The Artists of Round Top, Texas
If you’ve ever driven down a country road in Texas, you know how beautiful our state can be. From blooming oceans of bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes, to rusty windmills and hay bales set against an impossibly wide blue sky, it’s no wonder that artists are drawn to the landscape and themes of country life in the Lone Star State. Round Top is certainly no exception — art galleries and the artists who own them dot our tiny town like wildflowers. Here’s a look at Round Top’s notable art scene.
Master scratchboard artist Sally Maxwell creates stunning multidimensional works using scratchboards – boards with a white layer of Kaolin clay covered by black India ink. After scratching her image into the ink, she colors the clay with more specially formulated colored inks. The results are breathtaking, hyper-realistic images of nature and animals. Sally is based in La Grange, and has called her two-acre homestead surrounded by nature her “heaven on earth.” She recently opened Maxwell’s Art Gallery in Round Top.
Housed in the historic Ima Hogg country home in Bybee Square, The Gallery at Round Top boasts world-class artwork from both local Texas artists and artists from around the globe. Owners Ken Muenzenmayer and Karen Vernon are passionate about educating their visitors about art and welcome people from all artistic backgrounds and experience levels to peruse and purchase artwork from around 150 different artists in a peaceful, colorful environment.
If you’re in Henkel Square, you can’t miss the Humble Donkey Studio – it’s located in the big red barn. There, artist John Lowery displays and sells his original artwork, primarily acrylic on canvas. Inspired by the natural beauty of the Texas countryside, John’s paintings succinctly capture grassy fields, towering trees, proud longhorns – and even a humble donkey or two. When you purchase a piece of art from John’s studio, you’ll “give a donkey its wings,” and the artist himself will enthusiastically ring a cowbell as you exit the store, a quirky sendoff for his works.
Copper Shade Tree is a fine arts gallery located in Henkel Square that specializes in Texas-made artwork. It was founded by Gerald and Debbie Tobola, after Gerald discovered a passion for creativity that inspired him to start creating art with copper. The gallery now represents over 100 Texas artists and features pottery, wood carving, hand-made furniture, blown glass and hand-crafted lamps featuring, of course, copper shades.
Using the beauty of her surroundings as an endless source of inspiration, Dorothy Little paints fields of wildflowers, meadows, haybales, old barns and churches in her distinctive impressionistic style. A native of New York City, she’s called Texas home for the past 38 years, and her love of nature and color are evident in every painting on display in her studio at the blinking stop light on Highway 237.
There’s always something beautiful to discover in Round Top. Explore our art and natural beauty when you visit our jewel of the Texas countryside.
