Wild Art Wednesday
OWN a Piece of Padre History
It never occurred to me that Grandma was doing some historical mining when she would stop at the postcard display – you remember those spinning rounders that sat at the registers on South Padre right? – and she would take not one, but two, three sometimes even five postcards of the same and add them to the bill. (If you don’t know what a postcard is? Just ask me. It goes way back to the days of the “post office.”)
A few survived long enough for me to dig them up and after spending my time on South Padre Island in late 2022 halfway into 2023, I recognized them as valuable timepieces that show what the Island once was. They don’t go quite back to my first memories of South Padre Island in the early 60’s, but those aerials certainly capture an island on the cusp of being changed forever.
And the innocence of beach combing couples belied the tumult of the Island’s late 60’s hippie invasion, that by the early 70’s was just another memory.
I only have a few originals, so I decided to do better, and now have these reproductions for purchase in my SHOP. If you are unfamiliar with framing, then let me explain the description on the postcards … when an image is “floated” that means they are printed (by me archivally) on an oversize sheet of quality photo paper. That makes them ripe for quality framing, and that is a service I also offer for all the artwork in my gallery. Quality prints in quality frames for artwork with South Padre Island, and Borderlands
Texas Tickler fly line mats are a great option for limited space and those who need to secure their mats on uneven surfaces - kayaks and tubes - to keep them from being lost in the abyss. Made from the same great silicone used in the Clint and the Rounder models, the Texas Tickler mat is little brother to the Clint at 6" wide and 20" long. The nibs were updated in 2024 to the conical shape, and that completed the update of all mats to the conical nibs. By the way, these are all integrated, molded, into the mat mold. No accessories to add, subtract or lose. If you are running a skiff with limited space, a kayak, as SUP board or another water craft that doesn't fit the Rounder or Clint, this might just be the ticket for you!
All the great colors of the other mats are also available to you for this mat! And with the help of my in-house colorist, we can mix up some custom colors too!
Wholesale and volume inquires are always welcome, and I am prepared to send any business all the documentation needed to make wholesale purchases for your fly fishing clientele - Starting NOW!
Category: Fish Art, Life Observed, South Texas, Texas Gulf Coast, Wild Art Wednesday
