Manuel Garza Oil on Canvas, 1968

Growing up in Central Texas, Manuel Garza is well acquainted with the Texas hill country scenery. His goal is to recreate this scenery to perfection, capturing in oil the thick heat, bold sunlight and cool shade of the state. His use of lighting and vivid colors and his realistic style reflects his passion for beauty. Garza's work often features not only wildflowers but quail, pheasant, turkeys, deer and a host of domestic birds. "I am a landscape artist," he says, "but wildlife is part of that landscape. It adds life." His paintings have an instant rapport with those who know and love the Texas landscape. Garza is largely self-taught, encouraged by his mother, although he did attend the Texas School of Fine Arts and studied under Charles Normann as well as Porfirio Salinas and Robert Wood, and cites them as major influences on his style. He feels that it is equally important to remain constantly in contact with his favorite subject, the land itself, and takes long hikes, photographing and sketching the landscape. These feelings are shared with others through his perception of Texas and it's a natural beauty. Manuel Garza is exhibited in galleries throughout Texas and New Mexico, and the geographical area of interested collectors is constantly expanding. His paintings are included in the collection of Lyndon B. Johnson, John Connelly, Ben Barnes, and many others throughout the United States.