"Clear Creek at Galveston Bay, Texas" - Reframed Original Signed Ink Drawing by Artist Jack Kroehnke circa August 1971

Drawn in August 1971, "Clear Creek at Galveston Bay, Texas" is an original signed ink art on paper by Jack Kroehnke that captures a fleeting coastal moment with the intimacy of someone who was truly there. Jack spent his life weaving between journalism, NASA, and fine art, and approached drawing with a storyteller’s eye. Every mark is intentional, every space alive. Jack's work was honored in exhibitions at the Smithsonian alongside Norman Rockwell and Jamie Wyeth.

In this 1971 drawing, Jack captures a quiet moment on Clear Creek at Galveston Bay, where boats named Miz Phil and Typhoon rest at the dock. One solitary figure stands aboard Miz Phil, turned away, as if lost in thought—his posture carrying the weight of sun, sea air, and the endless pull of open water. It’s a glimpse into the rhythm of Texas coastal life, where every tide holds both stillness and the promise of the next adventure.

The drawing is now preserved in a newly framed 18" x 22" wood frame with glass, the clean lines of the frame allowing Jack’s crisp, expressive ink work to speak clearly. It’s both a document of place, Galveston Bay Texas, in the early 1970s, and a meditation on movement, possibility, and the quiet rituals of life by the water. It carries both history and presence, a work made by hand, reimagined for today. A rare chance to live with the vision of an artist whose career bridged science, story, and beauty.

This piece is part of a series of three ink drawings, each unique, yet connected in spirit, that together tell a story of time, movement, and contemplation. Create a gallery wall with:
"Western Point, Seabrook, Texas"
"On the Docks, Seabrook, Texas"

About Jack Kroehnke
Jack Kroehnke (1931–2016) was the kind of man who saw stories everywhere. Born in Wisconsin, he spent his early life with a notebook in hand, first as a journalist and later as NASA’s first public affairs officer at White Sands, watching rockets leap into the sky and translating the language of science into wonder for the world. But words were never enough. With brush and pen, Jack found his truest form of expression. His drawings and paintings carry both quiet humor and expansive awe, the intimacy of a single line, the infinite mystery of a horizon.

He was the kind of artist who painted not for recognition, but because he couldn’t not paint. And yet, his work was honored in exhibitions alongside Norman Rockwell and Jamie Wyeth at the Smithsonian, proof that his voice, while humble, was profound. At George & Fred, we see his art as a bridge between curiosity and beauty, a reminder of how extraordinary an ordinary moment can be. Read his full inspiring bio here.