Some people thrive on people like Nancy Medina. In college, when the exceptional talent of a fellow student left other classmates feeling second-rate, Medina remained unruffled and confident in her own ability. She recalls, “I knew I had a secret weapon—my work ethic and willpower.”

Late on Sunday afternoon, in Fredericksburg, Texas, a group of tourists gathered along the sidewalk of the Main Street shopping district. They studied an ominous horizon with darkened clouds in the process of being ripped apart by a bolt of lightning. No one from the group took shelter from the ‘storm,’ however, because the tempest was actually an amazing painting by artist Phil Bob Borman entitled “First Strike.” From the moment the canvas was placed in the window of the Fredericksburg Art Gallery, it regularly caught the attention of those passing by.

Imagine, if you will, a woodland world of cobbled garden paths, pink primroses and white picket fences. It’s a cheerful place without evil dragons, wicked witches or ugly stepsisters. Instead, merry mice wear overcoats and top hats as they playfully ice skate a frozen pond in winter, and bunnies in bonnets tend summer gardens with sunflowers growing bountifully. Here, sweethearts always hold hands, children play cooperatively, and neighbors share only positive words of encouragement over a cup of tea.

From an early age, Sharon Standridge was a good listener.
“I loved hearing stories of my family history,” she recalls. “My grandfather had at one time performed in the rodeo, where he was known as Tex Brown. His children—my dad and all his siblings—were billed as The Little Buckaroos, the World’s Youngest Rodeo Performers. So growing up, I heard those recollections, as well as my dad’s memories of his growing up during the Great Depression.”

Once in a blue moon, a seemingly unremarkable incident can lead to a completely new path in life. For Cynthia Bloom, owner of Cynthia Bloom Collectible Jewelry, that moment came nine years ago when she was invited by a friend to place a few items in an upcoming antique sale.

Confidence—it’s the spirit that radiates from Teresa Elliott’s personality and her artwork. It’s also a trait that manifested itself early in her life. “One day in kindergarten, we were each asked to draw a bird,” she recalls. “My drawing amazed everyone, including me. Even though I was very young, I knew right then, deep down, that I would become an artist.”

Today, that same self-assurance, combined with well-honed talent, is ideally suited to her current subject of choice—the Texas Longhorn. Elliott’s bold interpretations of this rare breed have won applause from collectors and art critics alike, and her paintings hang in corporate offices as well as the homes of celebrities. Baseball legend Nolan Ryan and singer Toni Tennille (of The Captain and Tennille) are among recent collectors of her work. “Men and women seem to love the Longhorns equally,” Elliott says. Her work has also been displayed in prestigious venues, such as the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, the Briscoe Western Museum, and the Coors Western Art Exhibit.

 “Magical and addictive.” That is how artist Robert Rynearson describes his romance with the ancient art form of glass blowing. Having been under its bewitching spell for more than fifteen years, he explains simply, “It gets into your soul.”   

Long before his hands touch the clay, sculptor Seth Vandable’s mind is hard at work. “It takes a really well thought out idea to make any work of art stand apart as distinctive,” he explains. Indeed, it is his gift for thoughtful design that has led to his receiving commissions to create some of the largest figurative monuments in the country.

For instance, his tribute to baseball, called “For the Love of the Game,” stands at Whataburger Stadium in Corpus Christi, Texas. The 25-foot-high bronze illustrates Vandable’s ability to hit a home run when it comes to having the winning idea. “To integrate that project into its locale in a historic part of the city, I clothed the player in a vintage baseball era cotton uniform,” he says. What excited the Whataburger executives most, however, was the subtle message Vandable built right into the player’s pose. With the wooden bat resting ever so casually across the player’s rock-solid shoulders, the athelete’s forearms form an unmistakable “W,” which also happens to be the Whataburger logo.