A framed nicely worked crayon on paper drawing of roses (possibly, Alberta wild roses?), signed at lower right "M R 1944". The stiff wove paper sheet measures 15" by 11", and as framed (to the top of the arch), 22" by 17". The framing appears to be the 1940's original. I acquired the work locally here in Los Angeles some years back...

A nicely executed charcoal drawing of a nude young woman, 20" by 14" inside the mat, 31" by 25" as framed in black wood, signed at lower right and dated there "12. V. 2006". The handwriting appears to be European---perhaps, I am thinking, Greek. There is a hint of pale color in the face area. Condition is excellent. A few insects managed to get in under the glass at lower left margin, where they expired.

An ink on paper drawing of a man holding a cigarette, unsigned, 6 3/8 " by 5 3/4" inside the mat (12 1/2" by 10 1/2" simply framed). When I first saw this my thoughts drifted to accomplished ink line drawings by the American master artist Ben Shahn, or, possibly, German Expressionism (Georg Grosz, etc.). The drawing was found in Oregon, with no further information available. It probably dates to about 1950 give or take a few years, and is probably American...

A watercolor on paper of a castle on the water with a boat and three women walking on the shingle in the foreground, a row boat on the water and the castle in the distance against the sky. John Varley (1778-1842) was an English watercolorist who painted a large quantity of small watercolors including other versions of Conway castle. There are numerous other watercolors that are attributed to him, but probably not by him...

Watercolor and ink drawing of a stone house adjacent to a dirt road on which a horse is pulling a buggy, a split rail fence, trees and a cow completing this bucolic scene of times gone by, the art in an oval, vignette style, the painted area 5" by 6 1/2", 13 1/2" by 15" in modern framing, possibly signed at lower left but definitely dated there either 32 or 34. This is a very, very early drawing...

Crayon on paper drawing of red tulips in a glass vase, 14 3/4" by 10 3/4" (18 1/2" by 14" in simple wood strip frame), signed at lower right with monogram or conjoined initials, and dated there 4-5-83. Something about the work reminds of David Hockney, but this artist is unidentified. I believe it is of European origin but cannot be certain of that. There is some writing in pencil on the reverse, possibly in a foreign language, but it is hard to decipher...

A well-drawn pencil scene of the French coast of western Brittany, titled on reverse "Pecheurs a Douarnenez", signed at lower right by living French artist BRUNO DU TERTRE D'ELMARCQ. Douarnenez is one of the scenic towns much favored by artists since the 19th century. When I first saw this work I was reminded of the beach scenes of Eugene Boudin, the famed late 19th century French artist. The tiny figures, sails, and poetry all remind of that French master...

A quite old pencil drawing on thin card, 8 1/2" by 5 1/2" inside the mat, 13" by 10 1/4" framed (no glass), apparently by a "Grandmother Stevenson" according to a notation on the reverse side of framing materials...

Signed charcoal drawing of a nude female seen in profile, arms over her head, an unreadable signature at lower right. The work measures 12" by 8 3/4" inside the mat and 20" by 16" simply framed. I opened the backing and other than a few numbers in pencil there is no other information. At some point there was a little moisture exposure at the bottom...

A pencil drawing of a young girl at the coast (sailing craft visible in the left background), 14 1/2" by 11 3/4" in thin strip frame), signed at lower right by the noted California impressionist painter JOE DUNCAN GLEASON (1881-1959). The sketch may be a study for a painting. Gleason is known for his landscapes, marine scenes, especially those with sailing ships large and small, and portraits...

Brown chalk drawing of a mother and child, 11 1/2" by 7" (14 1/2" by 10" framed) signed at lower right by artist MAXIM BUGZESTER (1910-1978). The artist was born in Stanislov, Poland (present day Ukraine) to Ruthenian-Jewish parents. He grew up in Vienna and began an art education there. Bugzester became a student of the important German expressionist artist Karl Schmidt-Rottluff (1884-1976)...

An original botanical watercolor drawing of unknown age, apparently unsigned, featuring leaves and insects, one likely a wasp or similar. The work is very clean and ready for the wall. Some slight brownish toning of the paper seems to be accentuated by the camera; it does not appear that way to the naked eye. The attention paid to detail, by the artist, is impressive. The crisp and stylish monochromatic gray/black/white scheme makes this a neutral piece that will fit into a lot of situations...

This is a fine pencil drawing of a Victorian style wood home, 16" by 11 1/2" (24 3/4" by 18 3/4" framed), signed at lower right "David" and dated there '73. One is reminded of Edward Hopper's haunted, lonely dune houses or even the infamous back-lot Bates Motel house from the movie "Psycho" where Anthony Perkins did his thing. Condition is excellent. Found in San Francisco, the city where many treasured gingerbread houses of Victorian times still stand.

A beautifully executed, sensitive set of five study drawings on one sheet of paper, 8 7/8" by 9" (15 3/4" by 14 1/2" in gold metal frame), the work featuring a lonely-looking donkey, titled at lower left "Alistair", dated Sept. 1984 and signed there by the late Scottish woman artist MARYSIA DONALDSON (died 2018). Donaldson captured beautifully her noble subject, who reminds of lonely Eeyore, in his pasture, in the Christopher Robin/Winnie The Pooh stories. Donaldson was born in Warsaw and came ...

This is a double-sided drawing of figures by the very well listed American artist RICO (FEDERICO) LEBRUN (1900-1964), measuring 9 1/2" by 7 1/2" (10 3/4" by 8 3/4" in temporary protective framing). The front side shows a figure of a warrior, drawn rapidly in ink; at the bottom in pencil is "to Kate/from Rico--1948". On the reverse are two figures drawn rapidly with pencil, and no writing. On a recent label affixed to the backing is written the phrase "GIFT TO KATHERINE STEEL FROM RICO LEBRUN"...

Original drawing in sanguine pencil and watercolor, 16" by 11 1/2" (25 1/2" by 18" framed), the subject traditional shoes, a ceramic pot, and textile, signed at lower right by Hopi artist S. POLELONEMA. This would have been created in the Four Corners region, the name being somewhat common among the peoples of the area in Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico particularly. An Otis Polelonema is a well known Native American artist, though I don't know if the present artist might be a relative. The dra...

Small (3" by 3") unsigned ink drawing on blue paper (6 3/4" by 5 3/4" as framed), the subject a female figure leaning, an old German script label strip on backing giving the title as "Blumenmarkt in Amsterdam", "Olstudie von Hans Herrmann" ("oil study by Hans Herrmann"----the discrepancy perhaps explained by the label being originally intended for another work by this artist). This is likely a preparatory study by HANS HERRMANN (1858-1942), a German artist who studied for a time with Max Liebe...

This is a fine old drawing of an old-style wooden house with porch, an ancient old tree arching over the structure and two tiny figures at left. The drawing on paper, laid on a board, measures 14" by 9 1/2" inside the mat and 19" by 14 1/2" as framed. There does not appear to be a signature anywhere, but considering the quality of the imagery we must conclude that the artist was trained and listed. Found in Riverside, California, with Santa Barbara framer's sticker on the backing. Condition ...