Small oil on canvas laid on board painting of a desert, mid to late 20th century, 4 1/2" by 6 1/2" (11 1/2" by 10" framed), signed at lower right by California desert painter KENNETH WALFORD. This is a rather typical example of the work of this artist. I have handled a number of Walford's works. Most feature desert landscapes. Biographical information on the artist seems to be scarce at this time. The painting is lightly soiled, linen liner is stained at upper right.

An attractive plein air oil on canvas painting of the desert in spring with blooming pink verbena on the dunes, 13" by 15", unframed, signed at lower left by listed California artist GRACE T. HOWELL (1876-1966). Howell was born in Denver and showed early art talent. Married in 1897, she moved to Southern California in 1927, living in La Mesa, near San Diego. She painted the California deserts and coast. This oil could use a light cleaning to bring it to optimum condition...

Oil on canvas landscape of country cottages and feathery trees on the banks of a small pond or marsh, 9" by 12" (13" by 21" in its modern frame), signed at lower right "S. Clark", the subject given on the framing label as "On the Arun--Sussex". This is a painting by SAMUEL JOSEPH CLARK (1841-1928), a noted 19th century painter of rural landscapes and genre. Sometimes he is listed as Samuel JAMES Clark--there appears to be some confusion in the auction record...

This 6 1/4" by 10" ink drawing on paper (11 1/2" by 13 3/4" as framed) is titled at lower left "Garden of Sounds" and is signed at lower right "STANDISH" and dated "52" I believe. It's a subtle work that does not take well to being photographed, (and I've had to enhance--darken--the photos a bit to make it easier to appreciate on a screen) but, viewed in person, it is quite an impressive and delicate work that reminds one somewhat of some of the drawings by Paul Klee...

Oil on canvas painting of a small house in the trees, 20" by 24" plus narrow strip wood frame, signed at lower right "Stahl" and dated there "42", titled on reverse "Laurel Ave." and signed and dated again there. This is an early work (**ONE OF TWO IN MY SHOP, THE OTHER VERY SIMILAR, JUST A BIT LARGER; I would like to keep them together because they make a most interesting pair), by the important, well-listed American illustrator artist and art educator BENJAMIN A. STAHL (1910-1987)...

A gouache on paper painting of a vase with white flowers, blue on white plates, green bowl with cherries, a decorative leaded window beyond, the work signed at lower right corner with what appears as "Louise Brentnall" and dated there 44 (or, I think less likely, 77). The piece measures 9 1/4" by 7" (12 3/4" by 10 3/4" in simple strip frame). I do not see an artist by this name, if I am reading the name correctly. I thought it might read "Louise Brumback", but that artist died in 1929...

An exceptional watercolor and gouache painting of a young girl carrying a pail, pondering the white ducks which move towards her on a tiny pond in a verdant bucolic rural landscape, a faint local church steeple in the distance the only other sign of man. This is one of the finer works by English listed artist FRED (sometimes FREDERICK) HINES (1860-1930)...

Found locally in Los Angeles, this is a large oil on canvas still life of orange and yellow garden nasturtiums in a blue and white old ceramic vessel, a ladies' fan and blue beads resting at its base, the colorful subjects placed elegantly in the neutral space of a cloth covered table and gray-white background, the work signed at lower right by the noted Spanish artist VICENTE SANTAOLARIA (1886-1967)...

By the noted American photographer ROBERT "Bob" WERLING (1946-), this is an original gelatin silver print photograph, titled "Thunderstorm", pencil signed at lower right margin by the artist photographer. The scene is of the high country in the American West, perhaps Colorado. Werling was born in San Francisco and very early in life showed artistic promise and drive...

A PAIR of Mid Century drawings, consisting of concentric line patterns and overlapping forms, typical of the imagery, whether in sculpture, drawing/painting or graphics, of acclaimed Spanish modern artist AMADEO GABINO (1922-2004). Each is drawn in brown ink and measures 12 3/4" by 15 1/2" (13 3/4" by 17" in black shadowbox type framing over an inch deep). Some of the darker lines are interestingly also scored into the paper, like deep cuts...

Large watercolor painting of trees after the leaves have turned in the fall, signed at lower left by the well listed California artist PAUL LAURITZ (1889-1975). The scene is a celebration of autumnal forests. The work measures 19 1/2" by 27 1/2" and 32 3/4" by 40" as very nicely framed. Lauritz is considered one of the important plein air painters, a number of works having exceeded $25,000 at auction...

From a local estate, the homeowners having spent much time in Southeast Asia, an oil on panel unframed and unsigned painting of a younger man wearing some traditional simple clothing. The piece measures 26 3/4" by 23 3/4" and dates to the late 20th century. It is competently painted, the figure tightly outlined, the colors muted gray and tan and white, his waistband area providing a spare touch of bright color.

An original poster issued circa 1970 by Marlborough Galleria, Rome, for an exhibition of the works of the late, noted American contemporary sculptress and painter BEVERLY PEPPER (1922-2020). The print is in elegant shades of brown graduating from lighter to darker as the eye looks down, with geometric shapes incorporated within, the entire print framed elegantly in what I believe to be rosewood. The piece measures 40" by 27" as framed behind Plexi. Color is rich and not faded...

Watercolor on paper, 8" by 11 1/4" (12" by 15 1/2" framed), the scene a shallow, reedy small river and its grassy banks, a few majestic trees completing the peaceful scene. The artist signed his name "E...

A genuinely antique, late 19th century oil on canvas scene of distant snowy sunlit mountains and closer mountains surrounding an inlet or fjord, several small figures at center, wood-frame structures at left, and long wood canoes in the foreground shore. The work measures 20 1/2" by 30 1/2" (27 1/2" by 37" as framed). I have carefully searched canvas, stretcher and frame for any evidence of a name, or other information, and have come up empty. Certainly the work is suggestive of Alaska or No...

A watercolor painting of outbuildings and scrubby trees, 10" by 15 3/4" (20" by 25" framed), titled at lower right "Near Filkins/March 1934" and signed at lower left by listed English artist ANTHONY LOUSADA. There appears to be little information on the artist, though some works have sold at auction in England. Some of his paintings seem to show a distinct modernist approach. The watercolor is in good condition, there is a hand-drawn style mat, and there seems to have been in the past some co...

An impressionistic landscape of the arid American Southwest, possibly California, 20" by 30" (24" by 34" framed), signed at lower right by noted listed artist CHARLES DAMROW (1916-1989). The work features rugged mountains with no figures included. Damrow was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin and headed west at age 13 on his own (the youngest of 15 children). He became infatuated with everything western, in the course of his life painting cowboys, Indians, tipis, bison, bears, horses. Self-taught,...

By the hand of noted Southwestern artist MANUEL S. FRANCO, a large, detailed work, consisting of two separate paintings framed as one: the principal painting of the iconic Taos Pueblo in northern New Mexico, and the smaller work at right a black ware traditional pot. The pueblo image measures 13 3/4" by 26 3/4", the pottery 3 3/8" on a side (27 3/4" by 42 1/2" in a pinkish frame). Franco signed both and dated them 1990. Note the extreme detail, including tiny figures around a smoking kiva ov...

A small landscape painting on canvas, (actually a very nice size for a small wall, 12" by 16", and 15" by 19" framed), signed at lower right by listed artist ANTON GUTKNECHT (1907-1988). We see a dirt road winding around the edge of a wooded area, a European village and small church seen in the far distance. Gutknecht was born in Dusseldorf and studied art in that German city, as well as Munich and Hamburg. For a time he taught at the Royal Academy in Vienna. At some point the artist moved t...

A large graphite on heavy paper drawing, likely a sketch study for a subsequent painting, 18" by 24" (26 1/2" by 32" framed), signed at lower right and titled "USS Los Angeles" by the artist, the noted California-associated, British-born artist ARTHUR EDWAINE BEAUMONT (1890-1978). According to a detailed Wikipedia accounting of the history of the vessel, the ship was a Baltimore class heavy cruiser, laid down by the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, on 28 July 1943 and launched on 20 August...

By the hand of one of the masters of 20th century Japanese printmaking is this woodblock on paper, 14 1/4" by 19" (21 1/2 by 25 3/4" framed), signed in pencil at lower right by the artist within the image area, and bearing inscriptions in Japanese in the margin at lower left and lower right. The image is a traditional temple garden in winter, a light snow covering the lanterns and roof, and apparently wilted flowers killed by the cold unable to lift their heads. The print appears to be in exce...

Oil on canvas laid on board painting of a windswept cypress type tree by the coast dunes, 8 1/2" by 4 1/4" (14 1/2" by 10 1/2" attractively framed). Although unsigned (and Detreville's output frequently WAS unsigned), the handling, subject matter and color palette are strong indicators of the hand of the noted California painter. I have owned and sold other unsigned paintings as being by Detreville, and I will stand by this being one of his works. Detreville was born in South Carolina but is now...

Contemporary watercolor full length portrait of a young woman seated on a sofa, titled "Zoe", 28 3/4" by 18" (36" by 25" as framed), signed at lower center by New York-born artist AL ZERRIES (1940-2009). Zerries studied at Pratt in New York and for more than twenty years was an art director and creative director at Manhattan advertising agencies. He also taught at the School of Visual Arts. It was not until the 1990's that he began to paint and draw on his own, taking lessons from Burton Silve...

A framed woodblock print by the hand of one of the masters of 20th century Japanese printmaking, 8 1/2" by 11 1/4" inside the existing mat, 15" by 18" framed, signed in pencil by the artist at lower right and numbered 43/120 at lower left margin in pencil. The image is of a nighttime snowfall in front of a traditional Japanese structure. Sekino was creating art before age 20. He knew Shiko Munakata, the famous printmaker, while still young, as they were from the same area. By 1932 Sekino was exh...

A beautiful antique Old Master drawing with great patina, the subject a bridge over a Venice canal, with figures and fascinating detail, unsigned, in the style of Guardi. Francesco Guardi (1712-1793) is the most famous practitioner in the style, but Giacomo (1764-1835) accounts for his share of the production of such works, the so-called "Vedute" popular with tourists of the time. Major oil paintings by Francesco Guardi are among the most coveted of Italian 18th century Old Master works, selli...

Oil on canvas painting of a coastal bluff with gentle incoming waves, possibly Rhode Island near Newport but most certainly New England, 12" by 16" (20" by 24" nicely framed), signed at lower right and dated there (likely, a little hard to read) 1908, by Massachusetts artist of the famous Fall River School, BRYANT CHAPIN (1859-1927). Chapin's still life works of fruit, his specialty, have auctioned into five figures, but he did execute some landscapes and coastal scenes, (some of them of the Is...

EIGHT small original watercolors of famous sights of Venice, Italy, signed but signature not fully legible. The works are identically framed and measure 8" by 10". More than likely, these were painted for the tourist market and brought to the US unframed, in the luggage of a visitor. All are clean. One of the eight, for some reason, has an overmat that is removable. During photography outside, within seconds, condensation beads formed under the glass, with no permanent consequence. Some of ...

A twentieth century Italianate landscape painting in convincing Old Master style, unframed, impressively large at 23 3/4" by 47 3/4", signed at lower left by noted Old Master style painter TONI BORDIGNON (born 1921). Bordignon's mastery of the subject matter and techniques of masters of previous centuries has led to his decorative and popular paintings being offered at auctions in Europe and America. He has captured the feathery trees, the classical ruins, and, most impressively yet, even the...

CHRISTO (1935-2020) in close collaboration with his late wife JEANNE-CLAUDE (1935-2009) is considered one of the most important "installation" artists of modern times. Born in Bulgaria, he was in Europe in 1957 and became an American citizen in 1973. Around the early 1970's he came to world attention with a fresh approach to art---creating new ways of seeing the familiar landscape. His projects, then (and still) controversial and thought to be outrageous, were ambitious and unprecedented. Pr...

Interesting, well-crafted panel, the design very Art Deco in style, featuring a male nude in reddish brown silhouetted against a silvery background. The panel measures 11 1/2" by 9 1/2" plus 1" wide frame, and is signed in the wet clay at lower right by artist HAL ALTMAN (1922-2011). There is a fine three-dimensional quality to the panel, the hardened clay painted in these two tones, which are so reminiscent of the Deco era. At first I thought the artist might be the Harold Altman who is know...

Oil on canvas, 18" by 30" (20" by 32 1/2" framed), the subject a very English one----a peaceful summery millpond or riverside scene of low, forested hills and their feathery trees, a small peaceful settlement, and a total of six figures, three out in a rowboat for an outing, and three tiny people gathered in the village of thatch roofed buildings, engaged in conversation, beneath a pretty sky. The work is signed at lower left "Allan"; this being a common name, many listed British artists might ...

Oil on canvas painting of California mountains, a line of back lit trees in the middle ground, 18" by 23 1/2" (26 1/2" by 33" in vintage frame), signed at lower right by well listed California and western artist JOE WAANO-GANO (1906-1982). Waano-Gano was of Cherokee heritage. Born in Salt Lake City, he moved to Los Angeles while still young, studying at UCLA and USC with Theodore Lukits and Christian von Schneidau. He was a familiar figure in the Hollywood area for many years, and worked for ...

Oil on board still life of red roses, and a few bumble bees in the composition as well, 24 1/4" by 18 1/2", 31 1/4" by 24 3/4" in likely original old gold frame, signed at lower left "N. Miller" and dated there 1910 or possibly 1916. This was executed in the early 20th century, but takes from a nineteenth century tradition in Victorian times----painting roses. In this case, the artist seems to have been familiar with the widely known artist Paul De Longpre (1855-1911), who painted flowers, oft...

A fine and colorful true lithograph, 15" by 20", (22 1/2" by 27" framed, no glass), with signature in the plate at lower right corner, of well-known, important German Expressionist artist FRANZ MARC (1880-1916). The print was produced circa 1960's evidently in a coffee table type book, but is considered now collectable in itself, several examples having appeared at auction. Marc was born in Munich to a traditional landscape and genre artist father. After some training at the Munich Academy th...

An accomplished ink drawing of three women and a male flute player at right, after Pablo Picasso, signed in pencil at lower right by the famous international art forger, ELMYR DE HORY (1906-1976). The 13 3/4" by 18 1/4" work (20 1/4" by 25" in interesting framing incorporating mirrors in the margin areas) is a fine example of the work of De Hory, the Hungarian-born man who went on to become perhaps the world's most famous art forger by mid century. His interesting life story is documented onli...

**One of several works by the artist in my shop** Ink drawing on heavy Strathmore art paper, the subject the familiar cathedral at San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. The unframed work measures 28 3/4" by 23", and is signed by the artist at lower left and dated there 1953. The Illinois-born Lutz is known today for his urban landscapes and genre subjects, often painted with bright color and with heavy impasto. In the late 1920's he began art instruction at the Art Institute of Chicago, at which time...