Isaac Smith (1944-2016) Folk Art Carved & Painted Bird Sculpture

Lot description

Folk Art carved and painted wood sculpture, white egret perched on a tree stump, signed underfoot Isaac Smith (American, active in Louisiana and Texas, 1944-2016), intact with restoration at bird's ankles, approx 47"h, 9"w, 10"d, 11.5lbs Provenance: From the estate of Connie Todd (Constance Clare Todd, Austin, Texas, 1941-2024). For many years, Connie Todd was the personal assistant to prominent Austin-based book publisher, photographer, and author Bill Wittliff (William Dale Wittliff, American, active in Austin, Texas, 1940-2019). Bill Wittliff wrote celebrated screenplays such as "Lonesome Dove" (1982), "Legends of the Fall" (1994), and "Barbarosa" (2000), and founded the regionally-oriented publishing company, Encino Press, with his wife Sally in 1963. Connie Todd later served as the founding director of the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University from 1997-2010, transforming it into an internationally-acclaimed collection through noteworthy acquisitions such as the Cormac McCarthy archive. After retiring from Texas State, Connie Todd spent time traveling the world with friends and family.