I looked through several contemporary Texan artists and the one that most caught my eye was Debra Latham. From what I’ve seen of her work She works mainly with oil paints and creates representative pieces typically with the subject of landscape or the subject of the female figure.
The images I appreciated most were her portraits.
Debra Latham, Joseph, Oil
Personally enjoying drawing portraits I appreciate the above piece for its representative quality. She seems to capture the emotion in his eyes which in my opinion can make or brake a particular piece.
Debra Latham, Red-Chopsticks, Oil on Panel
What interests me the most with the above piece is the quality of the paint; it seems have a rough sketch-like quality which I believe makes it a very intriguing piece. Every brushstroke has weight to it that captures the image of the woman well. I also feel that the hair was well represented with its shine and directional qualities.
Debra Latham, Silas, Oil on Panel
Her portraits capture emotion as much as it does the character in my opinion. I feel she represents the character of “Silas” rather well, from the quality of his beard to the quizzical look in his eyes to the subtle raised eyebrow.
http://debralatham.com/dataviewer.asp?keyvalue=3506&page=AllWorks&startrec=1