Bidspirit auction | Melvile T. Wire (1877-1966) American

Melvile T. Wire (1877-1966) American - Melville T. Wire (1877-1966) Western Landscape Oil on canvas, signed ”M. T. Wire” lower right, piece measures 10 x 7 and 12 x 8.5 inches w/ frame. Melville Wire was born in Illinois and came to Oregon at age seven when his father became pastor of Salem's First Methodist Church. He began art classes at Willamette University with Marie Craig at this early age and continued until he was sixteen. It was under her influence that his love of drawing and painting began to emerge. His travels to Bend in 1896 resulted in many watercolors and sketches. Study for the ministry took him to Illinois, but upon graduation in 1902 he returned to Oregon. For sixty-one years, Melville Wire was a pastor of the Methodist Church of Oregon, and traveled the state painting and preaching. His lifetime artistic body of work reflects the diversity of the state.In 1915 three of Wire's paintings were selected for exhibit at the Panama Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. He became a member of the Mutual Art Association in Portland and exhibited with them in 1914 and 1915. He was also a member of the American Artists Professional League and a charter member and active participant in the Oregon Society of Artists, garnering awards from them in 1931 and 1937. In 1935, encouraged by Gordon Gilkey, later curator of Prints and Drawings at the Portland Art Museum, Wire began studying etching with Eyler Brown at the University of Oregon. He was an outdoorsman who searched out secluded spots to sketch and paint. His preferred subject matter was the western landscape, and he was able to capture the spirit of the place in his oils, watercolors and later etchings. Wire retired from the ministry in 1946 and continued his art full time. The Associated American Artists of New York produced a catalog of his works for publication and national distribution. He continued to paint two hours a day when he was in his late eighties until his death in 1966. His first wife, Bess Burgess Wire, was also an artist. Condition: The absence of a condition report does not imply an object is free of defects. All items may have normal signs of age and wear commensurate with their age; these issues will likely not be mentioned in the condition report. Please contact the auction house before the auction with any condition questions. Questions about condition will not be answered after purchase. Condition reports are provided as a courtesy, and we are not responsible for any errors or omissions. Important note on frames: Frames are not guaranteed to be in the same condition as they are in the item photograph. Due to handling and shipping, many frames, especially antique ones, are prone to losses. If you have questions about the condition of a frame, please contact us prior to the auction.