Mary Ann Willson: A Pioneer of American Watercolor Before the mid-20th century, Mary Ann Willson’s name was largely absent from the annals of American art history. Her story is one of quiet resilience and remarkable artistic vision—a testament to an artist who, despite lacking formal training or widespread recognition, produced a body of work that foreshadowed modern abstraction and offered a unique window into 19th-century rural life. Emerging from the remote hills of Greene County, New York, Willson’s journey is as captivating as the vibrant watercolors she created, revealing a woman whos…