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...

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)...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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"...

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...

Oil on canvas painting of grouse in the snow among pines, 16" by 20", signed at lower right "Berta C. Richards 50", and titled in ink on the reverse "Spring Around the Corner/in Colo Foot Hills/Berta C. Richards/1950". I do not see a listing for the artist but this vintage oil is competently executed by a talented hand. The condition is excellent, since this has been protected actually behind glass, in the veneer-type frame often seen on Currier and Ives prints. I think you might well want to...

Unsigned oil on canvas, circa 1970's or 1980's, unframed, 28" by 22", the subject a ceremonial dance mask and head wear such as might be seen in use in the course of special events on one of the reservations in Arizona or New Mexico. During the late 1980's I was at Zia Pueblo in New Mexico, and was privileged to watch one of these ceremonies. The work is colorful and includes many classic iconic symbols of the Southwest, such as the thunderbird, the snake, the saguaro cactus, tipi, and possibl...

Oil on canvas still life of a small statuette of a horse and a copper vessel on a small table, 13" by 15" (14" by 16 1/2" as framed), signed at lower right "Virginia Weaver". I do not see a listing for the artist but evidently she was quite talented, as the perspective and flattening of the picture plane shows familiarity with modernist trends of the early 20th century. The painting has some condition issues, such as a depression at top that shows as a shadowed area in the photos taken in angl...

(**One of two works by the artist in my shop**). Unlike most commonly seen works by this artist, which are actually serigraph prints, this is an original oil on canvas painting, measuring 34" by 18" (unframed). The scene, which could be described as a floral fantasy, incorporating at least two human heads floating within the composition, is rather typical of the work of the artist, HERMANN DIETRICH (1916-2003). Dietrich's online profile has only in recent years become more developed. Born in...

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 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...

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...

An attractive plein air oil on canvas painting of the desert in spring with blooming pink verbena on the dunes, 13" by 15", unframed, signed at lower left by listed California artist GRACE T. HOWELL (1876-1966). Howell was born in Denver and showed early art talent. Married in 1897, she moved to Southern California in 1927, living in La Mesa, near San Diego. She painted the California deserts and coast. This oil could use a light cleaning to bring it to optimum condition. See another painti...