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)...

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.

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. Starker" at lower left in pencil. Starker was a painter in Stuttgart and Leonberg. He studied at the Akademy Stuttgart with Kappis and Grünenwald and in Karlsruhe with Schönleber...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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)...

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...

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...