EARLY CALIFORNIA

Born in Philadelphia, PA on Aug. 4, 1869. In order to learn anatomy, Watts served as a surgeon's assistant in a medical clinic while pursuing art studies at the School of Industrial Arts and the PAFA under Vonnoh and Anshutz. A world traveler, he was bound for Hawaii when he discovered the Monterey Peninsula. He bought a home in the Carmel Highlands in 1915 and maintained a studio there for the rest of his life. He taught at the Carmel Arts & Crafts Club in 1915. Primarily a watercolorist, he specialized in marines, coastals, and street scenes of Europe and India. A diminutive man of five feet and often clad in knickers and golf hat, Watts was a familiar sight in Carmel until his death on May 13, 1961. Member: Carmel AA; Philadelphia WC Club. Exh: PAFA, 1889-1946; PPIE, 1915 (silver medal); Int'l WC show, AIC, 1923-29; Calif. WC Society, 1924-32; Calif. State Fair, 1930, 1936; Santa Cruz Art League, 1936, 1938; GGIE, 1939; Monterey Peninsula Museum, 1967, 1973 (solos). In: Harrison Library (Carmel); Oakland Museum.