Uncommonly exquisite, large original drawing in pastel, 25 1/2" by 19 1/2", 35 1/2" by 27 1/2" as professionally framed in bleached wood, signed at lower left and dated there '91 by the noted American artist LOU KOHL-MORGAN (1942-). Purchased recently in Portland, Maine, the work bears a gallery label from the Frick Gallery of Belfast, Maine. The title of the work is "Equinox". Frick Gallery on the central Maine coast was an active gallery in the late 1980's and early to mid 1990's...

Pastel on paper drawing of a blonde, very Nordic-looking woman, 17 1/2" by 13 1/2" (25 1/2" by 21 1/2" as framed), signed at lower left Ruth Sammons. I cannot find any information on the artist but she was surely talented. The drawing is very strong and in excellent, fresh condition, and it is very nicely framed with a burl wood type frame and quality matting...

This is a fine pastel on paper work, 9" by 11 1/2" inside the mat, 15 1/4" by 17 1/4" as simply framed in wood, the subject a low desert with saguaro cactus near a desert wash at right center, a range of brooding desert peaks in the distance. The work is signed by the artist on the original mat at lower left corner. Condition of the drawing is superb...

This is an apparently very early work in sanguine chalk (8 1/2" by 11", unframed, affixed at top edge behind an old mat) by the well listed Chicago-born artist WALTER KAMYS (1917-), now known for his modernist paintings executed in an "abstract impressionist" style. Kamys went to Central America and Mexico at a young age in 1942, there becoming friendly with the important English surrealist Gordon Onslow Ford. This proved to be crucial to the evolution of Kamys' mature style...

Pastel on paper, 11" by 23 1/2" (15 1/2" by 28" in its original stained oak veneer frame), unsigned, the subject a beautiful still life arrangement including a number of peaches and bananas in front of a tilted bowl or possibly basket. I think the work dates to about the year 1900 give or take a decade or two. Condition is excellent, with just a little pastel dust adhering to the glass...

American circa 1910 or at least early twentieth century pastel on paper drawing of grapes, apples and a banana, 17" by 20 3/4" framed in an oval, unsigned. The work is typical of pastel still life of the period, though I do not believe it by the "Chandler" workshop. Modest homes of the period were lucky to have an original work of art rather than a print. This one has survived in very good condition...

This is a fine pastel of a pair of dogs---Labradors possibly---(I welcome input from dog lovers)--one named at bottom "Lozi", the other, "Pamuzi", the drawing signed at lower left with what appears as "Janaa Olsen" or "Janaa Owen" or similar, and dated there 1988. It appears to be a portrait commissioned by an owner who was obviously very attached to these particular canines, who appear at this time to have been in the prime of their lives...

Pastel drawing of a mountain landscape, 9 3/4" by 14 1/4" (17 1/2" by 21 1/2" as framed), signed at lower left corner with the name "I E Cutler". The scene is likely to be of Colorado as there is an old framer's sticker from Turner Art Gallery of Denver. Below that is what appears to be a date, in pencil, "2-19-31". Even though the frame is mid century, it appears that the old original backing paper with label was retained when the work was re-framed...

Pastel on paper, 19" by 25" (currently unframed), signed at bottom right by the noted American artist ELIOT CLARK (1883-1980). Images of the work have been examined by the recognized authority on Clark; he can provide me with a letter attesting to the authenticity of the piece. Clark was an artist who lived an extraordinarily long life; he was taught by John Twachtman, yet lived to see man walk on the moon...

Pastel on paper on board, of grapes and an apple on the ground, 11 7/8" by 9 3/4" and a simple narrow frame, unsigned, but very likely by noted mid 19th century American artist JOHN S. BOWER, known today primarily for his very distinctive studies of fruit in a landscape. See my shop for several other works by this artist, some of which are signed. A number of works by him have passed through the Skinner auction house in Boston over the years, placed in Americana and folk art sales...

Pastel on paper of a rugged coast with crashing waves, 13 1/2" by 19 1/2", plus wood frame, signed at lower right by often-auctioned California artist CARL SAMMONS (1883-1968). Sammons is known among collectors for his impressionist landscapes, often of Northern California, but he also traveled to other parts of the state and throughout the Southwest. The artist was born in Nebraska and was in California by the year 1919, studying at the California School of Fine Arts...

Pastel on paper laid on board, the subject fruits and a porcelain cup on a tabletop, a vase with at top center, 20" by 15 1/2" (27" by 23" as framed), signed at lower right "Olds" (MARION VALE OLDS 1901-1993). The work is a fine example by this talented woman artist, the cramped artistic space and carefully thought-out arrangement of the objects in that space indicative of an artist of great talent who is taking from Cezanne as well as the WPA (I would guess the age as circa 1930's or 1940's). ...

A fine pastel drawing of a small structure that appears to be almost adobe-like, surrounded by trees, signed at lower left and dated there 1970 by American artist WILLIAM BEAL (1914-1995). The work measures 9 3/4" by 14 1/4" (17 1/2" by 21 1/2" in silvery mid century frame). Beal was the son of important American artist Gifford Beal and nephew of Reynolds Beal. Born in New York City, he spent much time in Maine at Port Clyde and on Monhegan Island, becoming friendly with artists Edwin Gunn an...

Crayon drawing of two nude females, 13 1/2" by 9 1/2" inside the mat, 20" by 16" framed, bearing at lower right the stamped atelier signature of the important French artist ACHILLE-EMILE OTHON FRIESZ (1879-1949). On the reverse, a modern label gives the title as "Nude with Veil". Friesz was born in Le Havre to a family of shipbuilders and sea captains. He was educated there and went to Paris after the turn of the century, with his lifelong friend Raoul Dufy (see print by the latter in my shop...

Pastel on paper drawing, 6" by 10" (12 1/2" by 17" in its original fine old gilt American 19th century frame), signed at lower right "Stubbs", the subject a man in a small rowboat rounding a headland reflecting in the waters, other boats beyond. This is a scarce, to judge from the auction records, early drawing by the noted American marine artist WILLIAM PIERCE STUBBS (1842-1909). Stubbs is best known for his renderings in oil of clipper ships, these works appearing at the finest auctions of A...

Pastel on paper colorful abstract pastel drawing, 15 1/2" by 19 1/2" inside the mat, 25 1/2" by 29 1/2" as framed, signed illegibly at lower right. The work is very modern and there's a lot of energy in the dramatic forms. No doubt this was created in the 1980's to maybe just a few years ago. The artist's signature is difficult to make out. Photographs were taken through non-glare glass, so I have digitally enhanced them to show the color that exists below the cloudy type glass, which shoul...

Pastel drawing, unframed, 13 1/4" by 10" inside the mat, signed at lower right "Moran", the subject a small boat in a harbor, a headland in the distance crowned by a classic lighthouse. Primary colors are the colors of sunset...reds, oranges, yellow, brown..........the painting was purchased in the San Francisco Bay area but I have no idea as to the origin or identity of the artist. It is a work that shows the artist was skilled with pastel.

Pastel on gray paper affixed at edges to a linen-covered board, 21 3/4" by 25 1/2", unframed, signed at lower right in pencil "MARINO" and dated at lower left in European hand "1959". The image appears to be perhaps a highly abstracted horse or horse head, surrounded by abstracted imagery in electric blues, oranges, reds and greens. For a time I thought this might be a work of the famous Italian modernist Marino Marini (1901-1980), who signed "Marino", but some years back I sent images to the ...