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Starring Texas

Some Stars Would Be Nice…
When Commerce photographer, Rick Vanderpool was about to depart on one of his early “looking for Texas” trips, he asked his wife, Judy if there were any other subjects she’d like to have him shoot.

“Some stars would be nice,” she said, and so a star was born – a star theme, that is, and from that trip on, stars struck Vanderpool on a regular basis. A few years later, in addition to over 1,000 photos of the word Texas, he had several hundred examples of how Texans display their famous icon – from serious monuments and famous markers to purely fun and wildly decorative applications. Some were shot in black and white to be hand-colored by Judy.

Fast-forward to July 2003 and a propitious meeting between Vanderpool and Mike Coston, President of the Kilgore Chamber of Commerce. Kilgore has long called itself the “City of Stars,” and the designation was made official in mid-October 2003, when the legislature passed and Governor Perry signed HCR6. Coston, feeling that his city needed a signature gift item, commissioned the Vanderpools to create “Starring Texas,” a unique montage of nearly 200 stars from all over The Lone Star State – including several from Kilgore.

Thanks to the many other Texas communities and individuals across The Lone Star State, who literally pointed Rick to the stars. Please visit the Kilgore Chamber web site (www.kilgorechamber.com) for information on how to order a signed 18” x 24” print of “Starring Texas.”

Looking for Texas

In 1994, shortly after moving from Athens, Georgia to Commerce, Texas, artist Judy Vanderpool taught herself to hand-color her husband’s black and white photographs. To supply her with unique images, her husband, Rick, began a series of trips that would total over 20,500 miles and 54 days to visit all 254 counties in Texas. While he photographed anything else that caught his interest – from road kill and wildflowers, to grand views and tumbleweeds – he was mostly looking for Texas; simply the word, in all its infinite variety of size, shape, color, style and material.

As Rick was gathering images, Judy managed the couple’s Prairie Rose Studio and developed new relationships (while maintaining existing ones) with notable art consultants and clients in Dallas and elsewhere around the country – all the while adding her special dimensions (framing presentation and hand-coloring) to her husband’s photographs.

At present, 24 other photographers are covering the remaining states as Rick has Texas (and other states, including Oklahoma, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Wyoming, Montana and Utah). To see ongoing progress of the national project, visit the www.stateart.net web site.

To meet the Vanderpools in person and see their exciting work (Judy does some of the most exquisite custom framing in Texas), visit them at Canton, Texas’ First Monday Trade Days each month – at the entrance to Arbors II, across from the Food Court. Or give them a call and come to Prairie Rose, on the historic square in lovely downtown Commerce…

The Spur

Spur Lovers Have Another Point Of Pride…

Not a lot of Texans know that Gatesville (Coryell County) is the “Spur Capital of Texas.” The community was so designated (HCR #197) on May 15, 2001, by the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas, thanks to the efforts of State Representative Sid Miller, the Coryell Museum and Historical Center Board, and the fact that Lloyd “Coach” Mitchell amassed what has been said to be “the largest spur collection in the world,” donated to the Museum by the family upon his death.

Spurs from the Lloyd and Madge Mitchell Collection, including a few owned privately by Mary Catherine Mitchell and Wayne and Natha Mitchell, were the exclusive subjects of this montage. While there are a few notable examples of contemporary spur makers’ work, this montage includes primarily spurs by historical Texas and southwestern makers. The photography was done at the Museum, on ranches owned by Mary Catherine Mitchell, Wayne and Natha Mitchell, and at the Leon River Mercantile in Gatesville. Scores of props were provided by Cotton and Carolyn Davidson, Mary Catherine Mitchell, Wayne Mitchell, and Rufino Lopez (Leon River Mercantile).

The Museum’s 7,000+ spur collection includes many pairs of men’s and ladies’ boots and spurs; Spanish, French, Moroccan, Filipino, German, South American, Russian Czar, English, Mexican and Italian spurs; military spurs, rodeo spurs, novelty spurs; spurs with historical significance, and those once owned by celebrities ranging from famous cowboys to movie stars, Pancho Villa and Jacquelyn Kennedy.

*This image is of a granite marker at the entrance of Coryell Museum & Historical Center, engraved with the initials of Lloyd Mitchell.

Texas Wildflowers

You only see the big flowers at 70 mph…

On a warm, July day a few years ago, Commerce photographer, Rick Vanderpool knelt to photograph Blue Waterleaf, just outside Jefferson (Marion County), and his collection of Texas wildflowers was complete. Also complete was a collection of Levi’s, each sporting a right knee that was either grass-stained or nearly white from treating for grass stains.

“Looking for wildflowers was a passion long before I became smitten with looking for Texas,” says Vanderpool, who cannot remember whether the dozens of trips he made between 1994 and 1999 were looking for Texas (see www.stateart.net), with a side of wildflowers, or vice versa.

Vanderpool was also a newspaper publisher during part of that period spent looking for wildflowers all over Texas, and he says that encounters with irksome readers and small town politicos made him “happy to know over 300 Texas wildflowers on a first-name basis.”

So, here are 145 of Rick’s “closest friends” for you to get to know. He’s provided their names and hopes that you will travel the state and find them on your own – along with some of the more than 5,000 other Texas wildflowers…

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Who Has Seen The Wind

Perhaps if Ms. Rossetti had actually ever beheld a windmill in dreary old 19 th century London , she would have written a longer poem…

Longer tributes to windmills proper have been penned by Hans Christian Andersen ( The Windmill – Veirmollen –1865), Robert Bridges ( The Windmill – 1890), and contemporary poet, Yvonne Hollenbeck ( A Windmill On The Prairie – 2002); also Dusty Springfield's soulful theme from “The Thomas Crown Affair” – The Windmills Of Your Mind.

This collection of “fair weather” wind engine images is dedicated to all who have seen the wind at playful work, and to those who love and preserve the mills everywhere – especially Frank Medina, “King of the Windmills”.

For a complete list of collections and communities where these shots were taken, please email to the address below. See more of the photographers' work at www.stateart.net…

Pits Stop

Where There's Smoke – Pits Happen…

Beginning in 1994, I set out to picture the state name in all 254 Texas counties. Along the way, I got lonely sometimes, lost sometimes, and oftentimes distracted (was I looking for “ Texas ” or was I looking for wildflowers? Was I supposed to be shooting road kill or stars? Or was it the neat little towns and lovely scenery in this “whole other country?”). What I never got was bored or hungry…

To date I have pictured BarBeQue several hundred times and partaken of more fine brisket, ribs, chops and sausage than a man should – who ain't getting' paid for it. So, to rectify that matter, I came up with the idea of putting together a unique poster of some of my BQ photographs, and if every lover of Texas barbacoa were to purchase one or two to support my habit, who knows what I'm liable to picture next. Thanks – and enjoy!