take a road trip to
and Fort Davis and were amazed once again to
the scenic, remote
see springtime-like scenes in August. The diver-
and mystical Trans-Pecos eco-region of far
sity of plant species was equally surprising.
west Texas, specifically, the Chihuahuan
Perky, pink-purple blossoms of a Trans-Pecos
Desert area around the town of Marfa. In
variety of Verbena, a common wildflower, grow
Marfa, at 4,688 feet
out of the rocks along the
above sea level, the sum-
road. Driving on we spot-
mer nights are naturally
ted the healthy blooms of
cool and summer days,
the lovely Copper Globe
though hot, feel surpris-
Mallow that resembles a
ingly less so than Fort
miniature
Hollyhock
Worth. Average annual
plant. Nearby were color-
rainfall in the Marfa area
ful stands of the red-yel-
is about 15 inches in a
low blooms of Indian
good year.
Rushpea.
As we soon discovered,
As we approached
summer in the Trans-
McDonald Observatory
Pecos is also the rainy sea-
we were greeted by
son. We were greeted
splashes of eye-catching
with a couple of refresh-
Skyrocket, one of the red-
The rocky cliffs of the Davis Mountains near Marfa
ing thunderstorms as we
dest
reds you will find in
were beautifully adorned with Lindheimer’s Senna.
roamed the back roads.
the desert.
Back home, as Tandy Hills was withering in the
We were surprised to see thick stands of
summer heat, the Chihuahuan Desert was
another prairie staple, Side-oats (the State Grass
spring-like, blooming with an array of colorful
of Texas) and Blue Grama grasses flourishing
wildflowers and very reminiscent of the original
alongside the Agaves, Creosote bushes and
prairie.
Ocotillo that define the Chihuahuan Desert
As we neared Fort Davis coming in across the
landscape.
mountains from I-20, the rocky cliffs were beau-
Our trip to the Big Bend desert wilderness
tifully adorned with golden yellow bouquets of
reminded us that there’s a lot more to the area
Lindheimer’s Senna, nicely contrasted by the
than art. Thoroughly refreshed, the trip remind-
mud-red granite rocks. The next day we took the
ed us of the value of our Texas prairie and our
aptly named Scenic Loop road between Marfa
roles in keeping it like it was.
continued from page 4
ST. JONAH
ORTHODOX CHURCH
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405 E. Gallego Avenue • Alpine, TX 79830
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explains. “This has
been beautiful. One
of my goals from day one was to bring the art to
the people. Out here we have farmers come by
who have never been in an art gallery. I wanted to
make it accessible to the community.”
This genuine desire has undoubtedly con-
tributed to his success, but even at his latest
showing at the El Paso Museum of Art, patrons
would approach him and ask what he really did
for a living. It’s rare to get by, let alone be suc-
cessful, by selling paintings, but in Escamilla’s
case it’s no accident. He never studied under
another artist. Self-taught is the only fitting
adjective. “It took me ten years to know what
I’m doing,” he says. The time paid off. The
traces of a mentor are absent in Escamilla’s
work, giving it a beautiful purity. His technique
is entirely his own.
“It all has to do with discipline,” he says,
recalling the hardest lesson to learn as a young
artist. With bills to pay, a blank canvas can be
a formidable foe. “I would look at it, have some
coffee, look at it, do my laundry, look at it, just
killing time” he remembers, laughing. “There’s
always tomorrow, after all.”
When young artists seek him out for advice,
Escamilla warns them of the fallacy that cre-
ative work can only be accomplished when the
continued from page 18
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elusive inspiration strikes. He sits back in his
chair. “You sit there and you paint. Good or
bad just get it done. I had to be tied down. I
would paint a line, two lines, a stick figure, any-
thing, but I needed to fill the canvas. It is a job.”
When it comes to his painting, his nine-to-
five work ethic can be traced back to his early
admiration and emulation of the impression-
ists. He didn’t just learn from their techniques.
“They all had discipline,” he says. ‘They were
artists first. They were all very human and suf-
fered a lot. I respect their tradition and I con-
tinue it. They all believed and had faith. They
stayed with it.” It’s safe to say, after 36 years, so
has Escamilla.
Perhaps from hearing us discussing his
namesake, Monet, Escamilla’s snow-white
Bichon Fries jumps into his lap. Escamilla looks
up and says, “When I finish a painting I still feel
the same excitement I felt 40 years ago. If I ever
lose that I’ll know it’s time to stop.” He frees up
a hand from scratching Monet’s neck and rests
it on a blank canvas leaning against the wall.
It’s a commission, he tells me, a groom’s wed-
ding gift to his future bride. “I can’t wait to start
it,” he says, smiling. “That excitement, that
thrill, that beauty. It’s still there.”