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| Texas Bluebonnets by G. Harvey |
A criticism often
heard about bluebonnet paintings is that they contain too many bluebonnets; that
the artists are too liberal in saturating their fields and the result is not
realistic. A hyper colored field with more blue paint than green does not rekindle
any memories of the special moment in spring when cars pull off the side of the
highway to take pictures and everyone gives thanks to Lady Bird. The reverence
and the beauty of those sights are somehow cheapened by what feels like the
Hollywood version of the true story. In the Texas Hill Country, even at the
height of bluebonnet season, Mother Nature takes a more diversified approach.
Bluebonnets cluster together, but rarely stand alone. Other flowers grow beside
them and they are dispersed among other year round species. What lacks in these
often criticized bluebonnet representations are these other natural elements. Texas Bluebonnets
by G. Harvey is the antithesis of
these criticisms. Harvey embraces warm tones that mimic the temperatures of the
Texas spring; he paints the heat that helps the flowers grow. Harvey also
balances his landscape with other natural elements such as rocks, cacti, weeds,
or other wildflowers that give the painting a more realistic feel. His
perspective leads the viewer from the bluebonnets to the carpet of yellow
flowers that actually are a common sight in Texas from the spring through the
summer, into the gently undulating hill disappearing into the horizon. Harvey
captures the quaint and unique beauty of Central Texas. Painted around the
1970’s it is typical subject matter of his early work. However, in this piece
Harvey shows the attention to detail and the mature techniques that imbue his
later works. For a collector or investor, this is a valuable find.
Gerald Harvey
Jones was born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1933. His grandfather was a cowboy
during the trail-driving era. A graduate in fine arts at North Texas State University, Harvey taught full-time at UT in
Austin. The landscapes and peoples of Central
Texas, the Panhandle, New Mexico, and the Border provided the
inspiration for most of his early work. Eventually he would leave the teaching
profession to paint full time. His portraits of the country became popular
and he had multiple sell-out shows including a series of one-man shows
in Washington, D.C. in 1991. The first was at the National Archives featuring
his paintings of the Civil War era, next a selection of paintings of notable
Washington landmarks was exhibited at the Treasury Department, and ultimately,
a one-man show of 35 paintings at the Smithsonian Institution during their
exhibition of "The All American Horse." In addition to the shows, The
Smithsonian Institution chose Harvey to paint "The Smithsonian
Dream," commemorating its 150th Anniversary.
Themes of
nostalgia similar to that of Norman Rockwell and stylistically influenced by Édouard Leon Cortés, Harvey took his talents and made a prolific career as an
artist. His collectors include Lyndon
Johnson, John Connally, Red McCombs
and T. Boone Pickens. Harvey lives in Fredericksburg. Texas Bluebonnets is currently at J.R. Mooney Galleries of Fine Art
on Broadway in San Antonio. Stop by the gallery to view or purchase.
