ESTHER PEARL WATSON
Esther Pearl Watson’s paintings are autobiographical.  Most subjects are taken directly from her journal, either current events or memories from her childhood and curious upbringing.

Esther was born in Germany, but lived most of her young life in Texas.  Her childhood was the typical nuclear family set up with Father, Mother, and a handful of children, but the family was steered by her Father’s obsessive pursuit to build a working flying saucer and sell it to NASA or Ross Perot. This made Esther’s childhood and upbringing always interesting and full of moves.  A repeated subject in Watson’s paintings is the period of calm and comfort with her Grandparents who lived in Comanche, Texas.

 Esther’s narrative style goes to her earliest years of making art and realizing her best subject was her own colorful life.  She worked from an early age and saved her money to escape the unstable family life after high school and go to college.  As colorful and unpredictable as her youth was, it also brought her an unbridled example of creativity. Art as expression was present in Esther’s life from her earliest years.   

Esther has always kept a journal and she refers to it often to revisit memories and reflect on subject matter in her artwork. Her painting subjects range from memories of her youth, the many tales of her Father, the solitude of her Grandparents, and her current artistic filled life with husband Mark Todd and daughter Lili.

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In addition to her personal artwork, Esther is highly recognized for her illustration work, zine making and teaches full time at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California.

 In 2014, Esther was given the opportunity to create her largest painting to date, which was hung from May 2015 through July 2016 in the atrium of the Amon Carter Museum of Art in Fort Worth, Texas.  The piece is 10 x 13’, acrylic and glitter on wood and entitled Pasture Cows Crossing Indian Creek. The painting is a beautiful bright landscape of her Grandfather out with his cows and his truck fixing fences.  All made complete in true Esther Pearl Watson style by her memories of big Texas sky and a prominent flying saucer.

 Esther’s work has something for everyone to collect or admire in it’s colors, humor, and our human nature of wanting to look in each others windows as we pass by.  

** All images below are available artwork. Some images contain links to direct purchase. Please email for information on others.


Cliff & the Motorcycle - acrylic, glitter & foil on wood   8 x 10”

Cliff & the Motorcycle - acrylic, glitter & foil on wood 8 x 10”

Pasture Cows Crossing Indian Creek - 2015 - 10 x 13' (exhibited at Amon Carter Museum of Art)

Gene Was Thrown in Jail Several Times - acrylic & foil on wood 8x10” 2018

Grass Burrs - acrylic & glitter on wood 8 x 10” 2019

Yellow Car

The House in Wylie 2019 acrylic on wood 16 x 20”

Dream Big House - acrylic & foil on wood cutout 24 x 30” 2017

Allsups - acrylic on wood cut-out 24 x 30” 2017