Graphite, Colored Pencils on paper
247.00 unframed
299.00 Framed
9"H x 12"W unframed
13"H x 16"W framed
Markers, Gel Pen, Graphite, Colored Pencils on paper
247.00 unframed
299.00 Framed
More are on the way. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, thank you for sharing this journey with me. If there is anything you'd like to see or discuss in this blog, reach out with your ideas. Questions? No problem. You can reach me via text any time: 832-549-1730. Available for commissions, I am here to serve this community of artists, art lovers and visionaries.
With All of my Love,
S.
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