Life in Texas Series - Teresa Bernard Oil Paintings

The Life in Texas Series grew out of the places and moments that have stayed with me since my earliest years here. My paintings of Texas reflect the way I’ve come to know this state — familiar, wide‑open, and woven into my sense of home.

Made in Texas

I was born and raised in west Texas, and until I graduated high school and went off to college in another state, I had never lived anywhere but the Lone Star State. Those early years shaped me, and they still shape the way I see the world.

After finishing college, I stayed in California for a while before moving to Oregon, then cross‑country to Florida, then to Virginia, and now I’ve come full circle back to Texas. When you’re married to a military man, you learn to move when duty calls — but Texas was always the place that felt like home.

Growing Up Texan

So, what does “growing up Texan” mean? For me, it meant being surrounded by the everyday sights that make this state unmistakable. Prickly pear cactus, bluebonnets, horny toads, armadillos, oil derricks and pump jacks, wide‑open plains, and that west Texas wind that never seems to stop blowing. Longhorn cattle, cowboys, rodeos, and the occasional rattlesnake were simply part of the landscape.

Over the years, I’ve visited places that hold a piece of Texas history and character, from The Alamo to Palo Duro Canyon, from the Fort Worth Stockyards to Lake Livingston. But it’s not the list that stays with me — it’s the feeling of being shaped by a place that’s big, bold, and rooted in its own identity.

Texas in My DNA

You can take the girl out of Texas, but you can’t take Texas out of the girl. This state is woven into my sense of home, and my roots are firmly planted here. It’s only natural that I paint the Texas way of life — it’s the world that raised me and the world I return to on canvas. This is an ongoing series, and I hope you enjoy it.