Photos: Thrifted Paintings
2025-Jun-17, Tuesday 05:12![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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thefreaksclubI found these three paintings at the Thrift'n'Sip Indoor Rummage Sale. There is a seascape, a forest, and a flower garden with a birdbath.
When you buy artwork from an artist or a gallery, you know what you're getting. With thrifted artwork, it's more of a puzzle to figure out. Some people don't care what kind of art it is, as long as they like the picture, and that's fine. Others may like a particular medium, or prefer paintings to prints or posters. In the latter case, there are things you can look for. Different media have their own techniques and traits. A poster or lower-end print will be smooth. A midrange print will have a canvas texture. Certain high-end processes include some brush strokes. A painting with oil or acrylic usually has at least some brush strokes, and sometimes quite a lot of texture. Watercolor is generally done on very thick paper that has a faintly rippled texture. Generally the more texture, the more likely it is a real painting. At a rummage sale, you can run your fingertips lightly over the surface to feel for texture, if it's not obvious enough to see. Tilting artwork allows light to hit different angles to catch textures.
Check the sides and back too. If you see paint going over the edges of a canvas, it's more likely a real painting. Be aware that some artists dislike that and will tape their edges to prevent it. That often leaves a faint edge where the paint builds up at the side of the tape, which looks a bit different than the edge of a print or poster. A cheap frame typically has its contents secured with swivel clasps, or bendable tabs or staples. A more serious frame job will have everything nailed or glued in place securely to protect the artwork, and is more likely to be a real painting.
At rummage sale prices (typically under $10) one may not care, but at boutique prices (typically under $100) more people will care -- and be willing to spend more on an actual painting than a print or poster. It can be fun to look at things and analyze what you believe them to be. If you are thoughtful and observant, you can build quite a nice art collection from rummage sale, thrift stores, and such.
Also, think about where you'll put it before you buy anything. At least try to have a room in mind. Consider what subjects you like. Think about your color scheme at home. Conversely, if you have a blank room to decorate, a great piece of artwork can not only make a focal point but also suggest a palette of colors to use. (See some examples of palette selection for basing a capsule wardrobe on art.) Some people like to make a gallery wall of many small to medium pictures.
This is a full view of the seascape painting. It features dunes covered with dead plants leading down to a view of ocean waves with seagulls above. I'm not sure whether this is East Coast or West Coast, but I suspect east from the vegetation. Likewise the season is not specified, but I estimate fall due to the color of the plants and the fact that they're still mostly upright rather than beaten down. Based on the textures, the medium is most likely oil paint. It uses classic beach colors of blues, grays, white, beige, and browns.
Three seagulls fly near the upper right corner. Most seascapes have one or more seagulls.
The lower right corner holds a variety of dead grasses and broadleaf plants with dried seedpods. If you like dead things, an autumn or winter landscape is a great choice. Look at all the interesting shapes and textures, the different shades of brown and yellow! It's a beach in pretty decent shape, given the biodiversity on display.
The lower middle of the painting shows a dip in the dunes, which leads to the ocean with waves breaking. Light and shadows show the texture of the paint on the waves. Such textures are often created with a palette knife rather than a brush.
The lower left corner includes the signature, an old fence, and more dried plants. Contrast the arching blades of grass with the fluffy tufts of weeds in the background and the broader leaves of some others. The fenceposts have a vertical, corrugated texture.
The signature toward the lower left looks like "Karin."
In this closeup, you can see the old fence as a line of weathered posts and sagging wires. It contributes to the air of abandonment and desolation suggested by the dried plants.
On the back, the frame shows "16" as a measurement.
Here it says "20" and the whole thing is 16" x 20" in size. This is a nice medium-sized painting that I got for a very low price.
The back of the frame has no hanger. You can see a little bit of how the seascape canvas wraps around the wooden frame. We recently got a whole box of hangers, so we can add one before hanging this. With a deep frame on the back of a stretched canvas like this, you could just prop it over a nail or two, but that is less secure.
A yardstick shows the 16" measurement on this forest painting. This is almost certainly oil paint in the alla prima or "wet on wet" style made famous by Bob Ross. Thus it's what I call a "happy little trees" painting, a nature scene that is pleasant and relaxing. If you like nature at all, a landscape picture is an excellent choice.
This one is either spring or fall, but it's hard to tell for sure which. I lean slightly toward fall because a couple trees are sliding toward yellow-orange. Some trees do leaf out that way in very early spring, but it's more common in late summer to early fall when the leaves are starting to fade but not flaming yet. Here the colors are earthy greens and browns, a little yellow and orange, with blues and white in the background.
This side measures 20" across. The whole painting is 16" x 20" like the seascape. From this angle you can see clots of paint on some of the treetrunks. That much texture almost always means an original painting. The forest is healthy with plenty of large trees, but also smaller ones for a layered effect. Some of these might be cypresses, others could be maples. Cypress-maple is a wetland combination.
The upper right corner gives a better look at the globs of paint adding texture to treetrunks. They look like knotholes.
The lower right corner has the signature and the bases of several treetrunks.
Here is a closeup of the signature. I can't read this one.
The middle of the picture has a path heading toward the lake. A path invites you into the picture. Water is generally soothing. This also gives a closeup of some trees with yellow-green and yellow-orange leaves.
The lower left corner shows the beginning of the path.
The middle of the left side has more trees.
The upper left corner shows trees with their leafy branches made by a fan brush.
Paint goes over the edge of the canvas. This is almost always a sign of an actual painting rather than a print or poster.
This watercolor painting shows a flowerbed with a birdbath. It has a lovely cottage-garden feel. Neither the birds nor the flowers are distinctive enough to guess species. There are many tall flowers such as foxglove, gladioli, and hollyhock that bloom in red to purple shades.
The frame is about 8 3/4" wide. The painting itself is about 7 1/2" wide. The style is clearly watercolor. I believe it to be original based on the faintly textured paper and also because it's sealed very thoroughly into that lovely rustic frame. The palette is bright and cheerful with red, green, purple, sky blue, and a ltitle brown.
The frame is about 11" tall. The painting itself is about 9 1/4" tall.
The back of the watercolor painting is thoroughly sealed up with paper. It has a wire hanger properly installed, plus a couple of felt footers.
When you buy artwork from an artist or a gallery, you know what you're getting. With thrifted artwork, it's more of a puzzle to figure out. Some people don't care what kind of art it is, as long as they like the picture, and that's fine. Others may like a particular medium, or prefer paintings to prints or posters. In the latter case, there are things you can look for. Different media have their own techniques and traits. A poster or lower-end print will be smooth. A midrange print will have a canvas texture. Certain high-end processes include some brush strokes. A painting with oil or acrylic usually has at least some brush strokes, and sometimes quite a lot of texture. Watercolor is generally done on very thick paper that has a faintly rippled texture. Generally the more texture, the more likely it is a real painting. At a rummage sale, you can run your fingertips lightly over the surface to feel for texture, if it's not obvious enough to see. Tilting artwork allows light to hit different angles to catch textures.
Check the sides and back too. If you see paint going over the edges of a canvas, it's more likely a real painting. Be aware that some artists dislike that and will tape their edges to prevent it. That often leaves a faint edge where the paint builds up at the side of the tape, which looks a bit different than the edge of a print or poster. A cheap frame typically has its contents secured with swivel clasps, or bendable tabs or staples. A more serious frame job will have everything nailed or glued in place securely to protect the artwork, and is more likely to be a real painting.
At rummage sale prices (typically under $10) one may not care, but at boutique prices (typically under $100) more people will care -- and be willing to spend more on an actual painting than a print or poster. It can be fun to look at things and analyze what you believe them to be. If you are thoughtful and observant, you can build quite a nice art collection from rummage sale, thrift stores, and such.
Also, think about where you'll put it before you buy anything. At least try to have a room in mind. Consider what subjects you like. Think about your color scheme at home. Conversely, if you have a blank room to decorate, a great piece of artwork can not only make a focal point but also suggest a palette of colors to use. (See some examples of palette selection for basing a capsule wardrobe on art.) Some people like to make a gallery wall of many small to medium pictures.
This is a full view of the seascape painting. It features dunes covered with dead plants leading down to a view of ocean waves with seagulls above. I'm not sure whether this is East Coast or West Coast, but I suspect east from the vegetation. Likewise the season is not specified, but I estimate fall due to the color of the plants and the fact that they're still mostly upright rather than beaten down. Based on the textures, the medium is most likely oil paint. It uses classic beach colors of blues, grays, white, beige, and browns.
Three seagulls fly near the upper right corner. Most seascapes have one or more seagulls.
The lower right corner holds a variety of dead grasses and broadleaf plants with dried seedpods. If you like dead things, an autumn or winter landscape is a great choice. Look at all the interesting shapes and textures, the different shades of brown and yellow! It's a beach in pretty decent shape, given the biodiversity on display.
The lower middle of the painting shows a dip in the dunes, which leads to the ocean with waves breaking. Light and shadows show the texture of the paint on the waves. Such textures are often created with a palette knife rather than a brush.
The lower left corner includes the signature, an old fence, and more dried plants. Contrast the arching blades of grass with the fluffy tufts of weeds in the background and the broader leaves of some others. The fenceposts have a vertical, corrugated texture.
The signature toward the lower left looks like "Karin."
In this closeup, you can see the old fence as a line of weathered posts and sagging wires. It contributes to the air of abandonment and desolation suggested by the dried plants.
On the back, the frame shows "16" as a measurement.
Here it says "20" and the whole thing is 16" x 20" in size. This is a nice medium-sized painting that I got for a very low price.
The back of the frame has no hanger. You can see a little bit of how the seascape canvas wraps around the wooden frame. We recently got a whole box of hangers, so we can add one before hanging this. With a deep frame on the back of a stretched canvas like this, you could just prop it over a nail or two, but that is less secure.
A yardstick shows the 16" measurement on this forest painting. This is almost certainly oil paint in the alla prima or "wet on wet" style made famous by Bob Ross. Thus it's what I call a "happy little trees" painting, a nature scene that is pleasant and relaxing. If you like nature at all, a landscape picture is an excellent choice.
This one is either spring or fall, but it's hard to tell for sure which. I lean slightly toward fall because a couple trees are sliding toward yellow-orange. Some trees do leaf out that way in very early spring, but it's more common in late summer to early fall when the leaves are starting to fade but not flaming yet. Here the colors are earthy greens and browns, a little yellow and orange, with blues and white in the background.
This side measures 20" across. The whole painting is 16" x 20" like the seascape. From this angle you can see clots of paint on some of the treetrunks. That much texture almost always means an original painting. The forest is healthy with plenty of large trees, but also smaller ones for a layered effect. Some of these might be cypresses, others could be maples. Cypress-maple is a wetland combination.
The upper right corner gives a better look at the globs of paint adding texture to treetrunks. They look like knotholes.
The lower right corner has the signature and the bases of several treetrunks.
Here is a closeup of the signature. I can't read this one.
The middle of the picture has a path heading toward the lake. A path invites you into the picture. Water is generally soothing. This also gives a closeup of some trees with yellow-green and yellow-orange leaves.
The lower left corner shows the beginning of the path.
The middle of the left side has more trees.
The upper left corner shows trees with their leafy branches made by a fan brush.
Paint goes over the edge of the canvas. This is almost always a sign of an actual painting rather than a print or poster.
This watercolor painting shows a flowerbed with a birdbath. It has a lovely cottage-garden feel. Neither the birds nor the flowers are distinctive enough to guess species. There are many tall flowers such as foxglove, gladioli, and hollyhock that bloom in red to purple shades.
The frame is about 8 3/4" wide. The painting itself is about 7 1/2" wide. The style is clearly watercolor. I believe it to be original based on the faintly textured paper and also because it's sealed very thoroughly into that lovely rustic frame. The palette is bright and cheerful with red, green, purple, sky blue, and a ltitle brown.
The frame is about 11" tall. The painting itself is about 9 1/4" tall.
The back of the watercolor painting is thoroughly sealed up with paper. It has a wire hanger properly installed, plus a couple of felt footers.
no subject
Date: 2025-06-17 19:45 (UTC)I would also like to add, your watercolor painting seems to utilize both wet on wet and wet on dry techniques.
Thoughts
Date: 2025-06-17 20:06 (UTC)I'm thrilled. It's not rare to find one or two artworks in a rummage sale, but a whole pile is rare, especially with things this nice. I love nature art, and I'm not terribly picky about how fancy it is, but there's a thrill to spotting something I like and realizing it is actual paint on canvas.
>> You're analysis is spot on. As someone who has an art history degree, is an artist, former board member of our local art association, taught art, been an art show judge, and worked in a gallery, <<
*glee* Thanks everso for the vote of confidence. :D My art skill is limited by my iffy hand-eye coordination, but my eye for color and my eye for composition are in perfect working order. So I can do things like scrapbooking or color-matching flowers in a pot. I'm a fan of art across many media and enjoy talking about it. We also support local artists.
>> I've never actually read someone describe how to tell a real painting from a print like that before. I loved it. <<
It's a fun puzzle for me. I like yardsales and you never know what you're going to find. I also like reading about how art is made, and I've done a TON of research on various painting techniques for my writing because I have artist characters and my fans love the hell out of workshop scenes. Put it together and I've got a decent idea what to look for. With three different pieces, I thought it would make a great comparison to talk about.
>> I would also like to add, your watercolor painting seems to utilize both wet on wet and wet on dry techniques. <<
I suspected that. The tall flower spikes have the super-spreading quality that some watercolors show when really wet, but the birdbath has a finer level of detail. But it gets harder to tell when someone is using watercolors and a fine brush on damp or dry paper vs. some sort of art pen, when looking at more refined lines. And it's behind glass, which makes certain types of details harder to spot. I had my nose against the glass, tilting it, looking for the texture that most watercolor paper has.
owo
Date: 2025-06-18 02:21 (UTC)I frequent thrift stores but, rarely find artwork I like. I've picked up a few Navajo, Diné, and other Indigenous pieces, though.
Re: owo
Date: 2025-06-18 02:39 (UTC)*bow, flourish* Happy to be of service. I just lucked into these and thought folks would enjoy the discussion.
>> I frequent thrift stores but, rarely find artwork I like. <<
Around here, it's common to find art in thrift stores or rummage sales, but finding something good enough to take home is less common.
>> I've picked up a few Navajo, Diné, and other Indigenous pieces, though. <<
Oh, that's awesome. We rarely see that here.