William A. Slaughter (Texas, 1923-2003), bluebonnet landscape, oil on canvas, circa 1977

sight: 12 x 16 in., frame: 16 x 20 in.

Provenance: Property from a prominent South Texas estate collection; proceeds from the sale of this lot will benefit the Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio, Texas

William A. Slaughter was born in San Antonio. His first call was to the ministry and after serving in the Air Force during WWII, he was ordained as a Lutheran pastor. It was during this ministry in Mexico that Slaughter began painting and exhibiting at local art and craft shows after moving to Dallas. Slaughter first belonged to and exhibited with the Artists and Craftsmen's Association of Dallas. In 1968, he was awarded first in landscape painting. In 1973, he was awarded first in still life painting. He was mostly self-taught and combined innate ability and persistence to create many Texas landscapes, seemingly everyone's favorite subject, in realist style.