How does a West Texas artist capture the dramatic colors and textures of the American Southwest?

EXPLORE THE RED RIVER PAPER PRODUCTS THAT BRING LINDY'S DISTINCTIVE LANDSCAPES TO LIFE.

Big Bend Beauty

Based in the Big Bend region of Texas — named for the dramatic curve of the Rio Grande River that forms the boundary between Texas and Mexico — artist Lindy Severns paints the distinctive wildlife, dreamy skies, and rugged landscapes of the American Southwest.

Lindy's artistic journey began in the mid-1980s when she embraced soft pastels for large-format works, challenging the conventional wisdom that pastels were merely a drawing medium suitable for smaller pieces only. Her dedication to elevating pastels to the same status as oil paintings paid off, establishing her as an artist who confidently follows her own creative vision.

With a signature style that spans multiple mediums — oils, pastels, and varnished watercolors — Lindy skillfully blens intricate likenesses with expressive brushwork. This unique approach has allowed her to carve out a distinctive niche in the world of Southwestern landscape art.

Enter Red River Paper

Quality paper is essential for reproducing Lindy's evocative artwork. She uses two of our premium products, including 60lb. Polar Matte for notecards and greeting cards, appreciating the substantial weight and matte finish that makes her artwork "pop with color and detail," as she puts it. For her fine art prints, Lindy prefers our Palo Duro Etching 315, valuing its light texture, vibrant color reproduction, and surface tooth that allows her to add soft pastels directly on top of the prints.

Living in a remote rural area, Lindy relies on Red River Paper not just for quality printing stock but also reliable service. "After finding Red River Paper, I am so much more confident in my print products!" Lindy tells us. "The packaging, shipping, and customer support make me feel like I have my own paper company backing me."

See More of Lindy's Work

Lindy's online portfolio showcases prints, note cards, tote bags, mugs, and pillows. Her one-of-a-kind “remarques” are a fine-art hybrid, featuring additional hand-painted accents. Bring a smile to your social feed by following her on Instagram, where Lindy shares recent work and fun photos of her rescue pup and African grey parrot. And if you're curious about how she approached a very special project that was outside of her artistic comfort zone, read our Q&A with Lindy below.

Enjoy our Q&A with Lindy Severns...

What year was your business founded and how did you get started?
I've been a lifelong professional artist for most of my adult life, but (yay!) I've been a full-timer at painting since "retiring" from my day job in 2005. I built my first website with the idea of getting my work in front of as many sets of eyes as possible, never dreaming that 20 years later I'd be selling art through my own website and regularly shipping originals and prints all over the country.

Tell us a little about what product or service your business offers.
I paint Southwestern landscapes and skyscapes, wildflowers, and wildlife. While original art is my core product, I also offer prints and cards reproduced from my originals. My popular "enhanced prints" or "remarques" are at the high end of these printed artworks. These are one-of-a-kind editions, fine art prints that I've painted on top of to bring out color nuances and fine details.

What makes your business unique?
I started using soft pastels on large pieces of sanded paper in the mid-80s, when pastels were generally still considered a drawing medium or something suitable for small works. This meant convincing my gallerists that people would buy large, statement artworks created with dry pigments (please don't call pastels "chalk"!) and that they should sell for as much or more than oil paintings. While earning this kind of credibility didn't happen overnight, I stuck to my guns and sure enough, I sold. This small battle against perceived value gave me the confidence to paint my subjects my way. Today, my oils, pastels, and varnished watercolors all carry my distinctive style. My paintings include representational detail supported by free, energetic impressionistic strokes. I haven't chased after conventional usage of medium, size, or subject — I've done it my way and still love doing it.

Where do you source your raw materials from?
I use Red River Paper for all my in-house printing stock, card envelopes, and printer inks. Because I live in a remote rural area, I must do my own framing, so Frame Destination supplies molding, glazing, and hardware. Dakota Art Pastels and St. Louis Art Supply ship me paints and painting surfaces I'd never find locally.

In what ways does the business reflect your own personality?
I'm not a perfectionist, but I was taught that anything worth doing is worth doing the right way. So, while I'm passionate about painting nature because I love the outdoors, I'm equally passionate about using high-end, archival materials. I print A LOT of notecards. I sign each one because it's my way of showing pride in my work and connecting with whoever buys or receives that card. I don't want to be some anonymous entity, even to a stranger. I like to add special touches that will make someone smile.

Who are your typical customers?
My customers are all over the map! My notecards appeal to a significant niche of buyers who love my work but might never be able to afford an original, and my various sizes of prints offer high-end art for every budget. Most of my large originals go to professionals who love the desert Southwest like I do, or to people who have downsized but want to surround themselves with small original art with their favorite things — bluebonnets, hummingbirds, or mountain sunrises. More than once, someone has sent one of my notecards to someone who followed that card to my website and became a major collector of my original art. You never know where your next sale is coming from, and if you believe, like I do, that everyone deserves art in their world, everyone is that special customer, no matter the size of the sale.

What is the most interesting project you've encountered in the course of your work?
I received the 2020 Distinguished Alumnae Award from the Texas Tech University College of Arts and Sciences. The following year, they asked me to depict their annual holiday campus lighting ceremony, the “Carol of Lights.” This meant creating a nocturnal, architectural scene even though I am most at home with a colorful sunset across a vast, open prairie. But it also meant spreading my wings and putting some imaginative symbolism into my rendering of a community-wide event — one that I had first participated in as a freshman so many years ago. In painting the ceremony, I ran with my memory of being part of something much bigger than myself. I felt the crush of the crowd, each person with a tiny light and all converging on the giant wreath on a stately old building until all were one sparkling light in the darkness. Through the process, I learned that I'm not limited to sunsets and big horizons! The school loved my pastel and reproduced it as their holiday card. They also made 5x7 prints and included those in VIP mailings.

What has Red River Paper done for your business? Is there a particular challenge Red River Paper helped you overcome or a goal they helped you met?
After finding Red River Paper, I am so much more confident in my print products! The packaging, shipping, and customer support make me feel like I have my own paper company backing me.

Which Red River Paper products do you use, and what do you appreciate most about them?
For my notecards and large cards, I love 60lb. Polar Matte paper, which is quite heavy and substantial, and folks love that feel. The matte finish makes my color-rich artwork pop with color and detail. For my own formatting flexibility, I buy the 8.5x11 size, unscored, and print half-fold notecards two to a page, then cut, fold, and sign them. The paper doesn't crack when folded, even without having been scored. Using the same paper, I also print my half-fold larger cards, which are so nice that many people frame them. For my fine art prints, I've settled on Palo Duro Etching 315. The light texture on this heavy paper is lovely, the colors are vibrant, and the surface has enough tooth that I can use soft pastels on top of my prints to enhance them. 

Do you have any future growth plans?
My goal is to get my art into more brick-and-mortar businesses and galleries! I love doing markets, but it's a lot to handle every weekend. I will be reaching out to state parks, galleries, and visitor centers to get my art hanging on more walls and available for sale.

How can people purchase your products/service?
I sell cards, prints, and originals on my website and at regional Big Bend National Park galleries and shops, including:
• Old Spanish Trail Gallery and Museum outside Fort Davis, TX
• The Gage V6 Collection in Marathon, TX
• Vise Coffee in Alpine, TX
• Front Street Books in Alpine, TX, sells cards, cards, and more cards

Would you like to share a customer testimonial?
"Lindy has an amazing ability to capture both the bold colors and dramatic formations of the Far West Texas landscape, but also the subtle variations in light and shading ... she can skillfully present the grandest of vistas, but she also equally masters the most delicate details of sand, rock, and grass. She is particularly adept at painting the Western sky in all its drama and color. When I look at Lindy's work, I feel an immediate kinship with her vision and love of the Western landscape." 

 â€“ Michael Duty / Author, Art Historian, and Director of Art of the American West for Heritage Auction Gallery

Original Publication Date: July 07, 2025

Article Last updated: July 07, 2025

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