When you see him, you know he's someone because he stands out in a crowd. When you meet him and talk to him, you immediately like him because Jack White has Charisma with a capital K. He's folksy, polite and can melt any mother's heart with his doe-brown eyes and gentle manner. Jack White is a 39 year old Peck's Bad Bow dressed in old Levi's worn but polished cowboy boots, and a long sleeve shirt, leather vest, and of course his trademark, an old Stetson with two paint brushes in the headband. But most important, Jack White is the artist who has developed a technique in painting which he named, Echruseous (Ek-cru-seos), a Greek word meaning literally done in gold.

His story is interesting just as the man in interesting but where does one begin with a man of so many stories, each one just as good as the last one? Starting with the basics, probably the most engaging story is how Jack White, dynamic young business man on the way up, up, up, became Jack White, not-quite-starving artist with a hole in his boot.

He was quite the proverbial loner. Born of a remote dusty ranch in 1933 in west Texas during the Depression, Jack spent the better part of his life farmed out to his relatives. He was born from a humble background, didn't enjoy the luxuries of life .......... but during the Depression that's not saying much for anyone. However, it was magnified for a kid who sewed his own shirts from flour sacks.

His last two years in high school, Jack slept in a little room off the school gymnasium. After high school, he missed getting a contract to pitch for the Brooklyn Dodgers, a childhood dream, because of an old football injury. Still fending for himself, he went on to college at Howard Payne in Brownwood, Texas, where he studied bible and dabbled in drawing.

Out of college and into business, Jack's instinct for survival put him up front with big-money contenders as he worked his way into the construction business as a designer, consultant and builder of large homes. He wrote a book entitled, Pay Dirt, which was used by land developers as a source of information. He also designed a module system of low cost housing called the Mini House. By this time, he headed up three large construction corporations and was riding high in a bran new Cadillac, a Mercedes Sportster wearing a new wardrobe for each season and sporting an expensive Rolex watch. In Jack's words I was so plastic, I couldn't believe it. He shakes his head in disbelief, pulls his beat-up Stetson down over his eyes and comes back down to earth.

Suddenly, the foundations of his corporations began to crumble under the stress o0f poor management. In no time, the money, the image, the Cadillac and Alligator shoes came down in a crash.

After the dust cleared, Jack was left with $10 to his name. Disgruntled, bewildered, but not distressed, he took a walk to sort things out and figure out what he would do for his next venture. The wheels were turning and the dynamo was still alive. It sparked as he passed the Country Store Art Gallery, one place he had never been. In fact, he was never seen in an art gallery anywhere. But this day, he stopped, looked and thought, Well I'll be ...... if anyone can paint a picture like that and make money at it, I can too.

He found a old Quonset hut on Lamar Blvd. in Austin, Texas that rented for $100 a month. He leveled with the landlord, said he couldn't pay the rent at this time, but would pay as soon as he got some money. For some reason, the landlord said OK and that was that. Next, he had to work something out. After cleaning up the place a bit, he found an old oilcloth and painted on it, Art Sale 1/2 price and hung it outside. Then he painted a fairly decent picture for his first effort and he was in business. Soon a woman came into the studio and purchased the painting for $10. It was a bargain! A $20 painting for 1/2 price. That was Jack White's first sale, which marked the beginning of his art career, Valentine's Day, February 14, 1970.

The painting bit was all well and good but Jack knew he had to project himself beyond the norm. After all, if you're going to be successful, reach a little farther. So he did. The dynamo turned on, survival instincts started twitching and he began to experiment with his drawings. Within a few weeks, he developed his own technique, Echruseos. To put it modestly, Jack says, Its so easy, I just can't believe it. After he explains, it is! First he draws his subject, places glass over his drawing and paints the glass in black acrylic paint. Then he paints the background in rich bronzes, reds, or greens by applying a method of acid staining and other techniques before he overlays with 14 or 23-karat gold leaf. Since his first Echruseos hit the market, he has been imitated but the imitations have been so bad, he can't believe it. Somewhere, somehow, despite the simplicity, Jack White is obviously doing something very right.

After he developed his style and painted more pictures, he called a picture framer and asked for prices of various frames. His Karma was still sending good vibrations as the framer volunteered to send samples instead of prices. Jack received seventeen complete frames and used them. He then started out to sell his wares traveling from town to town. Ft. Worth and Dallas weren't too keen on his art so he went to other places. Finally at the end of a very long day, Charisma worn down to a nub, he stumbled into a store in Mineral Wells, TX to make his last stab at selling. Two paintings sold immediately and was $270 rich. This took care of the frames and rent. He went on to sell the rest within a month, Jack White had grossed $1400.

Jack is not only a self-taught artist, he is a self-taught scholar. He is an avid reader, has a library of some 4000 books and studded the Greek language on his own. When ask how he got interested in Greek, he says point blank, the Scriptures. A few hearts melt.

During the first two years he was in the art business, Jack has collected an impressive roster of portraits. He has drawn for political figures like John Conley, Ben Barnes, Dolph Briscoe, and Rayford Price (all prominent in Texas politics), to Country and Western entertainers, Charlie Pride and Ray Price. He also painted Dallas Cowboy Coach, Tom Landry. His Commission includes drawing four Ranger Caption pictures for the 150th anniversary of the Texas Rangers. He used the Echruseius technique for the painting and turned out four of the toughest looking rangy lawman you ever saw — people you would tip your hat to on the other side of the street. Jack also paints and draws wild life, ranch life, rodeo scenes and ships. And remember all this is prior to 1972! Jack is 69 years old today.

The above reprinted in part from the Valley Town Crier, September 13, 1972

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