David Sanders

1936 - 2013

Born in San Antonio, Texas, David M. Sanders demonstrated real potential early on to become both a visual artist and a vocal artist. When a teacher encouraged David to pursue his talent as a visual artist, he enrolled, at the age of 10, in classes at the Witte Art Museum in San Antonio, where some well-known Texas artists took their first art lessons. But, David was also interested in the vocal arts and throughout high school and as a young man he pursued a career as a tenor soloist, hoping to become an opera singer.

In 1957, Sanders was drafted into the U.S. Army and was stationed in Okinawa. When he returned to the States following his tour of duty in the military, he moved to Seattle, Washington to take voice lessons, still hoping to become an opera singer. At some point Sanders gave up his dream of becoming an opera singer and moved back to Texas to attend Southwest Texas State University, where he earned a degree in Commercial Art. Following college Sanders made a living painting portraits and selling his paintings of still-lifes and other subjects at art shows throughout Texas, but ultimately it was as a Western artist that Sanders found his true calling. Though he painted in oil the first few years, he worked primarily in pastels throughout his life. He was known for his careful research of the details: tack, costumes, weapons, and even the angle of the sun at a particular time of day. Sanders received commissions from the King Ranch and the Shelton Ranch, illustrated the bookRangers of Texas, published in 1969 by Texian Press, illustrated issues of Cattleman's Magazine, UT Longhorn Football Programs, the covers of King Ranch sales catalogs, Leanin' Tree notecards, and various other notecards and calendars. Sanders’ paintings appear in many private and museum collections, including the Diamond M collection of Texas Tech Museum in Lubbock and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco.

Sanders’ paintings hung in the offices of four Texas Governors. Just before his death from Lou Gehrig’s Disease, Sanders was honored with resolutions from Governor Rick Perry, the Texas House of Representatives, and the Texas Senate. Of David Sanders’ passing Governor Rick Perry said, “Men of his caliber are rare in this world, and I can't help but feel that the Lone Star shines a little less bright without him. David gave us so much more than wonderful works of art. He captured moments in time from an era long passed, a time when the very spirit of Texas was being forged by riders and rangers under a vast Western sky. When we study the well-worn faces of his subjects, we see a resiliency, strength and pride that has spanned the generations, and we learn a little more about who we are and what it means to be a Texan.”

RIDERS IN YOSEMITE Pastel on Paper 1983 28 ¾ x 37 ¾ inches

SNOWY ENCAMPMENT Pastel on Paper 1978 30 x 40 inches