A rugged icon of west Texas, the horned lizard holds quiet dignity in this original painting.
Still and solitary, the Texas Horned Lizard holds its ground against soft neutral tones—its spiny form sharply rendered, its gaze alert and steady.
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Details & Highlights
A quiet creature of west Texas, rendered with precision and sensitivity. This little horny toad makes a big impression—rugged, regional, and instantly familiar to anyone who’s walked Texas soil. Captured in oil with clarity and restraint, “Texas Horned Lizard” reflects the steady realism Teresa Bernard has refined over many years at the easel.
Series: Life in Texas
Year Completed: 2018
Dimensions: 6″ w x 6″ h x .5″ d
Medium: Oil on gallery-wrapped canvas
Style & Technique: Realism, layered brushwork
Originality: One‑of‑a‑kind painting, signed on the front
Framing: Unframed, so you can personalize it your way
Certificate of Authenticity: Customized, hand‑signed and stamped with the artist’s personal embossed seal
Provenance: Direct from the artist’s studio
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About This Painting
Set against a quiet field of soft neutrals, a lone horny toad holds its ground—textured, alert, and unmistakably at home.
A Texas Horned Lizard rests in sharp focus against a soft, neutral background with subtle tonal variation. Its textured skin is rendered in earthy browns and muted grays, with spiny ridges and angular limbs crisply defined. The creature’s gaze is alert, its body angled slightly forward, giving a sense of quiet presence. This painting is signed by Teresa Bernard in the lower left corner. The mark ensures originality and authorship.
Painted in oil on gallery-wrapped canvas, the artwork measures 6″ wide by 6″ high. The canvas edges are painted, allowing for display with or without a frame. It arrives unframed, allowing for tailoring to your personal style and decor. A customized Certificate of Authenticity is included, hand-signed by Teresa and embossed with her personal seal. It ensures genuineness, provenance, and lasting value.
Part of the Life in Texas Series, the piece captures the distinctive spirit that defines the collection. Native wildlife is honored through close observation and careful rendering, shaped by Teresa’s signature realistic style. Ideal for collectors, nature lovers, or anyone drawn to the quiet dignity of desert life, this original painting offers lasting visual and emotional impact.
The original canvas painting does not have the copyright watermark ©️ teresabernardart.com.
Read more about the Life in Texas Series here.
Artist Reflections
Painting the Texas Horned Lizard—or “horny toad,” as we called them growing up in west Texas—was a joy that brought back a flood of childhood memories. Back then, these little spiked critters were everywhere. My friends and I would spot them often, scoop them up to play for a while, then gently let them go. They were just part of the landscape, as familiar as mesquite trees and dusty roads.
As an adult, I’ve noticed they’re not nearly as common. That got me wondering why, so I did a little digging.
In Search of the Horny Toad
Turns out, about 70% of the Texas Horned Lizard’s diet consists of harvester ants. Over the years, their numbers have dropped by roughly 30%, largely due to pesticide use and the spread of invasive fire ants. Both wipe out harvester ant colonies, leaving the lizards without their primary food source. Today, the Texas horned lizard is a protected species. In Texas, it’s illegal to take, possess, transport, or sell them without a special permit.
Still, there’s hope. I was encouraged to read that efforts are underway to help them recover.
According to the August/September 2018 issue of Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine:
“Texas Horned Lizards once occurred throughout Texas, but now only a few populations remain. Efforts to move Texas horned lizards from one location in Texas to another, with the hope of establishing new self-sustaining populations in previously occupied habitats, are underway. Several Texas zoos are also working to develop colonies for reintroduction programs. RAWA (Recovering America’s Wildlife Act) funding would pay for “lizard factories” to help with reintroduction efforts.”
I shared some of my findings on social media, and the responses surprised me.
One longtime friend told me her small Texas town hosts an annual horny toad celebration called ‘The Old Rip Festival.’ It’s named after a legendary lizard said to have survived 31 years sealed inside a cornerstone. She even sent me a link to the ‘Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine’ website, which dives into the lore and legacy of Old Rip.
Another follower chimed in, saying, “You still see these in west Texas and the Panhandle. Fire ants haven’t taken over every inch of ground as they have here, and harvester ants are still there, so that helps with the “horny toads.” Hope they make a comeback here someday.”
—Teresa Bernard, oil painter
Comments from Art Lovers
“Interesting, so beautiful..” — @andybaldwin, MeWe
“I love these little critters and my sis-in-law is seeing them in all stages on her ranch in Mathis..come on little dudes, make a comeback.” — @Char78613, Gab
“We have a similar lizard here, the Eastern Fence lizard, where I live.” –@adamcharleshovey, MeWe
“It is amazing how you are able to convey the “spiky” nature of the lizard through your clever use of brushing to create the spikes and rough/harsh texture of the skin of the animal.” — @TheBlackHeart, Gab
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