Charles Wesley Nicholson Antelope Valley Poppy Bloom Oil on Board P3342

A Very nice little painting by the artist Nicholson 

Signed C.W. Nicholson 1934

Art  7x11

frame 9.75 x 13.5

1886-1965

Nicholson, known for his landscape, seascapes, and occasional rare mission paintings, was born near French Lick, Indiana on June 25, 1886. He had a teacher's certificate from the state of Indiana and taught in a log cabin for over three years.

In 1908 he moved to Chicago and worked for Marshall Fields while studying at the Art Institute of Chicago. After completing his art training in Chicago he traveled with vaudeville shows, painting and designing sets. He served in the army in WWI, then eventually moved to Los Angeles where the movie business provided him employment.

After settling into a studio, he worked as a freelance artist for several movie studios and sold his paintings on the side. With the onset of the Depression his art sales fell off dramatically, so he changed his style to be more impressionistic. He traveled in his Model A Ford to paint the deserts of the Palm Springs area, the California coastal regions, and the Monterey Peninsula. While painting alongside the road with his pet cockateel perched on his shoulder, he would display his works for passersby.