Texas national park paintings by Topher Straus
West Texas
National park artist Topher Straus paints the national parks of West Texas: the open desert mountains of Big Bend, and lightning over the golden cliffs of the Guadalupe Mountains.
“I wanted to capture the drama of this place—the way the light hits Guadalupe Peak is absolutely electric, especially when the storms roll through.”
TOPHER STRAUS, ON GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
The West Texas paintings
Both of Texas’s national parks.
Where each painting stands
Every painting begins with a real place.
Big Bend
Wide-open desert and mountains on the Rio Grande in Big Bend National Park.
The Guadalupes
Storm light on Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas, in Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
About Big Bend and the Guadalupes
Big Bend takes its name from the great curve of the Rio Grande, which forms the park’s southern boundary with Mexico for more than a hundred miles; the Chisos Mountains rise in its center, and its skies are some of the darkest in the lower 48. To the north, near the New Mexico line, Guadalupe Mountains National Park holds Guadalupe Peak, at 8,751 feet the highest point in Texas, and El Capitan, the pale cliff that was once part of an ancient ocean reef.
See the work in a national park
Grand Teton National Park
Topher’s work is on permanent display at the Grand Teton National Park visitor center through 2042.
Giving back
A share of proceeds goes to organizations that protect the landscapes Topher paints. He has raised more than $200,000 for them so far.
A private viewing
Topher arranges private viewings for collectors, at his studio in Golden, Colorado or by appointment.
Arrange a private viewingSizes, editions and how each painting is made: collecting a Topher Straus painting.
Questions collectors ask
Has Topher painted both Texas national parks?
Yes: Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains.
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