Oil on masonite painting, (24 1/2" by 31" as framed) of a clipper with bare masts, at anchor near a beach at dawn or sunset, signed at lower right by artist Sean O'Farrell. I do not see any listings for this artist, who obviously had a solid command of painting. The work was likely created circa 1960's. There is a small loss at upper left, otherwise it is in excellent condition. The frame is likely older, dating perhaps to the 1940's or 1950's, and it is itself interesting and of value.

Oil on board painting of watermelon, grapes, and banana arranged on a tabletop, 20" by 24" (25" by 28 1/2" framed), signed at lower left by American artist Helen Lubetkin. The work is by a skilled hand, though I can find very little information online relating to this name; the painting was found in Los Angeles, and a woman by that name died in San Marcos (North San Diego County) in the late 1980's, but there is no way of telling if this might have been the artist...

This is an appealing little sketch, oil on board of a landscape with a line of trees, a tawny field, a few structures and an extensive view beyond, unsigned, circa 1940's or 1950's. It is obviously by a talented artist who failed to sign his or her name. Perhaps it is a study for a more finished painting to come. Measuring 12" by 16", it should be easy to find a (common, "standard size") suitable frame. Condition is good save for a stubbed, worn corner at upper extreme right, as shown.

Jake Lee's works are increasingly sought after by collectors in the wake of his relatively recent passing, some works approaching $20,000 at auctions. This is a clean, unusually large (24" by 36" plus 4" on a side framing) example, painted directly on board in heavy gouache or tempera (thinned oil?) and in excellent condition. See the net for more images of his paintings, which include California landscapes, as well as overseas exotic images executed in the course of his travels...

Painting on canvasboard, I believe in tempera or similar, (not oil), 16" by 20" (21" by 25" framed), titled on reverse "SWAYBACK", and signed at lower right "CHARLES TRUMBO HENRY" and dated there 1948. The artist was a student of Thomas Hart Benton, Boardman Robinson, and George Grosz. Little known today, he was an active exhibitor and major museums include his work in their collections...

Oil on board painting of Crater Lake, Oregon, including Wizard Island at left, 11 1/2" by 13 3/4" as framed, unsigned. Compare the scene to online images of Crater Lake. The work is nicely executed and were it signed we would likely know that it was created by a listed artist. The date I would estimate as circa 1920 to 1940 or so. There is a two inch scratch at right center in the base of the trees...

Oil on Upson board painting of zinnias in a table top vase, curtains vaguely defining the background, 20" by 16" and 2 1/4" wide old frame, signed at lower right "C. G. Force" (I believe CLARA GUNNISON FORCE 1852-1939). Force was born in Erie, Pennsylvania of Swedish heritage. She studied with Charles Webster Hawthorne, William Merritt Chase and Frank DuMond. Force did paint in Europe, Cape Cod, Provincetown, Woodstock, New York...

Oil on canvas winter landscape painting in an impressionist hand, a snow-covered road leading to a cluster of houses in the distance, 16" by 20", unframed, signed at lower right by listed American woman artist CHARLOTTE LIVINGSTON (1898-1991). The painting captures the quiet solitude in early winter after the first snow (a lot of autumn color remaining suggests the winter season is not all that far advanced)...

A landscape work in impressionist style, featuring a cabin in a forest, signed by listed artist DOROTHY C. NEAL. The piece is signed again on the reverse in pencil and titled there "Cabin in the Aspens/quick sketch/Panguitch Lake, Utah '52". Dorothy Neal was born in St. Paul, Minnesota and was in Chicago by 1920 receiving art instruction at the Art Institute. She worked in commercial art there and later in Los Angeles...

**One of two works by the artist in my shop**, this is an oil on board painting of what appear as houses, rendered in rich colors, and in a firmly modernist style. The painting measures 11 1/2" by 14 1/2" and 15" by 18 1/2" in early gold framing. The work is signed at lower left in the paint. On the reverse side is a fragment, in poor condition, of another painting the artist evidently executed...

Oil on canvas painting of a trellis and a patio, lots of flowers and impressionistically depicted leaves filling the composition, 24" by 36", unframed, signed at lower right "ED CORDEZ". No listed artist by this name comes up in any net searches I've made so I will consider this a fine work by a talented though unlisted artist. It was probably executed within the past twenty years. Condition is excellent. You'll easily find a standard size 24" by 36" frame to complement the work.

Oil on canvas painting executed in an impressionist style showing small rowboats on a lake in a park, 8" by 10" and 14" by 16" as framed, signed at lower right by listed artist LOUISE RICHARDSON DODD. The artist is listed in the Davenport art dictionary but I have found no other information on her. I would lean towards her being an east coast artist. This is a lovely scene, perhaps of a lake one would find in a large park...

Oil on canvasboard painting of a rocky cliff at the coast, 11 1/2" by 14 3/4" as framed, signed at lower right "K.B. GUNDERMAN". The impressionist work likely dates to about 1960. I do not see a listing for an artist by this name (there is a Karen Gunderman who works with ceramic and abstraction but this does not seem to be the same artist). The painting has forty-plus years of yellowed varnish and light soiling but is otherwise in good condition.

Contemporary unframed American painting (24" by 36"), the subject a middle-aged man, seated, superimposed on a complex patterned background, signed at lower right corner "Tayler"...

(ONE OF TWO BY THE SAME ARTIST, THE OTHER WORK SIMILAR----). Oil on board painting of a Native American woman balancing a traditional pot on her head, signed at upper left by artist Lee Willke. The work measures 18" by 14" and 22" by 18" in simple oak frame. The expression on the woman's face is precious; that by itself propels this into the "whimsical" category. The pottery is beautifully observed and note the subtle yet complex background work. To date I have not found information online...

A pair of late 18th or early 19th century portraits, one showing a well dressed gentleman seated at a secretary bookcase, the other of his wife, seated and holding a flower. Painted in oils on canvas, the detailing, especially in the man, is stunning. He is wearing a blue coat, an elaborately ruffled shirt, and a silk waistcoat. The edging and every button on the jacket and waistcoat are beautifully rendered in multiple colors. The books in the case also have a great amount of attention to their...

Oil on canvas painting of an attractive brown-eyed brunette with floppy sun hat protecting her on a summer day, unframed, measuring 24" by 24". There is no signature but the artist was talented. The work is in very good condition, with just a bit of dark foreign matter at left edge as shown, likely removable. The painting would lend a contemporary, lively feel to home, beach house, or dorm room.

*One of two works by the artist in my shop**, this is an oil on board painting of what appears to be a wooden fence in a tawny landscape. The painting measures 11 1/2" by 14 1/2" and 15" by 18 1/2" in early gold framing. The work is signed at lower left. This artist, HALDANE DOUGLAS (1893-1980), was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was in Southern California by the early 1920's. According to the listing in Hughes' dictionary, Douglas wintered in Southern California and wintered in the Monte...