Creative Force Tryptych by Don Bristow was the inspiration for a program with the same name by Innovation Advancing Education at Tyler Junior College in 2012.  The program was designed to teach the 4 C’s, Creativity, Collaboration, Critical Thinking and Communication.  While the program and associated scholarship was approved by TJC in 2012, it was not completed due to lower participation than expected.  Nevertheless, the program is slated to resume in 2026 .  The program’s introduction to students featured Alfred Lee, an interntionally acclaimed composer.  Click here to see the 1 hour program.

Fr. Charles Erlandson and his family visited the Tyler Fine Art Gallery on Friday, October 3, 2025.

I was delighted by their attention to my fractal artworks.  They challenged their son's to guess the names of several of the pieces, and after careful analysis, they were so very close.

Not many people have recognized what differentiates my fractal artworks from the massive number of fractal images on the internet, but each member of Erlandson family did.

Pictured is Don Bristow's work as it was display during the Grand Opening of the Tyler Fine Art Gallery in Tyler, Texas.

pARTnership VII at the Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy at UT Tyler was hung by the Tyler Museum of Art July 22-23, 2024.   The exhibit is a fruit of the partnership between Art Connection of East Texas, the Tyler Museum of Art and the College.  This seventh pARTnership exhibit features artists from the medical field.

Don Bristow's pieces Time Travel, Galaxy, Marriage Supper of the Lamb and Dreaming were among the pieces that were hung. Don was chosen to participate because he has been providing technology services for Bethesda Health Clinic for eleven years.

Texas Art Connection by Gloria Lee Hood was published November 22, 2023. The 206 page hardcover book features the work of 77 Texas visual artists including Don Bristow.

Don's pieces included in the book are Flight of Fantasy, Glass Bottom Boat, La Palma and Working Late.

Back Cover

My very first attempts to produce fractal prints took place in 1983, a few weeks after I purchased the book The Fractal Geometry of Nature (1982) by Benoit Mandelbrot. Back then I was a math major at California State University Sacramento, and I was intrigued by the Mandelbrot Set and its remarkably simple formula.  All I had then to make prints was a 4” thermal printer connected to a tiny Z-80 based computer that would run BASIC programs.  The computer would run for days printing dots about every 30 seconds as it travelled down the x-axis of the set.  While an image would develop very slowly, it was like exploring previously unseen things under a microscope and trying to figure out a meaning to it.  While I never found the meaning, the searching has never stopped.

Today I have better computers and programs that I didn’t create to search for interesting images in an infinite mathematical universe.  There’s no Artificial Intelligence involved, just the tweaking of formulas, layering of rendered image files and experimenting with transforms between layers. All of this is done with attention to light, color, structure and composition. I don’t start with an idea in mind, but I discover things as I virtually travel... like doing landscape photography without driving and hiking, or getting cold, wet and tired.

Sometimes I get surprised when an image talks back to me and tells me what it is.  Not literally of course, but I find familiar things every once in a while.  A good example of this is the story behind my piece “The Bellagio”.  As a professional photographer in the 2000’s, I attended photography conventions twice a year in Las Vegas.  Each time, I would go to The Bellagio hotel to watch the Dancing Waters.  On one of those visits the ceilings of the hallways to the Bellagio Shops were decorated with kites.  Many years later, while playing with a fractal generator, an image appeared on my screen, and I knew immediately what it was.  In the image I could see the hotel, the dancing waters and the kites.  It’s certainly not like a photograph, but it’s a very good abstract representation of a time in my life.  And I had never set out to find it.  In a way, the image found me.

All of my mathematical works either trigger a personal thought or feeling, or remind me of something such as a recent news event, or represent something real or imaginary.  An example is my piece “La Palma” which was created while a volcano in the Canary Islands was erupting and threatening thousands of people in the city of La Palma. I watched live volcano updates on YouTube daily. During that time, while playing with layers of recently rendered mathematical images in Photoshop, the image I named “La Palma” just happened.  Like “The Bellagio” I immediately knew what the image represented.

In my opinion, fractal and other mathematical images are not art until discipline is applied using some skill in the visual arts.  As for me, I have been a photographer since 1977 when I operated a photo hobby shop for Navy personnel in Newfoundland.  And I was a fulltime professional photographer from 2003-2007, and have been a part-time professional photographer since then.  So image composition is much more important to me than cool or flashy fractals which pervade the internet. And image presentation is also very important to me, so all of my printed works are dye-sub on aluminum.

Fractal art and artificial intelligence are not directly related, but there are some connections between the two. Fractal art is a form of visual art that is created using mathematical algorithms to generate intricate and complex patterns.  Artificial intelligence, on the other hand, is a field of computer science that focuses on creating intelligent machines that can perform tasks that would typically require human intelligence. While fractal art itself does not involve artificial intelligence, AI can be used to generate and manipulate fractal patterns.

The application of Artificial Intelligence to fractal or mathematical images is already underway, but not by me.  Artificial Intelligence could be a great tool in the hands of an artist, or it could be the death of fractal art as an art form altogether. I think we'll know the answer very soon.

The Bellagio by Don Bristow was hung at the entrance of the Muntz Library at UT Tyler in July 2023.

Coral Reef by Don Bristow was hung by the Tyler Museum of Art at the Rogers Nursing and Health Science building at Tyler Junior College for The Beauty of Art and Medicine VI.

The Whirl Pool and Carwash by Don Bristow have been hung by the Tyler Museum of Art at the Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy on the UT Tyler campus for pARTnership V. 

La Palma and Flight of Fantasy by Don Bristow have been hung by the Tyler Museum of Art at the Rogers Nursing and Health Science building at Tyler Junior College for The Beauty of Art and Medicine V. 

Flight of Fantasy
Dye-Sub on Aluminum
32"(w) x 48"(h)

Voices by Don Bristow has been installed in a new contemporary home located in Lincoln, CA.  The piece compliments wood and woven elements as well as the wood floors of this beautiful home.

Dye-sub on aluminum
48"(w) x 48"(h)
Double-framed to edge

Genesis by Don Bristow was originally installed in a small conference room at Bethesda Health Clinic, Tyler, Texas, in February 2015.  The piece was relocated to the large conference room in February 2022.

Dye-sub on aluminum
15'(w) x 36"(h) on 5 panels
Double-framed to edge

On April 21, 2018, Don Bristow was a guest artist at the Art Tour & Patio Party at the Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy at UT Tyler. Don and several other Valerosa artists who have their work on loan at the college were present.

When addressing the event attendees, Dr. Lane Bruner recognized Neita Fran Ward and the Valerosa artists.

Many college of pharmacy students were on hand to interact with the invitees and provide tours of the campus.

Pictured is Dr. Lane Bruner addressing the attendees.

On April 16, 2018, Don and Sandy Bristow attended The Beauty of Art and Medicine at the Rogers Nursing and Health Science Center at Tyler Junior College. Don and several other Valerosa artists who have their work on loan at the center were present.

During the event, it was announced that the center would join four other venues as part of the new TJC Cultural Arts District. Also, Neita Fran Ward, owner of Valerosa Designs & Gallery, and Host of Art Connection of East Texas, was recognized for her leadership in forming partnerships that have benefitted East Texas artists and the community.

Pictured is Don with Laverne Gollub, a friend of the arts, TJC, and many other worthy organizations in Tyler.

On February 27, 2018, Don Bristow's latest piece Starlight was hung at Valerosa Designs & Gallery located in the Bergfeld Center in Tyler, Texas. This piece joins River of Life which is also hanging at the gallery.

The photo shows River of Life, 72"(w) x 36"(h) on 2 aluminum panels, in the office on the left, and Starlight, 36"(w) x 36"(h) on aluminum, on the right.

A Private Opening Event was held at the Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy on August 25, 2017. The opening celebrated the partnership of the Tyler Museum of Art, the Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy and Valerosa Designs and Gallery, to use art to engage the community and energize the corridors of W.T. Brookshire Hall, home of the college.

Artists represented by Valerosa Designs and Gallery, and whose work had been chosen, were present to talk about their art and to participate in a helicopter drop from the second floor for attendees on the ground floor.

Don's work is installed on the third floor, but it was also used for the tent card invitations.

On July 25, 2017, Coral Reef by Don Bristow was hung at the Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy, Third Floor, with the professional assistance of Neita Fran Ward, owner of Valerosa Designs and Gallery and host of Art Connection of East Texas.

The Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy is located in W.T. Brookshire Hall at the University of Texas at Tyler.

Coral Reef will be installed at the college for 1 year.

On Saturday, June 17, 2017, Don Bristow and Matt Egelhoff were interviewed by Neita Fran Ward and Cindy Trimble on Art Connection Radio. Matt described the new Art Connection mobile app, and Don described the new Art Connection website, artconnectionetx.org. Don also talked about his business Lightray Photoimagery as being an artist services company.

Don Bristow honored by Art Connection as Artist of Month

Art Connection of East Texas honored Photographer/Fractal Artist Don Bristow as their Artist of the Month for June, 2017. This is the first time Art Connection has selected an Artist of the Month.

According to Art Connection, "Besides his amazing mathematical art, Don has actively promoted East Texas artists, especially artists in his home town, Bullard. In 2016, he partnered with photographer Mike Provencher and M6 Winery to produce an exhibit entitled “Bullard Artists – Portraits and Representative Works.” Since then, several of those Bullard artists have been guests on Art Connection of East Texas and are represented by Valerosa Designs & Gallery."

The piece shown above is Don's "River of Life" in the window of Valerosa Designs & Gallery in Tyler, Texas.

On Saturday, May 27, 2017, Don Bristow was interviewed by Neita Fran Ward and Cindy Trimble on Art Connection Radio. Other guests included A.C. Gentry and Robert Langdon.

Opening Reception

The opening reception for the All Men's Art Show was held on Saturday, October 29, at Valerosa Gallery in Tyler, Texas.

Featured artists include Christopher Apodaca, Jake Arnold, David Ackerson, Dana Adams, Don Bristow, Herb Bryant, Doug Carter, John Dietz, Gaylon Dingler, Don Edmonds, Roy Hall, Nicholas Harp, James Hayes, Marvin Mayer, Brian Stone, Tom Stoval, Dan Wells and Billy Joe Tarrant.

Pictured is Herb Bryant, an award winning artist in New Mexico and Texas, and artist of the year for KENW public TV in 2000. Herb teaches oil painting and watercolor classes at the west campus of Tyler Junior College, and he has judged a number of art shows in Texas, New Mexico and in Arkansas.

Like Mr. Bryant, many of the featured artists in the All Men's Art Show are well-known Southwestern artists. But some are up-and-coming artists, such as potter Nicholas Harp, an art student at UT Tyler. The 4 works on display by Mr. Harp are, by themselves, worth the trip to Valerosa Gallery to see. But I can say the same for each and every one of the featured artists at this exhibit.

The exhibit will be open at Valerosa Gallery through Saturday, November 12. Hours are Monday-Friday, 10AM-5PM and Saturday 10AM-4PM. Visit valerosadesigns.com for more information.

On Saturday, October 29, 2016, Don Bristow was interviewed by Neita Fran Ward and Dana Adams on Art Connection Radio. Other guests included Catherine Bunce and Sharon Starwalt, who talked about the upcoming Genny Wood Fine Art Show & Sale which benefits the Bullard Mission House and Mission Clinic, and Roy Hall, a maker of custom longbows.

Opening Reception

The opening reception for A Focus on Bullard Artists - Portraits and Representative Works was held on Friday, October 14, at M6 Winery. The combination of art, live music, wine from M6 Winery, and a full house made for a fun evening.

The exhibit will be open at M6 Winery through Saturday, October 29. Check m6winery.com for hours.

The exhibit consists of nine photographic portraits by Mike Provencher and Don Bristow, and a representative artwork by each of the nine Bullard artists.

The gallery below includes the portraits by Don Bristow. The artists are Dana Adams (oil on canvas), Greta Faulkinberry (collage), Jeff Kuchinsky (watercolor), Myranda George (usable art), and Billy Joe Tarrant (wooden bowl).

Each of these artists has been touched in some way along the path from preparation to opening reception. Dana Adams was a guest and co-host of Art Connection East Texas, a radio program that airs on KTBB Saturday mornings at 8AM. Greta Faulkinberry received prayer for healing from Sandy Bristow. The happiest moment for me was seeing Greta enter the winery - proof that God answers prayer! Jeff Kuchinsky received some well-deserved praise for his award-winning watercolor. Myranda George was the art director for the show, as well as an exhibitor. Her vision guided the challenging installation. Myranda also designed the postcard. Billy Joe Tarrant is now represented by Valerosa Gallery and has a half-dozen bowls on display there.

On Saturday, October 8, 2016, Don Bristow was interviewed by Neita Fran Ward and Cindy Trimble on Art Connection Radio. Other guests included Caleb Bell - Curator for the Tyler Art Museum, Tiffany Jehorek - Executive Director for the Longview Museum of Fine Arts, and Marvin S. Mayer - children's book author.

A Focus on Bullard Artists - Portraits and Representative Works is coming to M6 Winery in Bullard, Texas. The exhibit opens with at Artists Reception on Friday, October 14, from 6-8PM. The exhibit will run through Saturday, Ocober 29.

The exhibit will include photographic portraits on canvas of 10 Bullard artists by Don Bristow and Mike Provencer, and a representative piece by each of the artists. Mediums will include oil on canvas, watercolor, wood, metal, collage, and more.

On Saturday, August 20, 2016, Joe Moody and I were interviewed by Neita Fran Ward and Cindy Trimble for Art Connection Radio. The show was broadcast live on KTBB radio in Tyler, Texas. Pictured from right to left are Joe Moody, owner of M6 Winery, Cindy Trimble, co-host of Art Connection Radio, and me.

CHAOTICA - A Fractal Vision of the Universe, an exhibit of mathematical renderings by Don Bristow, was held at M6 Winery in Bullard, Texas, from July 1, 2016 through July 16, 2016.