Texas Capitol Art
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| Click image to enlarge. |
| $95 Lithograph (24" x 35") signed and limited to an edition of 275, includes tax and shipping $15 Poster (24" x 35") includes tax and shipping $8 Notecard Set (10) (4.25" x 5.5") includes envelopes includes tax and shipping |
75 Sessions
Since the first meeting of the Texas Legislature in 1846, the history of the Lone Star State has been forged by its citizen-lawmakers. An act by the Sixteenth Legislature provided for the groundbreaking and building of the current State Capitol building. In 1888, the Twentieth Legislature became the first to meet under the granite dome. During the 75 sessions, dignitaries such as Charles Lindbergh and Neil Armstrong have walked the halls of the Capitol. From U.S. Presidents to people from all walks of life-- many have viewed the proceedings in the House and Senate chambers.
To commemorate this historic year, we released both a signed and numbered limited edition art lithograph and poster, plus a boxed notecard set.
The view is from the southwest grounds and features the Capitol fence with its star and leaf finials. The fence was produced in Ohio by Mast, Foos, and Company in 1888.
Behind the Painting
In Mark Twain's stories, painting a fence was a simple task any boy could do. Last December, I had just finished painting a nice image of the elegant fence, which surrounds the Capitol grounds. Prior to the Capitol renovation, the fence was a dark forest green color. But as I walked by it one day, I noticed workmen had painted the finial star and leaf designs a bright gold. I polled several Capitol co-workers/art critics -- their response was "You have to paint the fence as it is during the 75th Session!" So I reworked the painting.
But the fence gods were unhappy and weeks later, they ordered their workmen to cover the remaining dark green with black paint! Again, back to the drawing board and finally, here is the Seventy-Five Sessions painting with color-corrected fence. Yet even as the lithograph was coming off the press, someone decided to alter the fence one more time by painting the finial leaves black! Maybe this will be a seasonal event...nature's leaves change, so does the fence. Anyway, this painting does represent the fence as it was during the 75th Session. Friends have suggested I never make the mistake of depicting the fence again. Yet a future project for me could be "The Capitol Fence and its Many Changing Colors." As British comic Peter Cook once said, "I have learned from my mistakes, and I'm sure I can repeat them exactly."
-Ray Spivey, 1997