Left of College Station

Local Family Artists Bringing Collectors in From Around the State

By Rosemary Smith (Examiner Editor)

From the Navasota Examiner

Eight months ago, the artwork of 18-year-old Navasota High School student Krystel Minor, whom friends call Molly Bee Collins, had been accepted into its first gallery show at the Redbud Gallery Show of Houston. Since then, Molly Bee has joined forces with her father Leon and their art has gained the attention of four other art galleries, three of which are located in New York, Rhode Island and California.

As if that wasn’t impressive enough, Tejas Antiques owner Duane Garner, who displays the original folk art both outside and inside his business, says simple word of mouth is bringing in a growing number of customers from the metropolitan areas of Austin, Dallas and Houston.

Word of mouth unexpectedly brought in Redbud Gallery owner Gus Kopriva of Houston.

“We had two ladies come in the store and one of them turned out to be the production manager of Channel 13. Kirk Brown and David Waller from Houston showed up within a month and David took it upon himself to show the paintings to Gus,” said Garner.

“He booked a show for us the first day he met us. We’re in a preshow now and he’s given us the whole gallery for the entire summer of 2009,” said Leon.

Leon and his daughter were especially pleased to discover that Gus’s wife Sharon is a world-renown artist.

“She’s the only American artist the Peruvian government allowed to show their work there,” said Garner.

The Collins’s now look forward to seeing where this newfound road of discovery leads them as the duo’s artwork is displayed at the famous gallery.

“I want to be famous quick because so many people that like folk art haven’t seen our work,” said Leon.

It’s a very prestigious show,” said Garner, who encouraged Molly Bee to pick up acrylic painting after an 8-year hiatus.

Leon said his daughter’s talent is 100 percent natural, as she has never taken an art class and seems to paint effortlessly.

“Molly can almost finish a painting half-asleep. She can be talking on her cell phone, eating, watching a movie, doing her homework and painting, all at the same time. It takes me three to four hours of concentrating to finish one painting,” said Leon, who says he first became an artist in the 1970s and returned to his love for painting once Molly was born.

Collins paintings sell anywhere between $185 to $1,000.

Leon believes the stories that go along with the paintings bring added interest to the artwork, most of which come from Leon’s own childhood.

The duo is currently working on a chicken series called, Big Lap and Lia Baby.

It’s a real story, but we added a little to it. Big Lady was my cousin and Big Lap was a friend of mine,” Leon recalled. “I was big when I was a boy and Big Lap was sitting under a China Berry tree eating tuna sandwiches when I met him. I wanted one, so I took it and he almost died chasing me. After that, we became friends,” said Leon, who added that he believes a painting made without a story doesn’t mean anything.

Garner agreed, “When he tells the story, that’s what brings the paintings to life â€- that personalization.”

The paintings portray a comedy story about Big Lap and Lia Baby’s adventures as the owners of chickens that grew to weigh 1,000 pounds.

Leon is now working on a book that compiles stories about his childhood visits to his uncle’s farm in Brazoria with tales created for the paintings.

“It’s written in slang script. I wrote it just as we spoke in those days, growing up in the 60s,” said Leon.

Their growing fame has also brought the Collins their very own benefactors, Brad and Celia Freazzelle of Fort Worth, who offered their services to the family in April, following a Fort Worth art show debut. The duo was recently selected as finalists from among 1,032 entries in the by-invitation-only juried art show. The Collins’ folk art will be featured there again at the Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival in May 2009.

Leon said he and his daughter recently completed an interview with South Central Texas Live magazine and will be featured in the January-February 2009 issue.

“Their artwork is a magnet for Navasota,” said fellow artist Russell Cushman of Navasota

Published on Wednesday, December 3, 2008