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...

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...

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...

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...

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 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...

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"...

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...

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.

Very old small pencil drawing of a town scene, 3 1/2" by 3 5/8" (11 1/2" by 10" framed), unsigned, and the artist and origin unknown. It is simply an antique drawing. Someone thought enough of it to have a hand-drawn ornate mat on gray-blue paper. A church tower appears at center and a tree at left, and two tiny figures at lower right. There is a mysterious red circle stamped on the reverse; difficult to say if it may be a collector's stamp.

One of dozens of drawings by this artist that I recently acquired, (ask to see others, not shown in my shop) not many in color, this is a fine image in crayon on paper, 11 1/4" by 15" in the oak frame without mat, signed at lower left by California and Massachusetts listed artist DAISY MARGUERITE HUGHES (1882-1968). Hughes was born and died in Los Angeles but in between she spent much time in the Provincetown art colony on Cape Cod...

One of dozens of drawings by this artist that I recently acquired, (ask to see others, not shown in my shop) this is a sketch in soft pencil on paper, the drawing and frame 11 3/4" by 16 1/2", signed at lower right, and titled there in the artist's hand "On the Ways/Provincetown", by California and Massachusetts listed artist DAISY MARGUERITE HUGHES (1882-1968). Hughes was born and died in Los Angeles but in between she spent much time in the Provincetown art colony on Cape Cod...

One of dozens of drawings by this artist that I recently acquired, (ask to see others, not shown in my shop), this is a fine image in soft pencil on paper, the drawing itself 14 1/2" by 15 1/2", in a simple frame without mat, signed at lower right by California and Massachusetts listed artist DAISY MARGUERITE HUGHES (1882-1968). Hughes was born and died in Los Angeles but in between she spent much time in the Provincetown art colony on Cape Cod. Hughes exhibited widely (even at the Paris Salons)...

Pencil drawing on heavy paper of a happy chef draped over a chair and holding a lobster and corn or celery, 14 1/2" by 11 1/4", signed at lower right by listed California artist DUVAL ELIOT (1909-1990). Her biography appears in askart and in Hughes' dictionary of California artists. Eliot was Arkansas-born, and was in California as a child. She worked in a number of media, including printmaking, sculpture, and painting. This example has a really WPA type look to it, appearing somewhat like a...

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 ...

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...