Colorful wildflower art inspired by childhood memories

“Dancing with Bluebonnets” can best be described as tribute, a memorial if you will, to Charles Calvert (Linda’s father) and a simpler time. This painting gets to the core of Linda’s artistic expression with her series of contemporary wildflowers. One of Linda’s earliest memories of wildflowers are of a field of bluebonnets that were kept intact by her father on the family farm south of San Antonio back in the early 1960s. Times were lean and with a growing family it seems amazing that valuable farm land lay fallow of income producing crops but as her father explained to Linda simply that he liked the bluebonnets that emerge each spring despite the fact that all his surrounding neighbors lacked an appreciation for these “weeds” running wild on perfectly good farmland. Mr. Calvert savored the beauty of nature’s colorful wildflower art but he was also allowing nature to improve the land naturally at the same time. Whether he knew this at the time we will never know.

We do know now that Texas bluebonnets, as a part of the legume family, have the ability to capture nitrogen from the air and store it in its root nodules making it available in the soil for later use. In simple terms, bluebonnets increase over time the fertility of the land in grows upon and is one of nature's many tricks to replenishing nutrients to a poor soil. Beautification and soil conservation all in one plant the bluebonnet truly deserves it elevated status as the Texas state flower.

This early memory of Linda’s speaks of the aesthetic value her father placed on one of nature’s “beautiful weeds” long before Lady Bird Johnson focused her attention to our Texas highways in 1969. These soil conservation and beautification projects have been on going ever since and have taken on a life of their own. We owe a debt of gratitude to these two people. Lady Bird Johnson’s legacy grows all around us each year. The legacy of Charles Calvert lives on though his daughter’s wildflower art. Thank you Lady Bird and thank you Charles Calvert for each of you have and will continue to bring joy to people the world over for many years to come.

Note: This is another entry by David (Linda's husband).

"Dancing With Bluebonnets" a hit In the UK, too

"Dancing with Bluebonnets" wildflower artwork by Linda Calvert Jacobson heralds from a strong tradition and love of bluebonnets by Texans and those folks enamored with the mystique that is Texas!

Bluebonnets officially became the Texas state flower in 1901 and this beloved Texas symbol of nature has been painted literally by thousands of artists. Throughout the ensuing years prominence of the Texas state flower enjoyed a significant place in the realistic landscape paintings in the art world. The three best by many accounts are Porfirio Salinas, Robert W. Wood, and William A. Slaughter. These ground-breaking artist’s artwork continues to increase in value and are highly collectable. These artists set the style of almost all bluebonnet paintings of the 1900s and few have dared venture outside this mold. Consequently the style loss favor for without new creative vision even the best of art becomes stale and redundant. Maybe like the proverbial fruitcake that is everywhere and yet is not savored by many, the bluebonnets in present day art seem to have met this fate as well.

Linda, with her contemporary wildflower series, breaks new ground and breathes new life into wildflower art and with “Dancing with Bluebonnets” rekindles the lowly bluebonnet artwork back to the cutting edge of the 21st century. This painting is close up as if you were lying in a field of bluebonnets. The impressionistic and mildly abstract tangent that Linda Calvert Jacobson takes allows ample room for the imagination to go to work for all your senses to be involved with this vision before you. Feel the sun on your face, smell the sweet floral scents as the breeze wafts by enchanting you with its sweet caress. This tactile painting almost begs to be touched like the bluebonnets that surround you.

Unfortunately the original painting is sold and in a private collection here in Texas but at least in England some chances still exist to scoop up one of these art-inspired watches. Everyone else can visit the online store and check out all the cool mugs, coasters, t-shirts, and other goodies available and with over 15 wildflower paintings to choose from your bound to find something you just got to have to brighten your day!

For any of you into collecting beautiful original art that will stir your soul stop by www.Casa De Linda.com

LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER HOSTING ONE-WOMAN SHOW FOR LINDA'S ARTWORK THIS FALL

Linda’s wildflower art-inspired watches have proven to be very popular and are flying out the door fast on Bid TV over in the U.K. With these limited-edition watches dwindling down to a few remaining hundred we want to share some exciting news for the folks on this side of the pond.

Linda is honored to be invited back to the world-renowned Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin Texas to offer an exclusive one-woman show of her contemporary wildflower paintings . This exhibit will feature 20 to 30 of these original fine art paintings all under one roof at the McDermott Learning Center which offers a well lit gallery style setting for this display. The exhibit opens on October 18th and runs through December 15th.

The Wildflower Center is named in honor of its co-founder and former First Lady, Lady Bird (Mrs. Lyndon) Johnson. As quoted from the Wildflower Center's website:

"Decades ago, Mrs. Johnson recognized that our country was losing its natural landscapes and its natural beauty. As much as 30 percent of the world’s native flora is at risk of extinction. The Wildflower Center was intended to help preserve and restore that beauty and the biological richness of North America. Since then, the Center has become one of the country’s most credible research institutions and effective advocates for native plants."

If you are in the area or are planning a trip to Austin this fall, be sure to mark your calendar and plan a visit to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Linda will be greeting the public with a "Meet the Artist" reception on Saturday, Oct. 18, during the Center's annual Fall Festival Plant Sale. We'll have more details and news regarding this later but couldn't wait to start getting the word out. What a perfect fit: Linda's colorful wildflower paintings and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center !

Anytime you want to learn more about Linda and her artwork, visit her homepage by clicking here.

Update Texas Wildflower Artist Watch “Heart Felt Passion” Goes Live On Bid TV!

Some time on Sunday Bid TV made the decision to use the second of Linda’s Texas Wildflower paintings during their Pick of the Week time slot on their U.K. TV shopping channel. On Tuesday between 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. (Texas time) the British TV audience will have their first chance to scoop up one of the 70 watches available through this TV auction. The bids close at 11:17 a.m. (Texas time) so it should be the second item up for bid. (If I finally have Bid TV figured out) You can live stream this auction on your computer if you want by going to Bid.TV and scroll down to the bottom of the page and on the left side click on the live TV streaming hot link under TV listings.

It has always been one Linda’s desires to share her heart felt passion for Texas Wildflowers to an audience beyond Texas and this licensing deal is exposing folks half-way around the world to the sheer joy that this Texas artwork can bring to their everyday life. Most of us are aware that colors effect emotions and this stunning Texas Wildflower painting with its bold use of reds in the background will ignite the passionate and romantic side of any woman lucky enough to have one of these watches for her own. Unfortunately this watch is only available for U.K. residents so far.

However we do have available through Linda’s online store a companion to “Heart Felt Passion” called “Deep in the Heart”. From this painting we offer a line of product ranging from decorative throw pillows, a line of wearable art tee shirts, mugs, coasters and even a beautiful keepsake box. These products are available from Café Press and can be shipped the world over so you definitely want to check it out!

If you would like to see more of Linda Calvert Jacobson’s Texas Wildflower Artwork then just surf over to the Casa De Linda website.