| Dean Nicols, Audley |
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(1875 - 1941)
Place of Birth: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania History:“Audley Dean Nicols’ early life was spent in the East, New York and Pittsburgh; he then went to Tucson, Arizona, for a few seasons, roaming the desert with Franciscan missionaries, painting desert scenes. He came to El Paso in the 1920’s for his health, being asked by Harry Wagoner to come join him, and he grew to love the Southwestern landscapes, mountains, and desert, which he painted. He couldn’t stand crowds, avoided parties and receptions, and seldom gave an interview. He and his wife built their home on Fort Boulevard; at the foot of Mt. Franklin (he selected the rocks for it). Although he illustrated for McClures, Cosmopolitan, Colliers and other magazines, he also painted portraits, miniatures, and murals, including a 4’ x 16’ mural for El Paso High School; the “Butterfield Stage” mural for Austin High School; a mural for the Orndorf Hotel (later called the Hotel Cortez); and murals for several public buildings in Pittsburgh as well. Using his working knowledge of botany, his training in Europe, and his study at the Art Students League and the Metropolitan School of Fine Arts in New York, he produced exquisitely detailed paintings. He exhibited in San Antonio, where in 1928 he received a $1,000 second prize for a painting shown in the Edgar B. Davis “Texas Wildflowers” Competition of the San Antonio Art League. The Texas and Pacific Railway Co. used his painting “El Capitan” on its cards and calendars to advertise the scenic beauty of the country adjacent to its West Texas lines. The painting was lithographically reproduced on canvas, 3,000 copies. (d. 1941, age 66)” (Source: Guide to Early El Paso Artists by Carol Price Miller and Holly Thurston Cox) |