Salinas was born on November 6, 1910, near Bastrop, Texas, to a family of Mexican American tenant farmers.
[4] Salinas was a precocious talent who drew and painted from the time he was a small boy and received encouragement from his teachers.
Salinas accompanied Wood and the Spanish-born artist and teacher José Arpa (1858–1952) on sketching trips to the hills and valleys surrounding San Antonio where they painted blooming wildflowers in the spring and the Texas Red Oak in the fall.
[5] While Salinas sold his work steadily, by 1960 he was known primarily to Texas collectors and tourists who visited San Antonio.
They decorated the house with French antiques and tapestries that were already in the home, but the foyer was hung with Texas wildflower paintings by Salinas.
The patronage of the President was a tremendous boost to the artist's career and during the 1960s, his work sold briskly for ever higher prices.
Lady Bird Johnson will always remain linked to the subject of wildflowers because of her "Beautify America" campaign and the Highway Beautification Act, which was passed by the United States Congress in 1965.
There is a Youth Art Exhibition showcasing work by K-12 students, named after the artist, held each year in Bastrop.
The bluebonnet landscape has remained eternally popular with both collectors of historic Texas paintings and contemporary artists.
[10] Salinas also painted many scenes of Texas red oak trees in the autumn and prickly pear cactus.