Hale William Bolton
was born in Fredericksburg, Iowa. He was only forty-one when he
died in Rusk, Texas. He grew up in Arkansas moving to Honey
Grove, Texas in 1896.
Bolton was living in Oak Cliff by 1905.
Bolton's early art instructors included Frank Reaugh in Oak
Cliff, and at the St.
Louis School of FA (1909-1910). From 1910 to 1913 he studied in
Europe with
Paul Abram and William Rueloup in Paris, and William Orowelt in
Holland. Returning to Oak
Cliff in 1914 he worked for the Dallas Piano Works. He often
traveled with Frank Reaugh on his sketching trips painting in
both oil and pastel. In 1916 he moved to California but returned
in 1917 to reside in Oak Cliff returning to California on
occasion. He was awarded a grand prize by the California Society
of Art around the time of his death at Rusk.
During his lifetime, Bolton exhibited his work in the Tri-State
Exhibition in Memphis, Tennessee, winning gold medals in 1907,
1910, and 1913. He also exhibited at the Galveston Cotton
Carnival Annual Exhibition in Texas, winning a medal in 1915; as
well as the Annual Texas Artists Exhibition, Fort Worth in 1914,
1915, 1918, 1919; the Annual Exhibition of Texas Artists, Dallas
Woman's Forum in 1916, 1918 and 1920, winning a medal in 1916;
and the Annual Exhibition of the State Fair of Texas, Dallas in
1915, 1920, 1921 (posthumously).
At the time of his death, he was
on the brink of major recognition as one of Texas’ premier
artists.