Western Art: Horses We Have Horses

Please check out our western art prints available on our new You Tube Channel - Pine Tinder Press - Decorating with Art by J Chatham.

Many of her prints are available at www.artpal.com/PineTinderPress

We Have Seascapes and Landscapes and Cypress Trees and Blue Bonnets

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You Like Roses! We Have Roses! Featured on new YouTube Channel

Please subscribe to my YouTube channel: Pine Tinder Press - Decorating with Art by J  Chatham

We Have Orchids

Please subscribe to my new YouTube Channel - Pine Tinder Press- Decorating with Art by Texas Artist J. Chatham

Last Minute Gift Suggestion by J Chatham

Last Minute Gift Suggestionby J Chatham

Choosing Art which Coordinates with Your Decor

By Faith Chatham - Dec. 22, 2019

Most of us spend considerable time with paint chips and samples of wall paint when we are decorating. We get swatches of fabric when we are adding new upholstery pieces and samples of counter tops and floor covering. Then when it comes time to accessorize, to add vases and art, etc., some of us get lax.

It is possible when buying a high end piece of art to bring it home on approval. However, most of us do not invest in high dollar pieces of art. We can use the same care however, by selecting prints from designers who create with decorators in mind.

My 2020 Designer Collection was created with decorators in mind. I used to decorate furniture showrooms, design trade show displays and decorate model homes. Frequently I would find a piece of art that seems to fit the spot and discover that some of the tones or colors in the piece clashed or got drowned out by other pieces of furnishings in the decor. I decided to solve that by designing prints with images that come with various backgrounds.

An easy tool to use in helping you select the best background for a print is your smart phone or tablet. Open the video to the image you prefer and hold your phone up in the room where you are considering hanging the art. Hold it near the wall, the upholstered furniture, the floor covering. This helps you eliminate some backgrounds immediately. You can select those that appeal to you and narrow them down by going through the process again with only those backgrounds until you decide which is your favorite.

If considering a large print, you might want to  order a small one for a few dollars before investing in the more expensive larger one. This can be helpful when you are designing from the ground up. It is also helpful for decorators to use with clients. Along with sketches of the room, paint chips, floor covering samples, upholstery and drapery swatches, a small sample of the proposed art can be included at a nominal cost. There are some clients who might enjoy framing a 5x7 of a print which will eventually become a large dominant focal point of their new office,  home or redecorated room.

Large prints on canvas can run between $200 to $600 yet a 5x7 print is usually between $7 and $20 wholesale. Some artist will give you credit your print purchase as a discount on larger pieces.  I produce 5x7 and 8x10 prints in-house. Larger sizes are sent to outside fabricators. Some of my designs are available from ArtPal.com. Wholesale pricing and decorator discounts are only available directly from the artist, not through ArtPal.

When working with artists, some will welcome receiving a jpg of the proposed room or setting where the piece of art is to be hung. They may have original pieces or designs which are not featured on their website or the print on demand art sites which will work in that setting. You may be surprised and thrilled at the response you get from an artist when you make a direct inquiry. I prefer receiving them by e-mail. This allows me to examine them without them becoming too big of an interruption when I am in the studio,, working with a client or writing.

When decorators are designing interiors for hotels and spec home for companies which have multiple subdivisions, some print designers will sell a license to portions of their portfolio of  copyrighted work so that the client can select multiple copies of the same work for use in specific properties for a fee. The client can select their own fabricator or printer, pay them directly, have the artist order and transmit the design to the printer, and the client pay the printer directly. The artist gets a set fee for the license. The client can use the printer which they prefer without having the artist mark up each print with an artist or gallery profit margin. This is helpful when there are five or more of each print needed for various location.

Here are a couple of short videos which shows the backgrounds available with one of my more popular floral designer prints.

Last Minute Gift Suggestionby J Chatham

There are advantages to gifting an e-book to those you know enjoy reading. It is not necessary to have a kindle or e-book reader. There are free apps that allow you to read e-books on your tablet, smart phone or PC. I read on my tablet.

For mystery buffs, those with ties to East Texas, newspapers (especially the Longview News or Marshall News Messenger), Radio (KYKX and KLUE/KMHT).  veterans, vintage motorcycle buff, folks from East Texas (especially Longview, Marshall or the Shreveport, La) area, BLUE, ILLICIT and UNSPOKEN should be an interesting light diversion.

There are no shipping charges for delivering an e-book.

Special Pre-Christmas sales reduces the price of many e-books to 99 cents or less than $2 making them great stocking stuffers!

Last Minute Gift Suggestion by J Chatham

There are advantages to gifting an e-book to those you know enjoy reading. It is not necessary to have a kindle or e-book reader. There are free apps that allow you to read e-books on your tablet, smart phone or PC. I read on my tablet. For mystery buffs, those with ties to East Texas, newspapers (especially the Longview News or Marshall News Messenger), Radio (KYKX and KLUE/KMHT). veterans, vintage motorcycle buff, folks from East Texas (especially Longview, Marshall or the Shreveport, La) area, BLUE, ILLICIT and UNSPOKEN should be an interesting light diversion. There are no shipping charges for delivering an e-book. Special Pre-Christmas sales reduces the price of many e-books to 99 cents or less than $2 making them great stocking stuffers!

Decorating with Art by J Chatham

J Chatham 2020 Decorator Print Collection

By Faith Chatham - Dec. 22, 2019



Most of us spend considerable time with paint chips and samples of wall paint when we are decorating. We get swatches of fabric when we are adding new upholstery pieces and samples of counter tops and floor covering. Then when it comes time to accessorize, to add vases and art, etc., some of us get lax.



It is possible when buying a high end piece of art to bring it home on approval. However, most of us do not invest in high dollar pieces of art. We can use the same care however, by selecting prints from designers who create with decorators in mind.



My 2020 Designer Collection was created with decorators in mind. I used to decorate furniture showrooms, design trade show displays and decorate model homes. Frequently I would find a piece of art that seems to fit the spot and discover that some of the tones or colors in the piece clashed or got drowned out by other pieces of furnishings in the decor. I decided to solve that by designing prints with images that come with various backgrounds.



An easy tool to use in helping you select the best background for a print is your smart phone or tablet. Open the video to the image you prefer and hold your phone up in the room where you are considering hanging the art. Hold it near the wall, the upholstered furniture, the floor covering. This helps you eliminate some backgrounds immediately. You can select those that appeal to you and narrow them down by going through the process again with only those backgrounds until you decide which is your favorite.

If considering a large print, you might want to order a small one for a few dollars before investing in the more expensive larger one. This can be helpful when you are designing from the ground up. It is also helpful for decorators to use with clients. Along with sketches of the room, paint chips, floor covering samples, upholstery and drapery swatches, a small sample of the proposed art can be included at a nominal cost. There are some clients who might enjoy framing a 5x7 of a print which will eventually become a large dominant focal point of their new office, home or redecorated room.

Large prints on canvas can run between $200 to $600 yet a 5x7 print is usually between $7 and $20 wholesale. Some artist will give you credit your print purchase as a discount on larger pieces. I produce 5x7 and 8x10 prints in-house. Larger sizes are sent to outside fabricators. Some of my designs are available from ArtPal.com. Wholesale pricing and decorator discounts are only available directly from the artist, not through ArtPal.

When working with artists, some will welcome receiving a jpg of the proposed room or setting where the piece of art is to be hung. They may have original pieces or designs which are not featured on their website or the print on demand art sites which will work in that setting. You may be surprised and thrilled at the response you get from an artist when you make a direct inquiry. I prefer receiving them by e-mail. This allows me to examine them without them becoming too big of an interruption when I am in the studio,, working with a client or writing.

When decorators are designing interiors for hotels and spec home for companies which have multiple subdivisions, some print designers will sell license their copyrighted work so that the client can select multiple copies of the same work for use in specific properties for a fee. The client can select their own fabricator or printer, pay them directly, have the artist order and transmit the design to the printer, and the client pay the printer directly. The artist gets a set fee for the license. The client can use the printer which they prefer without having the artist mark up each print with an artist or gallery profit margin. This is helpful when there are five or more of each print needed for various location.

Here is a video which shows the backgrounds available with one of my more popular floral designer prints.

Irrepressible - A Hidden History of Texas Women

By Faith Chatham - Austin, TX - Oct. 27, 2019

This past week I have juggled my time between writing, art and research. In the studio I have made progress on the art exhibition. Also, I have finally decided on the title: Irrepressible, a hidden history of Invincible Texas Women.

There will be 14 large pieces in the exhibition and a book including the portraits, some photos and an essay about each person or event in the artwork. I finally got the draft of the project prospectus written. In addition to spotlighting the contributions of these incredible women, hopefully, the exhibition will help raise money for some non-profit organizations which support women and girls and help us continue opening doors.

I have completed and framed the portrait of State Representative Senfronia Thompson. She has served in the Texas House for 28 years (2nd in seniority) and has cracked through the ceiling in the legislature for persons of color and women. The portrait of Governor Ann Richards is ready to frame. I have almost finished the sketch of State Representative Donna Howard. I have begun preliminary sketches of Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

Most of the portraits are in black and white. A few pieces are in color. Currently I am working on a montage/collage highlighting suffragette Minnie Fisher Cunningham. The watercolor/pen and ink portrait of Minnie Cunningham is complete. The work also includes a sketch of 32 Texas women who were photographed together in Austin the day they first cast their vote in the Texas Democratic Primary in 1918. A copy of the Congratulatory Telegram from President Woodrow Wilson to Minnie Cunningham is included beside the news clipping when the judge ruled that the women’s vote in the primary was unconstitutional and ordered that their votes not be counted. This was a year before passage of the Constitutional Amendment granting women the right to vote.

Indefatigable and irrepressible describes Minnie Fisher Cunningham and the women who fought for the right to vote and to serve in elected office in Texas. Minnie served as the first secretary/treasurer of the national League of Women Voters. She was the first Texas woman to run for the U.S. Senate. Identifying incumbents in office who were hostile to women’s suffrage, Minnie and her associated vetted candidates and backed those who were favorable to women’s vote. Minnie promoted Bill Hobby over Gov. Ferguson and the women were largely responsible for electing Hobby Governor.

Minnie traveled, educated and recruited throughout Texas and the nation. Her influence reached from the earliest days of women’s suffrage in Texas to the 1960s. She helped finance the opening of the JFK/LBJ for President Headquarters in Texas by organizing a garage sale.

When women march in Texas for Women’s Rights, we are assuming the torch lit by women, many of them unnamed and forgotten, who wrote the book on persistence. They refused to accept defeat. When their triumphs were overturned by the courts, they used the setback to propel them forward, to change the incumbents, to rewrite the narrative, to persevere.

The Colors of Suffrage

Gold, White and Violet (Purple)

Review of Blue, Illicit and Unspoken

By Shirley McKellar, PhD 

I met Ms. Faith Chatham about 10 years ago while running for U.S. Congress, District Three, East Texas. I was immediately impressed, drawn to her tenacity and her brilliant brain. I was even more impressed when I saw her words in print. I loved her encouragement of women and young college students about the importance of educating themselves both academically and politically. The richness of my political life has been invigorating since my introduction to the Dynastical History of this East Texas WIZ kid from Harrison County.

This amazing author writes of East Texas and the newspaper as an insider. She is a 6th Generation East Texan and her family are Texas Republic pioneer settlers. 

She has spent over twenty years in newspaper and her first job was writing for The Marshall News Messenger before becoming an Ad Rep for The Longview News Journal and opening her own independent advertising agency in Longview.

“Public corruption is not a victimless crime,” she states.

The book is inspired by the authors’ experiences in business in Longview during the era when Sheriff Tom Welch's crime organization was at its heights. As a young single businesswoman, Ms. Faith noticed things that seemed a bit odd to her but, it wasn’t until the death of Deputy Wayne Gill, like most citizens of Gregg County, that parts of the crime story begin to unfold. Prior to that she states, “I was oblivious to the depths of corruption in local government.” And, because of what she saw and learned, she was further inspired to write her book.

She confided her fears and suspicions to the new newspaper publisher, Tom Meredith. She had no evidence, but had seen enough and heard enough to realize that things were not how they should be. The newspaper publisher had no local ties and had been the publisher in Lufkin when that paper won a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting on the death of a mentally challenged marine recruit during basic training. He was a journalist she trusted to protect his source and have the tools and resources and resolve to investigate.  He contacted the Texas Attorney General who worked with the Texas Rangers and the FBI.

Except for the newspaper publisher, Ms. Faith did not discuss what she had seen, heard or suspected until decades later. Now that the principals are deceased, she has created fictional characters to share some of the experience of those she knew in Longview in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Ms. Faith is a highly effective writer and her work is a must read. It will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page. And, you will certainly want more.

Councilwoman Shirley J. McKellar, PhD

                                       August 30, 2019, Tyler, Texas

BLUE, ILLICIT AND UNSPOKEN by Faith Chatham is available on Amazon.com in paperback ($19.95) or e-book ($5.99). This week Kindle Unlimited is featuring it as one of their READ FOR FREE Selections. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Faith+Chatham&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

Ms. Chatham's second novel in the Graham Fergusson Adventure Series, DIVIDING LINE is available for pre-order.

Woman owned Pine Tinder Press Releases First Novel

Action Alert - House Judiciary Holds First Hearings on ERA in 30 Years

https://now.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Take-Action-ERA_-Target-States-1.pdf

USA trails behind 73 other nations in women in legislatures

By Faith Chatham - January 13, 2019

The USA, after making more gains in representation by women than in the women than in the history of this nation, still trails behind 73 other nations in the world in the percent of women serving in Legislatures and Parliaments.

81% of the world's Parliaments /Legislatures were led by men in 2018. More than half of the countries of the world apply a gender minimum/quota for their legislative bodies.

In the USA the 116th Congress has 24% female in the house and 25% in the Senate.

Rawanda has 61%; Mexico has 48%; Cuba and Bolivia have 32%; France has 40%; Great Britain has 32%; Germany has 31%; USA has 24%

Research shows that on average a woman elected to the Legislature is more qualified (education and related experience) than the average male legislator because women seeking higher office are held to different standards than men. In the USA, our current Congress has fewer veterans than previously, but more of recently elected veterans who were elected are women.

There is a stark partisan difference in the roles of women in government. Historically, Democrats are more supportive of women and minorities serving in elected office.

Democratic women candidates are currently turning out higher numbers of votes in many key states and nationally than any of their male or female predecessors.It is difficult to change the perception that it requires a man to win the office.

Historically, women in Texas have rarely served in higher office. In the history of the state and during the years Texas was a Republic, only two women have served as Governor.

The first Black American elected to the Texas Senate (following Reconstruction) was Barbara Jordan. She was truly a trailblazer.

State Senator Jordan continued and won a seat in the US Congress:

At that time, there were ten Black Americans serving in the US Congress. The Hon. Congresswoman from NY, Shirley Chisholm ran for President. She cited the perception that only a white man could serve as President, or as head of University or in business as the reason she ran. She said:

"If I stood on my head, a lot of people wouldn't believe that I am serious. If you are serious, you do not sit back like a reluctant dragon and expect that somebody is going to give you the nomination. You get out and get to the American people, in the highways the by ways here look at me in terms of what I can do the prescribed roles that this nation has given to women and the prescribed roles that have been given to Blacks.This country needs the talents, the intellect, and the capabilities of human beings. There are brilliant women in this country and there are brilliant men. There are stupid women and there are stupid men. There is no psychological test yet which shows that one sex has the superiority of great cranial matter over the other sex.... I am no ordinary woman running out here for president. Before I even went to the United States Congress I knew I would have to be two, three or four times as good than many of the gentlemen in the Congress because of who I am. I am aware of double and triple standards so I make sure I fit the standards before I get out here...I am sick and tired of people not look at me in terms of my humanity and my capabilities.

,,, I don't have any money. One of the gentlemen out here said 'if Shirley Chisholm had any money, we'd have to scurry for cover. You know they w
Either we want change or we like the idea of taking about change. To bring about changed in this nation So many young people told me: Shirley you have a national voice You cannot make a difference in this nation you have to get out of the system and Give me a chance to try it this time. Come with me on the Chisholm Trail. Because if we want
If you have a hang up because I am black and you're a racist I can't change that. If you have a hang up, you're sexist because I'm a woman. I can't help that. My bones are so fixed. I can't go to Denmark and get an operation.

Where is this nation going to get ...
God help them if they are outdoors and the wind blows that speech away. They can't even talk. Unless you have loads of money you can't even They can move from one issue to another issues and have ten different positions in the same state. No wonder people do not trust the leaders of our nation because they do nothing but talk with forked tongues.

...He who pays the piper calls the tune. That is why people are distrusting our politicians because by the time they get to the White House, they have to take care of the i other interest first before they take care of the interests of the American people.

 And they don't hear us. It means that they really don't have to listen to you because you have not made politics important enough in your lives to begin start doing something about it on the local level, on the state level and pulling out some of those Congressmen who are constantly giving he authorizations and making the appropriations..
You have abdicated your citizenship rights and your responsibilities by saying you are fed up I don't want to be
you cannot make a difference.
By abdicating it you are getting what you deserve
You have the power. Don't go out there and just give your voted to someone because he is just a good Democrat or he is handsome or he talks nicely or something. Go and look at the record for the last 8 or 10 years and see if they have the commitment to the people. You get caught up. You get caught up in how the people supporting certain candidates come into your community and open up the storefront. You get caught up. You go along.
Every man, woman, individual who can vote has the right to cast their vote for the right to cast their vote for the individual who can guide this ship of state in the direction that it surely should be guided.
If I were not black, and if I were not a woman, if I were a white male I would get much more attention in terms of what I am doing at this moment in this nation at this hour.
 To look at the position of this country in terms of espousal of egalatrian principals,
millions of dollars taxpayer money is going abroad or economic of financial assistance to prompt up the administrations of military dictorships who are who are oppressing and repressing their own citizens
What happens to these egalatarian principles when our dollar goes abroad
I would cut off every cent of your money, not my money, your money which is going to prompt up these dictatorships in these countries where their leaders are oppressing and repressing their own people.

Texas Legislature is addressing sexual assault and human trafficking

 By Faith Chatham - March 31, 2018

Of all the bills I have read this year, the bill I most want to see passed 
is SB SB 2384 by Sen Kirk Watson and Donna Howard's companion 
HB 1590.

This legislation strengthens the framework of Office of Sexual Assault Survivors Assistance (under the Governor's Office of Criminal Justice). It stipulates that the Governor appoint a Director and the Director be allowed to hire staff.

Changes in the language of this bill clarifies the duties and responsibilities of the office in addressing the mission of preventing sexual assault, prosecuting and providing services to survivors through communication and coordination with all agencies dealing with sexual assault or survivors. This bill links law enforcement, social work, medical examiners, training, SAFE sites, prosecution and survivors resources together. It is intended to minimize some of the silos and dark holes which frustrate law enforcement, social workers, prosecutors, and survivors.

There are over 200 bills this session in both houses addressing sexual assault, rape, trafficking and harassment. This bill provides clarification of an agency which should be functioning as a clearing house for information and resources which could reduce the number of victims by improving services to survivors and prosecutors.

These bills are all part of a mosaic. I see them each as one of the tiles making up the whole with  Senate Bill 2384 which improves the Office of Sexual Assault Survivors Services as the framework and foundation for the entire mission of reducing the number of victims and serving those who are survivors.

Instead of the Attorney General getting to select any "individual with knowledge of sexual assault" to establish the protocols for collecting and processing sexual assault evidence kits, it stipulates that the Attorney General consult with the Office of Sexual Assault Survivors Services.

This office is charged with collecting compiling and reporting data on sexual assault and survivors resources by council of government districts.

There are other important bills which address part of the mission such as:

HB 152 (Minjarez) which addresses the collection storage and analysis of rape kit evidence and

HB 467 (Miller) Retention of records of sexual assault by hospital and

HB 3106 (Goldman) requires law enforcement to enter sexual assault data into the Texas Data Exchange System

HB 2339 (Meza) Relating to the entry into the Texas Crime Information Center of information concerning the release on bond of persons charged with committing a violent offense

Rep. Neave's HB 401 Creation of Texas Sexual Assault Evidentiary Council is a good idea. It could be part of the Office of Sexual Assault Survivors Services.

Several bills address correct data.

HB 2678 (Zwiener) Compilation and reports of statistics involving sexual assault victims who receive a forensic medical examination before reporting the assault to law enforcement.

HB 3106 (Goldman) requires law enforcement to enter sexual assault data into the Texas Data Exchange System.

In the Senate the major data collection/reporting bill is SB 587 (Watson) Relating to the collection and reporting of information relating to the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault offenses.

ll of these initiatives rely on funding. Senator Jane Nelsons SB 1 and the House HB 1 both provide increased funding for increases funding for Rape Crisis Centers, and $50 M to double Crime Lab to test rape kits, and more funding for forensic nurse examiners.

To read the text of these bills or to see where in the pipeline the bill is currently go to: https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/BillNumber.aspx

Note: This article only skims through the bills. There are other important bills which define sexual assault, decriminalize homosexual behavior, or address human trafficking or rape on college campuses or molestation of public school children. Passage of some of the bills will improve training in childhood trauma and sexual assault for teachers, school personnel and law enforcement. Other bills improve training for law enforcement and nurse examiners. Much of this work was begun in prior legislative session and continued during the months while the Legislature was not in session. Collectively, it is evident that members of the Texas House and Senate on both sides of the aisle are evaluating the problems and the process and seeking solutions to improve the process. They are mission oriented in seeking to reduce the number of victims (survivors) through services which improve law enforcement/prosecution of perpetrators and services which assist the survivors.

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David Whitley is a dismal failure as SOS of Texas.

By Faith Chatham - Feb. 7, 2019

The Texas Tribune reported: State Rep. Rafael Anchia ...wanted to know: Did Whitley know for sure that any of the (95K registered voters) on the list SOS David Whitley had turned over to the Attorney General had committed crimes by voting as noncitizens?

“No,” Whitley answered, according to Anchia.

“And I said, ‘Well, isn’t it the protocol that you investigate and, if you find facts, you turn it over to the AG?”

“I do not have an answer for that,” Whitley responded, according to Anchia’s recollection of the Monday meeting.

The Senate Nominations Committee meets today (Thursday, Feb. 7) at 9 a.m. in E2.106 to consider David Whitely's confirmation as SOS. Gov. Abbott appointed him in mid Dec. 2018 but he must be confirmed by the Senate.

The former Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor is in over his head. He has demonstrated that he falls painfully short in performing due diligence before making statements to the press, releasing data to counties and before turning people over to the Attorney General. We need a better candidate for SOS.

See  Texas Tribune article:

Forgotten Mothers: US faces dramatic increase in maternal death rates