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Jim Woodson, dressed in a denim work shirt and jeans, paints a large landscape canvas covered in dense, sun-lit grasses. He reaches across the surface with a wide brush while holding several other brushes in his left hand. A metal rolling cart of paints and brushes and additional finished landscapes fill the softly lit studio behind him.
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From the Classroom to the Presidency: TCU Art Historian Chronicles the Impact of Horned Frog Jim Woodson

August 21, 2026, by McKenzie Campbell

A new book by retired TCU art historian Mark Thistlethwaite offers a comprehensive look at the life and work of renowned Texas artist and TCU alumnus Jim Woodson ’65, celebrating five decades of artistic exploration and creative influence.

Book Cover

Published by TCU Press, The Art of Jim Woodson: Landscape, Imagination, and the Poetics of Place traces the evolution of Woodson's work from 1974 to 2024, examining how the landscapes of Texas and New Mexico shaped his distinctive artistic vision. Richly illustrated with paintings spanning his career, the volume combines art-historical scholarship with personal insight into an artist whose work has earned statewide recognition and inspired generations of students.

“I've known and admired Jim Woodson's art since 1977,” Thistlethwaite said. “As his career approached the 50-year mark, it seemed like the perfect time to record and celebrate his work.”

The book explores recurring themes of landscape, imagination and place, arguing that Woodson's paintings extend beyond depictions of the natural world to evoke memory, emotion and the imagination itself. Alongside Thistlethwaite's introductory essay, the publication includes an interview with former student and museum director Dr. E. Luanne McKinnon, offering readers a deeper understanding of Woodson's creative process and artistic philosophy.

Jim Woodson sits relaxed in a swiveling office chair in the middle of a spacious, light-filled studio. Large finished canvases—abstracted, colorful landscapes—lean against the walls and stand on easels around him, while a stainless-steel tool

A Legacy Beyond the Studio
For Thistlethwaite, the project also marks a meaningful milestone in his own career. During his 43 years at TCU, where he held the Kay and Velma Kimbell Chair of Art History, he frequently wrote about Woodson's work and witnessed firsthand the artist's impact as both a painter and educator.

“It pleases me greatly to bring further attention to a colleague and close friend whose paintings I have admired for years,” Thistlethwaite said. “As a survey of Woodson's art and career, the book contributes to the growing interest in the work of Texas artists.”

Jim Woodson in a denim shirt and a leather vest stands beside a student who is studying her mixed-media canvas. The student’s artwork features vivid green shapes, a photo collage, and the word “CRAYOLA.” In the blurred foreground, another painter’s hand works on a bold, abstract canvas, framing the scene of an informal critique.

In addition to documenting Woodson's artistic development, the book highlights his lasting influence in the classroom. A longtime professor of painting at TCU, Woodson mentored generations of emerging artists and was widely recognized for his dedication to teaching — an impact that extended beyond campus when former President George W. Bush sought him out as an art instructor.

Through scholarship, interviews and more than 200 pages of artwork, The Art of Jim Woodson: Landscape, Imagination, and the Poetics of Place serves as both a retrospective of one of Texas' most respected painters and a celebration of the enduring relationship between art, place and imagination.

The Art of Jim Woodson: Landscape, Imagination, and the Poetics of Place will be released Nov. 10 by TCU Press. Learn more or pre-order the book through TCU Press.