Lindy Cook Severns paints the landscapes she loves, and for this longtime West Texas resident, that love runs deep. Her path to becoming a full-time artist is as layered and vibrant as the sweeping desert pastels for which she is known.
Now based about 20 miles outside Fort Davis, Severns is the artist in residence at the Old Spanish Trail Gallery and a regular fixture in the annual Trappings of Texas exhibit at the Museum of the Big Bend. Her richly colored oil and pastel works capture the soul of the Trans-Pecos and Chihuahuan Desert, often featuring native wildlife in natural harmony with the land.
A lifelong artist who started drawing before she could read, Severns studied studio art at Texas Tech but earned degrees in English and biology, thinking art wouldn’t pay the bills. Her career path took an unexpected turn when she became a licensed pilot in the 1970s. She later flew corporate jets as co-pilot for 17 years alongside her husband, Jim. The couple also taught martial arts, and she holds a fourth-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
In 2004, Severns and her husband left aviation behind, sold their home, and explored the Southwest in an RV. That journey eventually brought them to Fort Davis, where the local art community and rugged landscape inspired her to return to painting full time. Her first year in the region, she took “Best of Show” at Trappings of Texas—a validation that she had found the right place at the right time.
Severns uses only her own wildlife photographs for reference. In her painting Living Off the Land, she portrays pronghorns camouflaged in golden grasses, accompanied by a curious prairie dog that “photo-bombed” her reference shots. In Breathing Space, a storm gathers over the Chisos Mountains, inviting the viewer to pause and find calm in the desert’s vastness. Sundance captures a fleeting moment of sunset light transforming the rugged terrain into a gemstone-drenched tapestry.
Her work aligns with the mission of the Borderlands Research Institute, which supports conservation through education and outreach. Severns believes art can deepen public appreciation for the land and foster a commitment to preserve it.
More of her work can be found at LindyCSeverns.com and OldSpanishTrailGallery.com.
