Thrift Brag!

Confession, when I just want something to do to rest from working, I go find a thrift store.  I always check out the pictures, mostly for frames, but I can't buy any more frames.  I have a frame problem.  Don't look in my craft room closet.  I still look at the art, though.  Yesterday I scored.  I paid a whooping $2.99 for this lovely.

This 8 x 10 oil painting snagged my heart. It had to come home with me.  The frame was trashed.  It even had a tiny bit of termite damage.  I baked the frame in the oven at 225 for a bit just to make sure there wasn't any lingering wildlife then I scrubbed the frame down with rubbing alcohol.  A light coating  of Liquitex Burnt Umber acrylic paint and the wood grain still showed through and the frame looked new again. 

I loved the picture.  This so reminded me of growing up in the west on a ranch.  Most original paintings you find at the thrift are some one's hobby and pretty bad. This is a decent composition and full of my favorite blues and greens.  Is it worth anything?  I don't think so.

It is signed Dick Powell and then has those strange red marks below.  There was Dick Powell who a movie star from the first part of the 1900's.  When I search the Internet I can't find any other Dick Powells doing painting.   I think it's from one of those places where they have Chinese art students crank out thousands of oils and then they sell them in the US at traveling shows located in hotels.  There is a store in Hot Springs, AR near us that sells these, also.  They are original but pretty formulaic.  They're very affordable and they can be good for decoration if you find one you like.  They have bales of canvases in the back and you pick one and they staple it onto a stretcher and pop it into a frame in about a minute.  The canvas, stretchers and frame seem very modern and the red bits in the signage are, I think, the sure give away.  It's hanging in my entry right now.  Happiness.