ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES - C.C. WILSON

Although their respective work is seemingly poles apart, C.C. Wilson agrees with contemporary artist David Hockney who said, "Sometimes the very act of looking can make a thing beautiful." Such is clearly the case with Wilson's art. A self taught painter who is a carpenter by profession, Wilson is motivated by a life well lived and a job well done. His favorite subjects are functional or decorative objects, well worn with time and use, which demonstrate his deep respect for what has come before, while celebrating the past and the present simultaneously.

Within that context, Wilson works in all kinds of paints and media, using whatever may be on hand to produce the right effect, including sand, sawdust and vegetable oil or tools such as crumpled newspaper or an old butter knife. Using these unorthodox techniques, Wilson's images of familiar country icons, floral still lifes and exotic frescoes appear cracked and faded from age, exposure to nature and the elements. Born in 1947 in Harrisburg, and raised in Shamokin, Pennsylvania, Wilson cites his Grandfather, a saddle maker by trade, as his lifelong inspiration because he "always spoke of the rewards of working with your hands... and sharing the results with others." He hopes that his very personal vision and interpretation of the timeless subjects of his paintings will appeal to his audience year after year.