A circa 1900 oil on canvas painting of roses against a simple dark background, 12 1/2" by 18", and 20" by 24 1/2" in likely original bright gold frame. There does not appear to be a signature. Roses were a popular subject of painters during that period, with many young ladies especially encouraged to take up painting. The American painter George Cochran Lambdin often used dark or black backgrounds for his floral still life works...

This is a pretty, impressionist circa 1930's small landscape painting of trees and a path bordering water, painted on gray art board, measuring 9" by 12" (13 1/2" by 16" framed). There is no signature on the front but on the art board label is written in ink "Swick". This may or may not be the artist. The painting is so nicely executed, but its inherent beauty is dulled by decades of dirt. A professional cleaning will truly transform this one...

Oil on canvasboard painting, 14" by 18" (17 1/2" by 21 1/2" in simple wood frame), signed on the reverse by artist James E. Carson of Andover, Massachusetts and titled there "Lobster Cove". This is a peaceful scene, most likely of the Lobster Cove near Annisquam and Gloucester, MA, but I see there is also a Lobster Cove in Maine. Regardless of the exact location, this is a classic scene of New England, captured by a talented artist...

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...

A PAIR of American oil on board mountain landscapes, each 23 1/2" by 11 3/4" (29 1/2" by 17 1/2" framed), both signed at lower corner A. A. Baker. There does not seem to be biographical information on the Hudson River-inspired artist, who likely painted these in the mid 1880's. It is doubtful that they have ever been cleaned. There is a smell of smoke. One has a 1" puncture of the board (in the tree at right), the pressure having come from the reverse side; the piece remains attached...

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 panel, 9 1/4" by 12 1/2" (14 1/4" by 17 1/4" as framed), signed at lower left in red "Karla Mirabal", and inscribed on label on reverse, "Judge M. R. Mirabal Homestead in New Mexico" "Artist Karla King--So Calif and New Mexico--Artists of West--WHAA". This is probably of historical interest, depicting as it does an early home. The work is very impasto and impressionistic. The painting is a bit soiled but could be placed on the wall as is. Note the two young girls on the porch.

This is a **PAIR** of unframed paintings in acrylic on Masonite (one appears to be on a thin, gauzy type of canvas laid on masonite), one 18" by 24", one 24" by 12" by noted Northern California artist TED CHRISTENSEN (1911-1998). Neither is signed on the front but they are typical of the subject matter and technique of the artist. Both are inscribed on the back; one says "#89-1 TED CHRISTENSEN/ACRYLIC - 12" x 24"; the other says "9002 -GOLDEN GATE/TED CHRISTENSEN/ACRYLIC 18" by 24"...

Autumn landscape painting, oil on masonite panel, 9" by 12" (16 1/2" by 19" framed), signed at lower right, and on reverse bearing title "Fall on Geer Mtn." and the artist's then-address in South Kent, a small town in northwestern Connecticut. This is an early, 1966 palette knife work of contemporary Connecticut impressionist RICHARD STALTER (1934-). Stalter was born in Dayton, Ohio, exhibiting early talent...

A vintage oil on canvasboard painting of distant green gentle mountain ranges, a cluster of structures (a farm) and surrounding trees in the foreground, unsigned but written apparently by the Claremont, New Hampshire framer on the backing paper appears "Mark V. Miller/For Mother/1949/Lyme Rd., NH/Looking over into VT". Also, written in pencil on the canvasboard is "Mrs. Leon Miller/8B/pick up colors"...

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. Henry was born in Niagara Falls, New York, and his remains are at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angele...

Vintage oil of white, yellow and pink roses on a table top, circa Victorian late 19th century to the early years of the new century, apparently unsigned, in pleasing old wood and gilt frame, the entire work as framed measuring 11" by 13 1/4". The canvas is laid against the backing but is not glued down to it so there is some rippling. Other than a few minor surface abrasions the overall impression is quite beautiful. A fine acquisition for the still life collector or shabby chic decorator.

Oil on canvas modernistic still life, 12" by 20" (13" by 21" in a narrow wood frame), signed at lower right "R. FORTIER" and dated there 1948. The work reminds me a little bit of Braque, Picasso or some of the other 20th century giants who painted modern still life. This painting was evidently owned by a heavy smoker or was in a bar or restaurant where smoke was very much a part of the scene, as it is very heavily yellowed and smells of smoke. I believe that once cleaned, yellows, blues and p...

An oil on canvasboard painting of the California desert, painted in unusually pastel-y color palette, signed at lower left by artist Alzira Maria. The piece, 22" by 28" (28" by 34" framed) features an almost Cubist handling in the distant mountains, reminding of artists such as Andrew Dasburg. The painting is clean and wall-ready. Frame is attractive distressed wood style, and liner and gold fillet are in good condition.

A circa late 1930's to early 1940's painting titled on the reverse "Molas Lake and Needle Mountains, Silverton Colorado", signed at lower right by artist C. H. Rising. The oil on canvas measures 12" by 16" and is unframed. A light cleaning would be helpful but you could just throw a regular sized frame around this and enjoy it on your wall. Nicely executed work by a talented yet apparently unknown artist. The mountains are well painted, streaked with snow of the previous winter. The lake re...

Oil on canvasboard circa 1960 painting of a variety of flowers in a ceramic yellow vase artistically placed on a textile with another ceramic vessel nearby, signed at lower left "Betty Way". The work, which measures 24" by 18", also bears a label on the reverse with the artist's name and address in Springfield, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. To date I have not located a known artist by this name. A Betty Way of Harrisburg, PA was a newspaper circulation manager. There might well be ...

Circa 1940's or 1950's oil on canvas, 25" by 30", (33" by 38" as framed), the subject a vase with pink and white flowers, some blue cornflowers at lower left in front of an open oriental fan, the entire scene suffused with a pinkish, mid-century light. The painting is signed at lower right by the Who Was Who in American Art-listed JOSEPH LANE (1900-), an artist and muralist who trained at the Art Institute of Chicago. Today Lane is most associated with Illinois and his trademark still life wor...

Oil on canvas impressionist still life of flowers, 24" by 30" (30" by 36" in the vintage, period frame), signed at lower right by listed California artist Edwin L. Forker (1876-1958). Born in Pennsylvania, Forker was in California by 1918. He is known today for the body of decorative paintings he left for posterity. This work is in excellent condition, having come directly from a West Los Angeles house where it was displayed for many years.

Oil on canvas California coastal landscape, in extremely poor condition, in need of someone to love it and preserve it. The work measures 19" by 22" (23" by 26" framed), and is signed at lower right J... WITT. From comparison to a fully signed painting, I can say that this is a work of listed California artist JESSIE R. DeWITT. DeWitt was active in the Laguna Beach area in the 1940's, and has some ties to Arkansas, but generally there is little biographical information available on this talen...

This is an oil on board painting of a small house in a forest landscape, apparently unsigned, in the general tradition of the Hudson River School, 13 1/2" by 21 1/2" plus gold framing about 1 1/2" on a side. The work could date from about 1900 to maybe the mid 1920's, I would think. It is a decorative work that gives the feeling of a more expensive painting, when viewed from a distance. There is soiling, some light abrasions, and a pressure crack in the board at extreme upper right----but no...

Oil on canvas landscape with a home and small out building, possibly but not at all necessarily a California scene, measuring 10" by 14" (12 1/4" by 16 1/4" as framed), signed at lower right (I think in ink) "....... E. Miller" and dated there '32. The actual first part of the signature is difficult to read, but on the stretcher in pencil is written "E. E. Miller". I do not see any listing for this artist, but, as is often the case, the lack of a listing does not mean the artist wasn't talente...

A still life on board, of fruit on a green table cloth with white pitcher, unframed, 12" by 16", signed in the wet paint by listed Connecticut woman artist SUSAN GRISELL (1946-). The work is in excellent condition, and needs just a (standard size, easy to find) frame. Grisell is a New Milford, Connecticut native and has lived her life mostly in Litchfield County in the scenic northwestern part of the state. The area has a rich artistic history, having attracted painters since the 19th century...

Colorful vintage unframed impressionist painting of the iconic Taos Pueblo in New Mexico, painted in a bright palette, oil on canvas laid on board, 12" by 14", signed at lower right with conjoined initials "MP", a typical signature of California artist MARION RANDALL PARSONS (1878-1953). Parsons was born in San Francisco and lived most of her life in the Bay Area. A bold and independent woman for her time, she befriended Wanda Muir, daughter of famous naturalist John Muir, and through the frie...

Oil on canvasboard painting titled on backing paper "LAVISH FALL PALETTE/LONGS PEAK", signed at lower right by artist RUTH ERWIN (1904-1994). The work, featuring flaming aspen in the Colorado high country in high autumn, a view to monumental Longs Peak in the distance, measures 10" by 8" (18 1/2" by 16" framed). I've gathered a few nuggets of information on the artist through the net. One person wrote what she found on a label attached to the back of an Erwin painting she owned: "....the "pa...

An oil painting directly on a chunk of sandstone, by the noted western American artist, writer and philosopher A KELLY PRUITT (1924-2009), featuring a young Native American girl astride a horse. The work is inscribed "To a beautiful spirit Kristen/with love A Kelly Pruitt". The irregularly shaped work measures approximately 12" by 12" and weighs a full 4 1/2 pounds. The artist was born in Arkansas and headed west with his family during the Depression, settling in Presidio in isolated far west...

A vintage still life oil painting, unframed, 30" by 24", signed twice at lower right (one, very faint) by listed Southern California artist BERTHA TOWNSEND COLER (1865-1948). Coler was born in Ohio and studied with Robert Henri and William Merritt Chase in New York City. By 1928 she had moved to Santa Monica, California and for the next two decades was a prolific painter in watercolor and oil, concentrating on portraits and still life, with some landscapes in the mix. Coler was a member of W...

Oil on canvas laid on board painting of San Juan Capistrano mission in Orange County, California, 5" by 5", 7" by 12 1/4" in period pie crust frame. Written in pencil in old hand on the tattered framing paper is "San Capistrano Mission". Although unsigned, the handling, subject matter and color palette are unquestionably of the hand of the noted California prolific painter RICHARD DETREVILLE (1864-1929). I have owned and sold other unsigned paintings as being by Detreville, and I will stand by ...

For the fans of the "Big Eye" paintings, here is a pair of mid century retro style works in oil on board, each 23 1/2" by 11 1/4", and each signed at lower right. The signatures are hard to decipher; I'm guessing "Balmiani" or "Dalmiani". If I am reading them at all correctly, I am not able to tie these names to any of the listed, recognized big eye painters. Regardless of authorship, these are sure to please the devoted big eye collector. One of them has some light to moderate surface scuff...

A contemporary impressionist landscape of the hills of Texas in the spring when the famous bluebonnet bloom, signed at lower left by artist "Julienne". This is a work of a talented artist, the signature of whom might well be a take-off on the famous and important Texas bluebonnet artist Julian Onderdonk (1882-1922); conversely, the artist may just happen to be named "Julienne". The undulating landscape is quite green, and the bluebonnet in the foreground carpet the ground, so the season is lik...

Oil on canvas painting, unsigned, contemporary, unframed, 24" by 36", executed in retro 1960's and 1970's colors: olive, powder blue, orange, white. If your interior is modern and skewing towards the "Pan Am" days, then this will surely please. It has a few light scuffs and soiling that might be removable with light soapy water--see photos.

Oil on canvas painting of a white bench in a park or garden, the sun dappled vegetation depicted in colorful palette of purple, yellow, and green, signed at lower right by Southern California contemporary artist PATRICIA SHILLING-STEWART. The work measures 16" by 20" (20" by 23 1/2" in shiny white laminate frame). There is some information on the artist online; she is based in Los Alamitos near Long Beach, and paints flowers, aquariums and other colorful subject matter, many of the original wo...

Oil on canvas painting of the arcaded breezeways at the famous Mission San Juan Capistrano in Southern California, 8" by 10", unframed, signed with initials at lower right and possibly again by the artist on the reverse. In addition there is an original old slip of paper giving the artist's biography. Schmidt was born in Gladbeck, Westphalia, Germany after the end of World War I. By age 15 he was already receiving art instruction. Today he is best known for his detailed works of historical b...

Oil on canvas painting of an elegantly dressed lady on a terrace or balcony, a Parisian-style table and chairs with champagne bottle at left, 36" by 18, unsigned and unframed. This Matisse-inspired work was likely painted circa 1970's by a talented amateur artist. The violets, blues and white make for a harmonious color balance and the light is suffused rather than intense and sharp. The painting is slightly soiled and dull consistent with its age but is otherwise ready for display; a frame w...

A PAIR of unframed oil on canvas works, one a scene of coastal cliffs and waves, 12" by 12", the other featuring a small lake or pond, 11" by 14" (both unframed). They are each signed by the artist, one M. Mahmoudi. I have not located information on the obviously talented artist, who is likely Californian; found in Los Angeles. Condition is excellent. What appear as white speckles in some images are reflections off the varnish and canvas weave.

Oil on canvas, 24" by 36" (28 1/2" by 42" as framed), unsigned, showing a Victorian/Gothic type castle ruin by a river, by moonlight. ***UNFORTUNATELY THE PAINTING HAS BEEN SEVERELY DAMAGED IN SHIPPING (vertical rip clear through---started with a pre-existing three inch tear which weakened the canvas and made it vulnerable to further damage), so, will need major restoration. Call or email me for more details. **THE ANTIQUE GOLD FRAME HAS VALUE IN AND OF ITSELF***, should you choose to focus on...

Unframed oil on paper on board painting of a desert Southwest landscape, 8 1/2" by 12", signed at lower right M. Edwards. The painting probably dates to the 1920's or 1930's I would guess. It has accumulated a lot of soiling and varnish has yellowed, so it desperately needs a cleaning. Note the left extreme edge, which must have been behind a frame, to get some idea of the potential after cleaning. There is also a small dig at right edge, and upper right corner of the paper is missing. This...