Cordelia Wilson facts for kids
Cordelia Creigh Wilson (born November 28, 1873, died June 7, 1953) was a talented American painter. She was famous for her beautiful landscape paintings. Her art often showed the amazing scenery of New Mexico and the American Southwest.
Biography of Cordelia Wilson
Cordelia "Cordie" Creigh was born in Clear Creek County, Colorado. She was the only child of Thomas and Emma Creigh. Her mother raised her with her step-siblings. They lived in Winfield, Kansas and Colorado.
In 1897, Cordelia married Willard J. Wilkinson in Boulder, Colorado. Their daughter, Louise, was born the next year. Later, Cordelia married John Henry Wilson in 1911. They soon moved back to Colorado.
Becoming an Artist
Cordelia then began to seriously develop her art skills. She was inspired by new art styles like American Realism. This style was led by famous artists like Robert Henri. Cordelia learned to paint quickly and boldly. She used a technique called alla prima, which means painting wet-on-wet. She also loved painting en plein air, which means painting outdoors. This helped her create art with thick paint, known as impasto.
She started taking trips to New Mexico. There, she became friends with painters from the Taos Society of Artists. She also connected with artists in the Santa Fe art community. Her many oil sketches and outdoor paintings of adobe homes and rugged landscapes caught the eye of art dealers.
Cordelia, her husband, and daughter settled in Denver, Colorado. Her paintings were shown and sold at the J. Gibson Smith Gallery nearby. Many of her artworks had frames she carved herself. These frames were in a rustic Arts and Crafts style. She often decorated them with sheets of gold leaf.
Exhibitions and War Art
In 1917, Cordelia Wilson received a special honor. Two of her paintings were chosen for the first exhibition at the new New Mexico Museum of Art in Santa Fe. This show featured works by well-known artists. These included George Bellows and Robert Henri. It also included the "Taos Six" artists. One of her paintings, A Mexican Home, was even shown in a magazine.
Cordelia also created a very large landscape painting. It was 50 by 70 inches big. This painting was made for World War I military training. It was shown at the School of American Research in Santa Fe in 1917. Other artists also created large "range finder" paintings. The U.S. Army had asked for these paintings. They were used to teach soldiers about topography and map drawing. Soldiers used them for indoor practice at Army camps.
Later Life
Around 1921, Cordelia's husband, John Wilson, became ill. They moved to Seattle for his treatment. He passed away the next year. Cordelia continued to live in the Pacific Northwest. She painted still lifes, flowers, and scenes of the Puget Sound area. However, she still traveled and showed her art in the Southwest from time to time.
Cordelia Wilson died at age 79. She is buried in Seattle at Lake View Cemetery. You can find her important paintings in museums and private collections today.
Gallery
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Indian Corn and Mexican Vase c. 1915-1920 -
Autumn in the
Sangre de Cristos -
Adobe Church,
c. 1920s -
Orange Gourd
c. 1915-1920 -
Green River Gorge, Taos
c. 1915-1920
