ARTIST BILLY HASSELL: A FW artist commissioned to captures conservation on canvas…ahead on Passport to Texas. This is Passport to Texas Billy Hassell may live in Fort Worth, but this full-time artist says nature is both his muse and his subject. 21— I grew up in a time when there was still come open spaces and creeks. And, I got to experience a little bit of nature even though I grew up in a pretty urban environment. I guess my love of nature was born from those experiences, and I’ve been searching for that throughout the rest of my life. I’ve been seeking out opportunities to be out in nature and find places to inspire my work. TPWF commissioned Billy to create a series of prints to celebrate wildlife habitat conservation in Texas. His first: Powderhorn Ranch, 17 thousand acres of coastal prairies and marsh along Matagorda Bay. 12— We decided on five land projects [30 prints each] around the state of Texas—Powderhorn being the jewel in the crown. It’s very heartening to me seeing large areas of land like this preserved for the future. Billy is in awe of Powderhorn’s complexity. 11— And as I learn more and more about it, I’m fascinated by the complexities of it, and how practically every plant and every little creature plays a role in the overall balance of a place. Proceeds from Billy Hassell’s lithographs help Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation keep places wild places wild forever. See photos of his prints, and where the prints are displayed at tpwf.org. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti. Total sound bite time: 0:44.0 Maximum Script time: 0:41.0 Suggested show time: 85.0 = 1:25