Ray Wilson 1906 - 1972
(Raymond C. Wilson)

Man with an Umbrella Watercolor 14 1/2 x 21 1/2 $4,000

Man With an Umbrella Verso

Ray Wilson was born in Oakland in 1906, but grew up on the east coast in Baltimore, returning to Oakland when he was 15. As a young man in his early twenties, he worked as a longshoreman in San Francisco. When not working, he studied art at the CCAC and studied privately with Maurice Logan. While still in his twenties, he suffered an accident swimming and was left handicapped. It was during his recuperation that he began doing watercolors. he received good reviews from the critics. In the midst of his artistic success in 1940, he suffered a mental breakdown, and was confined to an institution in Stockton and Norwalk where he remained for thirty-two years until his death in 1972. During his seven year painting career, he completed 225 watercolors, mostly of outdoor scenes and landscapes. His works exhibited broad realism with bits of abstraction. Critics said his use of transparent watercolor turned mundane subjects into subjects of beauty. His work was exhibited by the San Francisco Art Association, the Oakland Art Gallery, the Santa Cruz Art League, and is held by the Oakland Museum.

Source: Askart