A vintage (mid century) illustration of a pink orchid blossom, the background airbrush and the flower hand painted, 14 1/2" by 14 1/2" inside the attractive double mat, the piece 22 1/2" by 22 1/2" as framed in silvery complementary framing, signed at lower right by artist "Childs". The name being a common one, I searched but did not immediately tie this to a listed, known artist. Nevertheless he/she was talented...

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...

Watercolor and gouache painting of a ship or boat on roiling, stormy seas, circa 1970's, signed at lower left by artist "Andro", whose worn business card remains affixed to the backing. The work measures 23 1/2" x 17" and 25 1/2" by 19" as framed. The apparent zip code on the business card, 91203, I believe, is Glendale, California. The work is loose in the framing, slipping around. Frame is worn and will likely need to be replaced.

A nicely executed watercolor painting of a Mediterranean or Spanish style courtyard, the stuccoed white buildings with red tile roofs and grills on windows. Apparently unsigned, the work measures 10" by 13 1/4" (18" by 21 1/4" in circa 1960's or 1970's frame). This could be a scene of Spain, Central or South America, or, even, Southern California. Condition is excellent.

Colorful, heavily impressionistic acrylic painting with palette knife, the subject beached wooden boats in a sunny Mediterranean coastal landscape, signed at lower left by listed French artist PIERRE MAS (1933-). The work measures 11 1/4" by 27" as framed. Mas used copious amounts of wet-looking, lush paint, creating an interesting surface and texture. Colors are very complementary and harmonious, the turquoise particularly pleasing...

Early California watercolor painting, circa 1920's or 1930's I would guess, possibly earlier, titled at lower left Cathedral Peak/Emerald Bay, signed at lower right "A.L.M.". This is a view of Lake Tahoe and the grand scenery at the south end of that famous mountain lake. The painting measures 11 1/2" by 8 1/2" inside the mat, and 16 1/4" by 14 1/4" as simply framed...

A watercolor painting of a steep hillside with trees, several structures filling the lower portion of the composition, unsigned, 13 1/2" by 10 1/2" (24 3/4" by 20 1/2" in the dark simulated wood framing. The painting does have some age and would likely be by a listed artist. Mat got wet at some point at bottom and will need to be replaced. Art itself is in excellent condition, the colors fresh...

A circa 1960's painting of a clown playing a most curious blue violin, signed at lower right with what appears as "J. A. Evans" (or, Evers, or similar). The oil on canvas measures 20" by 16" (24" by 20" framed). There are few tiny flecks of missing paint, very minor, but generally the work is in good condition.

One of dozens of drawings by this artist that I recently acquired, (ask to see others, not shown in my shop), this is a fine image in charcoal on paper, 13 3/4" by 16 1/2" as inexpensively framed without mat, signed at lower right by California and Massachusetts listed artist DAISY MARGUERITE HUGHES (1882-1968). Hughes was born and died in Los Angeles but in between she spent much time in the Provincetown art colony on Cape Cod...

A watercolor of a lighthouse on the Maine coast, 9" by 13" (15" by 19" in wood frame), signed at lower right by artist Donna Sabaka (1946-). On the reverse is written "The Nubble Light"/York/Cape Neddick, Me.". The artist signed again there and wrote "Kennebunkport, Me. 1986". The lighthouse is in the extreme southern portion of Maine, in the heavily visited coastal strip of that state---a large tourist draw in summer...

Watercolor and gouache impressionist painting of the Dead Sea in Israel, signed in pencil at lower right in modern Hebrew script as "Hana Bar(-on)" or "Chana Bar(-on) and dated there 1970. Below that in Hebrew is written "iam hamelach" (Dead Sea). I am not able to read Hebrew but was able to show this to a Hebrew reader. The work measures 13 1/2" by 19 1/4", and is presently unframed. It can be shipped between boards or in the plastic poster box in which it is presently loosely housed...

A whimsical drawing of a young child-like chimpanzee seated in a parlor, evidently enjoying a cocktail, a tea kettle in the foreground suggesting that he is about to partake in other civilized human behavior. The drawing is unsigned. I researched a bit on the net to see if it might be by the artists who created Curious George, (Hans-Augusto Rey(Reyersbach) and Margret Rey), but the obvious lack of resemblance to that most famous cartoon ape indicates that this drawing is not of him...

Watercolor and ink marker drawing of Greek buildings by dark blue sea, a boat at right, signed at lower left with signature that appears as "Bremmer". I think this was likely created by an American artist, perhaps painting while on vacation in the Mediterranean. I'd date it as maybe 1980's. It is a pleasant and decorative work that should evoke memories of vacations in the Greek Islands; this could very likely be a view of famous Santorini. Condition is excellent...

A colorful image of an idyllic tropical beach ringed by coconut palms and bordered by emerald green water, signed at lower right by contemporary San Diego artist Vonda Velasquez. The work, mixed media on heavy paper (gouache and maybe oil?) measures 13 3/4" by 21 1/2" (24" by 31" in matching blue-green frame) and is signed at lower right and the artist's business card is affixed on the backing paper. The work is clean, frame is in good condition.

An original, vintage 1987 poster for the National Gallery of Art's 1987-1988 exhibition of the works of famed American modernist artist GEORGIA O'KEEFFE (1887-1986)...

A typical example of watercolor work by the noted New Orleans artist NESTOR FRUGE (1916-2011), 10 1/2" by 8 1/4" (17 1/4" by 13 1/4" framed), featuring a a New Orleans street scene with ornate cast iron balcony at upper right. Fruge painted mostly watercolors and was a familiar and beloved part of the Jackson Square tourist scene in New Orleans for decades. He painted mainly French Quarter scenes but also on occasion works such as bayou swamp landscape. Fruge's art traveled home with innumerable...

who dunnit? in the style of tanaka ryohei etching

Late in life, circa 1999, Japanese master print maker, Haku Maki, did this shikishiban print. It is called Z1-12 (WAZA); 7.25'' x 8.25''; Shikishiban is a nearly square format. Shikishiban are often mounted on a thick, light cardboard. Japanese people like to give them as presents. The print is in the US and will be shipped from there.

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...

India ink on card drawing of a Spanish-California style home, the card 8" by 13 1/2", (plus surrounding simple mat, no glass/frame, hinged at top edge inside the mat), signed on reverse and dated mid-1922, by listed artist CHARLES VOORHIES (1901-1970). Note the 1922 rubber stamps on the back showing this was created at the University of California Architectural Dept., (Berkeley), in that year, while the artist was just a student. Voorhies was born in Portland, Oregon. He studied architecture at...

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...

A fine old wood engraving dating to the sixteenth century, the title apparently "Saint Paul Giving a Letter to a Messenger" according to handwritten notes on the backing, which also relate that this is from the Biblia series. The artist HANS BROSAMER (circa 1506-1554) was born at Fulda in central Germany. He became known for his fine oil portraits, but also for his wood engravings and copper engravings, many produced for various editions of Luther's German Bible. This example appears to have ...

Ink and watercolor drawing of cows in a field, 13 1/2" by 21 1/2" (20 1/2" by 29" framed), signed at lower center "Sam Smith" The modeling of the animals shows that the artist was a keen observer of their forms and a talented draftsman. Apparently this is not by the listed New Mexico artist Sam Smith (1918-1999) as the signature is not similar and the work itself does not resemble that artist's work. This watercolor is in excellent, fresh, clean condition, the paper very white.

A contemporary original watercolor painting dated 2009, the subject very much a fantasy summary of the Peruvian Andes----including whitewashed old colonial buildings and stone foot bridges, traditional garb, bowler-hat wearing women carrying their babies on their backs, and the quintessential llamas of the region. The work, measuring 9 1/2" by 13 1/2" (20" by 24" in interesting dark faux bamboo frame) is signed at lower right "E Garces '09/Cusco Peru". No doubt this piece came to the US in the...

This is a wood engraving print titled "Les Visages", by the important French artist GEORGES ROUAULT (1871-1958). The print measures 7" by 8 3/4" inside the mat (13 3/4" by 15 1/2" as framed). I believe that this is from the edition published at a later date (circa 1960's) by the Collectors' Guild of New York; the print is dated in the plate 1927, and signed in the plate at lower right. The condition is very good with even very light toning of the paper. Rouault is a major French Fauvist and Exp...

Richard Faralla american artist 1916-1996 1992 colored ink Petaluma CA 1992 Many original works by this artist are in the SF Museum of Modern art. Matted sight 7.5" by 10" matt 12.25" by 14.75"

A beautiful pencil drawing of human hands, likely 19th century, measuring 4 1/2" by 5 1/2" inside the ornate French mat, 10 1/4" by 11 1/4" as framed in gilt closed corner framing. There is a little wear in the corners of the frame but the overall look with mat and frame is upscale. I very carefully opened the backing (with its English "Stephanie Hoppen" circular label and 150 British Pounds original price in ink), and found no further information inside or on the reverse, as to authorship, th...

Fine engraving by Cousen, titled at bottom center "The Woodland Gate", after the original painting by English Royal Academician WILLIAM COLLINS (1788-1847), measuring 8 1/4" by 10 5/8" inside the mat with hand-drawn lines, 16" by 17 1/2" in silvery framing. This is a fine decorative print that is in extremely clean, wall-ready condition. According to information on the internet, Collins' work was prized more highly in the late 19th century than that of Constable and Turner. He was made a full...

This is an unframed lithograph print of a female nude in an interior suggested by a door and bed headboard, 23" by 29", signed in pencil illegibly at lower right and numbered there 49/97. I think the work American and have tried various likely signatures such as "Czech" or "Bech" without determining who the artist might be---I am pretty sure that it is a listed artist. The print is unframed and can be easily rolled in a tube for shipping. There are soft handling creases and slightly dog-eared...

An original lithograph on heavy paper, unframed, pencil signed at lower left by the noted Israeli contemporary artist MENASHE KADISHMAN (1932-2015). The print, featuring Kadishman's trademark imagery, of a sheep's head, measures 29 7/8" by 19 3/4". The artist was born in Tel Aviv and by the late 1940's was already studying with sculptors Moshe Sternschluss and Rudi Lehman. In the early 1950's, the young Kadishman lived on a kibbutz, where he was exposed to sheep and shepherding; the experienc...

When I first saw this abstracted figure drawing I was half expecting to see the "Moore" signature, thinking this a dead ringer for the work of famous English modern artist Henry Moore (1898-1986). Measuring 8" by 6", 13 1/4" by 10 1/4" including the gray mat and silver metal frame, the piece is signed "Saibra" at lower right, or, possibly (less likely), "Sailera". The artist used black ink and pencil, along with some white highlighting, to draw these faceless, mysterious figures that have head...

A black and white photograph of one of the most famous of the French chateaux, the Chateau de Chenonceau on the River Cher in France's Loire Valley, the work signed at lower right margin in ink with what appears as "D. Esicaud/Tours". Tours is a city in the region. The piece measures 18" by 14" and 23 1/2" by 19 3/4" as framed. Condition is excellent. The castle dates to the early 1500's and is a major site on the tourist circuit of France.

This is an image of a young African-American boy grinning while leaning against a building, the image mounted on a board signed by the photographer, Arthur S. Little. After googling the name I find that around the late 'teens and early twenties, there was a photographer in Los Angeles and Ventura by that name, though he does not seem to have had a high profile. I do not believe that this is an original photograph. The item is in good condition. The image itself measures 9 1/4" by 7", and the...

Black ink on paper still life including wine bottle, Asian pot in foreground, potted plant and objects on a distant table, 17 1/4" by 11 1/4" (25" by 19" as framed), signed at lower right by well listed artist WAYNE LA COM (1922-). The economy of draftsmanship in this ink drawing reminds of the skilled pen technique of Henri Matisse and his famous nudes. La Com is known for his skilled watercolors in the 20th century California Scene style. Many works were executed in Hawaii of familiar Hawaiia...

Antique (19th century) hand-colored print of flowers, possibly columbine among them, in a contemporary gold frame with contemporary expensive hand-drawn "French panel" mat. The print and mat and frame are in exceptional, wall-ready condition. Measurements 9 1/4" by 7 1/4" (19" by 17" framed). See other botanical prints in my shop. Allow for a number of reflections in the glass in some images.

Oil on canvas, 18" by 24" and 1 1/2" wide white and gold painted frame, signed at lower left "EH Deffner '51" and inscribed on reverse "Sweetheart Lake/E.H. Deffner 10-'51/$150.00". This is a beautifully executed work by a talented artist, on whom I have not located a listing. From the subject matter I would suspect this work to be from the Pacific Northwest, like Oregon, Washington, or Northern California. There is a decidedly modernistic handling to the leaves on the tree at right. The ref...