Marianne Caroselli still remembers the moment Burt Reynolds sauntered out into the center of his Austin motorhome in a sheriff's uniform and gave her a kiss hello.
The actor was in the middle of filming 1982's Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and she wasn't the only woman who wanted to see one of the biggest movie stars at the time.
Caroselli, an acclaimed Texas western painter and sculpturist, had hatched a plan to get her work into the hands of the A-list actor at the time. The self-described lifelong artist was also a prolific businesswoman.
"I read an article that he liked Western art, so I was going to give him one of my paintings," Caroselli laughed.
She was a successful artist who had already sold the rights to more than 100 of her paintings to a New York company that she says distributed them around the world even before she met the actor. The greeting card company, Leaning Tree, had also licensed her work for a series of their cards.
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With one of her paintings in hand, she camped out at the film site the night before, waiting for hours to deliver it to Reynolds.
Finally, she found a security guard and gave him the painting, hoping it would make its way into the hands of the film star.
"The next morning, I got a phone call from his secretary," Caroselli said. "She said, 'Burt just loved that piece of art,' and I was invited to go see him."
The painter, then in her 40s, strolled up to Reynolds' temporary living quarters outside of the Texas Capitol building.
"The place was full of crowds of ladies outside of the motor home," she recalled, a smile palpable in her voice. "I walked past all the ladies waiting for him."
Reynolds' entourage rolled out the proverbial red carpet for for Caroselli. Inviting her into the home while fans watched in awe of her easy access.
She had a seat inside the home and waited with excitement, but not for long.
"Out comes Burt in his policeman uniform, and he kissed me on the cheek!" Caroselli laughed. "And by then I was just crazy!"
"He wanted to know all about me — about my greeting cards from Leaning Tree. 'I'm gonna have to send out yours,' he says. We talked for a while," she said.
Burt and his crew let Marianne bring her daughter and a friend into the camper with them to take pictures with the star, where the conversation continued to flow toward her art.
"I couldn't stay longer," she laughed. "I was so nervous, and then he kissed me goodbye and hugged me, and I walked out the trailer door."
It's just one of the many stories in Caroselli's star-studded journey as a Texas artist. If you've visited the Hill Country city of Boerne, you've likely seen some of her work around town.
Her work has been collected by many, including Wayne Newton, Byron Nelson, Daniel Stern, Pat Summerall, and the late-San Antonio businessman Red McCombs, who Caroselli says once called her personally to commission three life-sized bronze sculptures of children — her favorite subject and the work she is most widely known for.
"(McCombs) invited me to his office on I-10 and told me his whole life story," she said of the Texas magnate.
"He was one of the most impressive men I ever met. And, of course, he talked me down on the price," she laughed. "Here I was thinking he's the richest man in Texas, and he said, 'Well, Marianne, that's what I can give you.'"
Caroselli took the deal, and McCombs promised he would owe her a favor down the line. She told MySA she was happy to add his name to a list of celebrities who own her work.
This weekend, Caroselli will be in Boerne for a rare appearance at the Texas Treasures Spring Art Show, where she'll be one of more than a dozen top-tier Texas artists featured at the Texas Treasures Fine Art Gallery. The free event runs April 12-14.
Caroselli, who has lived in Texas for decades, between San Marcos and Boerne, has spent her lifetime creating.
Although she began as a painter in the 1970s, her heart is in sculpture. She transitioned to bronze in the mid-1980s after saving up royalty payments and encouragement from a fellow artist.
She's best known for her life-size bronze sculptures of children, inspired by real kids who have modeled for her over the years.
"I just love kids," she said. "I enjoy just being around them."
Although A-listers and business giants have collected her work, Caroselli says she enjoys the small-town charm and close connection of art shows like the one in Boerne.
"You don't get this kind of gallery anywhere else," she said. "to have so many great Texas artists all in one place. That's special."
If you stop by this weekend, don't be surprised if you get to hear the story of the kiss from Burt Reynolds or the art deal with Red McCombs — straight from the source.
If you go: Texas Treasures Spring Art Show
When: April 11-13
Where: Texas Treasures Fine Art Gallery, 195 S. Main St., Boerne, TX
Admission: Free
More info: Event Details
April 10, 2025