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![👀 Amazed by these artworks? So are we!
🙌 What a great morning we had two weeks ago when the Texas Women of the Arts group visited late Susan Schwartz's home, who personally knew Tom Lea and owns a collection of his art.
🎥 Holly Cobb, Executive Director, introduced Tom Lea and later presented a video featuring Susan discussing Lea's artwork in more detail.
🔗 Check out the full video on our YouTube. Link in Bio!
Artwork from left to right:
🖼 Lea, T. (1980) Las Mañanitas [oil on canvas] Collection of Mr. and Mrs. I. T. Schwartz, El Paso, Texas. (Cowboy gathering with tree)
🖼Lonesome Road, 1979. Oil on Canvas, 26 X 34. Collection of Mr. and Mrs. I. T. Schwartz, El Paso
🖼 Lea, T. (1977) Durango Design [Oil on canvas] 22 x 32. Collection of Mr. and Mrs. I. T. Schwartz, El Paso, Texas. (Detail of horse & Man)
🖼 Lea, T. (1983) Attica and Ch'in [Chinese Inkwash] 17 x 24. Collection of Mr. and Mrs. I. T. Schwartz, El Paso, Texas. (1)](https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.29350-15/497674389_688963793896022_7143010292770383049_n.heic?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=104&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&_nc_ohc=CelTTBjjEMsQ7kNvwEmg5Cb&_nc_oc=AdlslX0lhyX9pDxBfCIvWtL2ujBKbXnnWDZv70lP6CbkBjkbl1__EJRjR16ge6yYrCM&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=Ul7n8JVY-aJ3L31TE4p-lg&oh=00_AfKSkMV1N8Hgncz82o5Y5_Rf1I47UtCFkNYpRxZ4SnjH1A&oe=682BF534)
![❌No emails or meetings, it's just you exploring the plains.
✍️"I painted The Shining Plain because of a line that I had always loved in A. E. [Alfred Edward Housman's poetry: "I see it, shining plain, the happy highway where I went and cannot go again."' I did this old guy on a horse. I made a play on words there. "
✍️"Jerry Bywaters, friend of mine who was the director at the Dallas Museum of Art, wrote and said, "Why don't you submit something to the All-Texas Show?" The exhibition was to go to Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston. It was an annual or every other year thing."
✍️"It was called "All-Texas Exhibition," So I sent this picture and I got back this form [letter], "Regret very much the jury could not find your painting [suitable for exhibition]." I don't know exactly how they put it. It didn't fit in with what they were thinking."
🗨️ What is your version of The Shining Plain? Is it a physical location or perhaps a lovely memory you'd like to revisit? Tell us, we want to know!](https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.75761-15/490199175_18002068289768770_3044919052861088505_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=109&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&_nc_ohc=6fboEeqQZEAQ7kNvwEJNYyp&_nc_oc=Adkel7RJ4vpI0mkclQPNzAuSv5iHZgMXvG5SftkFB0yu1Nfws-xPwOHlfnbttRA_AS4&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=Ul7n8JVY-aJ3L31TE4p-lg&oh=00_AfI-SPQSC1WsHqqgYEaIERP-i0zJDvS-abtALnvH9LpH-A&oe=682C137B)
![🏜 Río Sonora
🌵" My kind of Mexico is lonesome ranchero country. I esteem a tough and dusty Mexico of grass-pocketed upland plateaus, thin herds and sinewy men, hard deserts, precious waters, desolate ranchos and haciendas in ruin, thickets of tall nopal and wicked cardenche, rocks, mountains standing bare and steep..." - Tom Lea (A Picture Gallery, p. 142)
❓️ What does this painting convey to you? Where do you think the river is located in this painting ? How can you tell? We want to hear from you!
🎨 Follow @thetomleainstitute for more artwork!
🖼 Lea, T. (1985) Río Sonora [Oil on canvas] 24 X 32. Collection of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Hunt, Dallas. Copyright Catherine Lea Weeks.](https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.29350-15/486027515_1165763821867228_1516130687490813157_n.heic?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=107&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&_nc_ohc=CdTVB8yjd-YQ7kNvwFNRHRe&_nc_oc=AdmgVqfKkLinV2lNOoFLSQV0g4GRSyiRp7HbSK9ustjQ44ZEz8DJBHk1yajEg00cyZM&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=Ul7n8JVY-aJ3L31TE4p-lg&oh=00_AfKO22XKuWTQ3JriKD7TWo3B3X8NKcmYBH-JN0frlHMFsg&oe=682BEF40)
![❓️Can you spot the figure in this painting?
🖼 When Tom Lea began having trouble rendering detail due to macular degeneration, he turned to abstraction. This cubist painting of Bathers was completed in 1993, when he was 86.
🛁 He signed the oil on a canvas board at both the top and the bottom, with hanging wires attached at each end. That way, the owner could enjoy the painting by seeing the bathers ( a person swimming or spending time in the water) among the geometric shapes or by seeing no bathers.
📜 Today, the painting belongs to Renowned artist Hal Marcus.
🖼 Lea, T. (1993) Bathers [Oil on canvas board] 21 X 15 (28¾ X 22¼) Collection of Hal Marcus. Copyright Catherine Lea Weeks.
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#elpasoart#coolartist#geometricart#coolart#interestingfacts#originalartwork](https://scontent-iad3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.29350-15/485615187_1157071892583335_4677008896050282900_n.heic?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=111&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&_nc_ohc=7vxp5sjHrDIQ7kNvwEJHlZS&_nc_oc=AdmnE86o7qYxBLQBw6OAz48ap67xj_8byuU2OUUjJy4xImq9NXpY4lw-sm6v-A9WYaI&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=Ul7n8JVY-aJ3L31TE4p-lg&oh=00_AfJtZTvGM6rQdrL7D5qJIRw5cAHd8GJvLhFiYC43tS1ISw&oe=682BF768)
![⛰️ La Sierra Madre
💬 "The Mexico that has always meant the most to me is the part of it north of the Tropic of Cancer, the austere Mexico far removed from the softness of the south, its populations, its antiquities, its flowers and graces and tourists' haunts.
My kind of Mexico is lonesome ranchero country."
- Tom Lea (A Picture Gallery, p. 142)
Lea, T. (1968) Sierra Madre Morning, [Oil on canvas] 24 x 30.](https://scontent-iad3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.29350-15/485673989_1733554627375566_3925515582150978524_n.heic?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=100&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&_nc_ohc=flqugfc4aJ0Q7kNvwGPJVvm&_nc_oc=AdlSiM6aYZFIjNFvw89VNK6p0fmXcrW_v1W5q3M0wJ9G1ldd5zFsrKRWmljrCu9mdU8&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=Ul7n8JVY-aJ3L31TE4p-lg&oh=00_AfIUgc_Fc_44oRontLs0Phe4ITk3M4-jqBIFaxXtjRUi8w&oe=682C1546)
![🚦No Traffic or cell phones—just you and nature.
✏️ Drawing was the foundation of Tom Lea's paintings. He made dozens of them to understand the forms beneath the surface.
🎨 For example, he first drew the woman with her parasol nude -using his wife as the model- so that when he painted a dress, the folds were where they should be!
❓️How does this painting make you feel? We want to know!
🖼 Lea, T. (1969) Sabbath Afternoon [Oil on canvas] 32 X 40. Mr. & Mrs. W. E. Wilcox, Denison. Copyright Caherine Lea Weeks.
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#discoverart#southwestart#oiloncanvas#artwork#tomlea#creativity#instaart](https://scontent-iad3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.29350-15/481917182_1151444183376603_3480439672923684140_n.heic?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=111&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&_nc_ohc=1mhzqrzk3usQ7kNvwGVfCYq&_nc_oc=AdlfFGle3mBXi0WqY-Tdv4Q67x4UNJ3SOli_bZ1gPJWbOlNZOCt2mdltBTAsOgPDqZ4&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=Ul7n8JVY-aJ3L31TE4p-lg&oh=00_AfJwUjwlY8wqacjRTQl726K-Kfl0SDNDCCfV_ZptNayjTQ&oe=682C08AE)
![🔥 Very few spots left!
🖼️ Don't miss this exclusive tour guided by Ginger Francis. It will reveal how each piece of art is intricately connected to the borderland ethos, unfolding a rich narrative as you explore the campus.
🆓 Free Admission! Link in bio! Tomlea.com/events
🖼️ Lea, T. (1938) Pass of the North, mural [Oil on canvas] 11 x 54 feet. Federal Building, El Paso, Texas. Copyr Catherine Lea Weeks.](https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.75761-15/480854587_17996163410768770_2802822467341155650_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=107&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&_nc_ohc=fI7_fVBehXwQ7kNvwE6Ts9-&_nc_oc=Adk4NcFmGNgHHaUVg5CMDv5VlaRQMbVpFZ-Kiki-NW1LadbaZVI8pc-tFTs1unz3odQ&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=Ul7n8JVY-aJ3L31TE4p-lg&oh=00_AfJGGLkV5-GQTQhA9N22tI3mPdzY52Ht-uIvCRRiUKInhQ&oe=682C125C)
![🐎 There's no getting past these two
🌵 A "sentinel" is often called someone or something that keeps watch or guards something. For example, here we see a brave man on his noble horse riding through the vastness of the desert and guarding its surroundings.
❓What do you think he's protecting? Is it possible he is part of an army?
❗Fun fact: Once, friends asked Tom Lea to paint a picture similar to this one for their son’s graduation.
❓What message might the painting convey to a young person leaving home and embarking on a new phase of life?
🖼️ Lea, T. (1976) Sentinel, [Watercolor] 19¾ X 27. Collection of Peggy and W.E. Wilcox. Denton, TX. Copyright Catherine Lea Weeks](https://scontent-iad3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.75761-15/476911558_17995169045768770_3842808530927786975_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=103&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&_nc_ohc=0S6YhTqdezkQ7kNvwFgt0t_&_nc_oc=AdmEF7TNO5cTzjallVA6m3SD6e3psDIFcRgU0JecM9ioq9cKvBeb-ZjkvAxINQAg08E&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=Ul7n8JVY-aJ3L31TE4p-lg&oh=00_AfKyCBuWZIMzcy44meTXPysUWeLsSp1MJANsXdtktuChEA&oe=682BF790)
![💗 Looking for an exclusive Valentine's gift?
🎨 Inspired by Tom Lea's work, the talented Lee Beach Limited created a collection that reimagine some of Lea's most iconic artwork. Take a look!
❓When asked about what inspired him to choose Tom Lea's work, he said:
🎤 " I was raised around original Tom Lea pieces from my mother’s and uncle’s collections. I’ve always loved the detail in his work. When my mother asked me to reproduce one of her pieces, I agreed—but instead of just recreating it, I reimagined it. It was meant just for her, but after taking it to the frame shop, word got out, and that’s when I knew I wanted to create a collection inspired by Tom Lea’s works."
🔗 Interested in acquiring one? Visit www.leebeach.com. Link in bio.
Artwork from left to right:
🖼️: Lea, T. (1984) Who Came to Stay, [Oil on canvas] 38 X 72. Library, University of Texas at El Paso. Copyright Catherine Lea Weeks.
🖼️:Lea, T. (1947) Manuel Rodriguez, Manolete, in a Pase Natural [Oil on canvas] Collection of Isha Rogers. Copyright Catherine Lea Weeks.
🖼️: Lea, T. (1969) Study of Juan Sanchez himself [Ink wash] 20¾ x 16.
🖼️Lea, T. (1937) The Left-Handed Buffalo Hunter [oil on canvas] 41 x 41. Collection of El Paso Museum of Art. Copyr. Lea Weeks.](https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.75761-15/476489078_17994569561768770_159622106918579764_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=102&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&_nc_ohc=WMZo9yUeeQgQ7kNvwG-sBfi&_nc_oc=Adk7kOQvm9NdlJksmPsCOfPTpMHPIMZ6HHJ7AW_8lr-s1FQFC5CUFb1pLMJIhAp9cSE&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=Ul7n8JVY-aJ3L31TE4p-lg&oh=00_AfIuqKRyEgg6G8yBFDH3bxMXxiCYPHXhXSEoNYy0YfLeuA&oe=682C223D)
![👀Take a look at this!
🐎In 1941, J. Frank Dobie invited Tom Lea on a prowl “to see Longhorns and look at brush country.” The two rode horseback through the brushiest kind, going “into far pastures, into thorny jungles of lacy-leafed mesquite.”
🎨Tom remembered the experience 41 years later, painting an old cowboy ready to enter the same thorny brush.
🖼️ Lea, T. (1981) At the Edge of the Brush [Oil on Canvas] 24 X 30. EPMA. Collection of Mr. and Mrs. I. T. Schwartz, El Paso](https://scontent-iad3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.29350-15/475693207_1367650020889862_7736747823681549606_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=111&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&_nc_ohc=G_WUfqhiUYsQ7kNvwGPVatq&_nc_oc=AdlrmwMFD-8GPzhEZXL0SWHHis_LslnE9-2L68sJTWkX-8tNpwoLmbWA3eF2i1CRciM&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=Ul7n8JVY-aJ3L31TE4p-lg&oh=00_AfK0do_R2hFrBOEbG6OHiVRt5O9YWUnv4SrPuBa0PvEylw&oe=682C0695)
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Learn more about him and our FREE events!
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