Artwork

I hope you enjoy looking at this art-print of a ‘fully deployed’ Magnolia blossom taken in Houston midst the boughs of a two-story tall Magnolia tree. It is a temporary ‘place holder’. More artwork to come, when I get it organized for posting… and yes, if you are so inclined, signed prints will be available for purchase. It has been pointed out that there is no ‘comment button’ for this page. If you desire, you may go to the Contact page and email your comment. Thanks for your viewing time! rjs

FYI: Below the picture is a short and interesting explanation by my sister as to how the “Houston Magnolia” came to be and two other prints she mentions.

Houston Magnolia

For the Love of Magnolias

I’ve always loved Magnolia blossoms. I suppose it’s genetic, Southern roots and all. I remember a huge, old Magnolia tree in Teague, Texas—home of our grandparents and great grandparents—that our grandmother took my brother and me to see when I was perhaps about 10 or 12. Back then in the 1950’s, in a small town like Teague, this giant and lovely specimen was somewhat of a “celebrity.” We had gone across town to visit our great aunt and our grandmother walked with us down the street to see it. The tree stood majestically in the middle of the front yard of a small, run-of-the-mill, early-1900’s frame house. It towered above the rooftop, with a trunk about four feet in diameter and branches that hung low, just a few feet above the ground, and stretched out to cover most of the yard. The blossoms were the size of dinner plates. If you’ve never seen a mature Magnolia tree in full bloom, you’ve missed an impressive sight—the contrast between the dark green waxy leaves and the giant creamy white blossoms with their yellow pod-like centers is, as they say, a sight to behold.

It was my love of Magnolias and my passion for my brother’s beautiful art photography that brought about the birth of “Houston Magnolia.” I have a number of his framed photos in my home that he has gifted to me from time to time—a beautiful yellow rose (the “Yellow Rose of Texas,” of course), a deep red rose, and an amazing stand of Aspens he shot in New Mexico and then augmented in three different color schemes with the aid of PhotoShop software creating an amazing triptych.

Why I hadn’t thought of this sooner, I don’t know, but several years ago it dawned on me one day that what I really needed and truly wanted was a photo of a Magnolia blossom. Not just any photo, mind you, but one that my brother would take for me. I had no more than mentioned this to him, than he began the search for my Magnolia. He found it close to home, in the courtyard of the retirement center where our mother lives. I wouldn’t know the outcome of my request until my birthday that year when I was presented with “Houston Magnolia,” which he had professionally printed for me on art paper to show off the photograph’s watercolor effect achieved with PhotoShop. This particular blossom is open to its fullest extent, more so than any I’ve seen either in paintings or photographs. To me, it’s all the more graceful and lovely for being fully open and perhaps near the end of its season’s life. This stunning print hangs in my bedroom. And though it’s now more than 50 years later, when I look at my Magnolia, I am reminded of that hot summer day when my brother and I went with our grandmother to see the great Magnolia tree.

Sherry Sadler McDonnell 2010

A Yellow Rose of Texas & Sherry’s Rose

Yellow Rose of Texas

Sherry's Rose