Zuh-what?

unnamed, Z?, 7" x 6", oil on  card

    Another little ebay find from several years ago. I like small paintings, because I don't have much (any) free wall space. So small is among the first things I liked about this work. Then I liked the colors and motion in it. And lastly, I liked the $9.99 price, which is what I paid for it. The signature is close to readable, and I thought (argh!) it would be a good research opportunity. The name looks like "A. Zosber" or "A. Zesber". It could also be Zesbet or Zosbet. It came in an interesting frame that makes me think it is a 1950s, or early 1960s work. Just a guess. The seller was in Gouldsboro, PA, but this kind of feels like a California painting to me. I have found myself standing in front of this painting many times, trying to decipher the signature. Help!

No clute who painted this!

 unnamed, Clute, 16" x 20", oil on artists board

    This painting was purchased at an auction in Allentown, PA. There were at least three listed artists named Clute who were active in New York City, which is not far away. One died in 1914, long before this painting was created. This painting probably dates from the 1940s. There may have been other artists with the same surname, so it is by no means certain that one of the two remaining artists created this painting. The bridge in the painting, if it is based on an existing bridge, may be a clue as to the identity of the artist. I suspect that the bridge is in either New York or Pennsylvania. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who recognizes it.

Montford, Eh?

 unnamed, unsigned, 4" x 5", oil on MDF board

unnamed, Montford, 4" x 5", oil on MDF board

I purchased these two small paintings on ebay from a seller in London, Ontario, Canada. The bridge scene is not signed, but there is a notation verso that says "R. D. Montford".  This may or may not have been added by the artist. I really bought these because I liked the winter scene. The paintings are in identical frames and well presented. They are in the same style and use the same materials, so I am attributing them to the same artist. I amusing the seller's crap images. I will get better images once I figure out my new camera.....

Tennesee Williams?

unnamed, Williams, 14" x 11.5", oil on canvas on plywood board

This painting is a bit unusual. It is an odd size, painted on a home made canvas glued on a thick plywood board, which may be a clue for those who know this artist's work. The signature is a bit unique, too, composed of upper and lower case letters. I like the simplicity of this piece and the color palate the artist used. It was purchased on ebay in March 2011 from the Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee.

Why I hate monograms!

24" x 26" oil on canvas

A local thrift shop find. I like this piece, but it has a really ugly (IMHO) monogram, which is also really cryptic, but indicates that this is a fairly recent work. I have had it for a while, so it was really fresh when I found it. Supposedly, this was on consignment from some folks who lived around Danvers, IL, but they would not respond to my questions about the artist. Any help appreciated!

 

 

Elementary, my Dear Watson.

unnamed, S. Watson, 20" x 8", watercolor on board

I found these two paintings at a local thrift shop. The watercolor appears to be dated 2012, but elements of the painting seem to mingle with the date and it may be a coincidence that it appears to be a date.Both appear to be the work of at least a talented amateur. 

unnamed, Watson, 8" x 8", pastel, crayon and watercolor on paper

Though this painting measure 8x8, it is matted to about 6" x 8". It reminds me of the work of Josephine Mahaffey. 

Both paintings are framed, and one frame appears to be fairly new, while the other has some age to it. The colors are a bit brighter than shown, as I photographed them in the frame, under glass.

S. Watson signature

Key West Watercolors mystery

"Key West Watercolors - Back street", unknown, 12" x16", watercolor on rag paper

    This was a $10 thrift shop find. I had forgotten to take my jeweler's loupe with me that day and was convinced that I would find this was a print, at best maybe a very good quality lithograph, when I got it home. It is in a good quality 20 x 16 wood frame, deep enough to accommodate a canvas, so figured it was a good purchase. I was amazed to discover that it a was an exceptionally well executed watercolor on high quality rag paper, and probably about 50-60 years old. There was a framing shop stamp, verso, that dates the painting to the 1950s. The framer, Helen Ritter appears in several Peoria, Il city directories during the 1950s and the 5 digit telephone number in the stamp supports this date range. The two girls in the image appear to be holding a hula hoop, which was "invented" in 1958 and became a huge fad in 1958 and 1959. There are few other clues, though, as this painting is not signed. There is a lightly pencilled notation in the lower right corner of the painting that appears to be 144, or possibly the initials of the artist. The back of the mat bears the notation "Key West Watercolors Back street". My guess would be that the title of the painting is "Back street", but I am not sure what the significance of "Key West Watercolors" is, besides perhaps indicating that this is the location of the scene. This is obviously the work of a talented artist, but as it is solidly glued to the mounting, if there is any more information verso, we will never know. It may be that the framer copied information from the back of the painting to the mat, prior to laying the painting down. The mat was also glued to the backing and a bit of the mat stuck to the painting when I separated them. Any help in identifying this artist is appreciated.