| An Artist for the Ages By Anna Sweat | Fredericksburg, Texas | May 2010 May 2010 Cover From the May 2010 issue. Richard Myers can be described simply as an artist for the ages, primarily because his work spans over thousands of years. Richard is what is known as a ‘Lithic’ artist, meaning he replicates ancient artifacts for museums and collectors all over the world. If you need to restore a fossil, replicate a stone-age arrowhead or obtain a painted buffalo hide like one discovered at an ancient site, Richard’s your man. If he hasn’t done it already, he can probably figure it out. Starting as a young collector, Richard began trying to make his own arrowheads like the ones he treasured in his personal collection, a process known as ‘knapping’. When a museum ran across some of his work and asked if he could make some replicas for their exhibit, he agreed. “After that it snowballed,” Richard says. Pretty soon, he had museums and collectors all across the country asking him to craft everything from quivers to Warbonnets. Traveling the country to attend various art, history and jewelry shows, Richard and his wife Betty lived out of their Airstream. A Missouri native, Richard frequented the Texas Hill Country annually for about a decade before deciding to call it home. After wife Betty lost her son to brain cancer, they settled in Luckenbach. They worked out of a tent until December came along and the threat of a record-breaking winter forced them into a more permanent studio. They now have a small showroom at 40 Jack Nixon Rd. in Fredericksburg by the name of Walleringbear Trading Post. Richard’s work can be found scattered throughout the Hill Country, from his line of authentic silver pre-1800 Texas Ranger Badges at Texas Jack’s Wild West Outfitter to his arrowheads hanging over the Luckenbach bar. These days Richard focuses on his silversmithing, making badges for retired law enforcement officers and reenactors, as well as silver coin beads and stone-inlay jewelry which can be found at Grasshoppers and Wild Honey in Fredericksburg. His wife Betty works nearby at the Stagecoach Stop. Aside from their Fredericksburg location, they can be found online at their power-selling Ebay store under Walleringbear, or at their own websites: walleringbeartrading |
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