The Court of Resplendent Nature

Court of Resplendent Nature Logo
Aristotle once said, “In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.”
Most things we consider beautiful and inspiring originally came from some form of nature. This year we drew our inspiration from the natural beauty around us, and the wondrous creations that can be found on land, in the sky, and in the depths of the sea, all of which are richly colorful and inspire “awe” in the eye of the beholder. The Coronation of 2022 will be: The Court of Resplendent Nature, and will celebrate the magnificent world we live in.


Court Artist / Designer

Each year a Court artist/designer is carefully selected to create the Coronation Court dresses and trains. The artist’s designs are a reflection of that year’s inspiration and theme. The designer specifically chosen this year to bring Resplendent Nature to life is artist, David Phillips.

Artist Shelly Porter

Primarily a self-taught artist, David Phillips began his career in College Station, Texas as a high school freshman studying art & architecture, selling his pieces in local galleries and simultaneously competing in juried shows. Soon after high school, David moved with his family back to the Coastal Bend. And while attending Del Mar College, David met interior designers, Susie and Bert Rucker who saw in the young artist an intriguing talent which they believed he could generously share with art enthusiasts throughout South Texas and beyond.

With his innate artistic ability, his valuable experience with the Ruckers, and his newly discovered understanding of the art world simmering, David joined the U.S. Navy to serve his country — a decision that would ultimately bring into focus the importance of collaboration in his work. Following ten years of military service, David once again returned to the Coastal Bend and began his studies at Texas A & M University, Corpus Christi, majoring in Fine Arts.

David and his art flourished as he found the South Texas landscape an inspiring canvas from which to draw – a canvas which for him brought to life many of “nature’s unchampioned moments – and which he combined with Asian and British aesthetics, a significant influence of the Rucker’s tutelage. His works range from abstract to realism and reflect unexpected images such as wood invaded by lichen and moss, rust exposed underneath several layers of paint on a long-forgotten tractor, the underside of a common wildflower, or the negative space balancing the simplicity of a 13th century Chinese silk landscape painting.