Roadshow Guest Hits Hom-er-Run

About six months ago, a guest on Antiques Roadshow was shocked to discover that two 19th-century watercolor paintings purchased by her great-grandmother could be worth six figures. The revelation occurred when the hit PBS show made a stop in Arkansas, where the owner of the paintings explained that the art had been in her family for “probably 150 years.” She loved the works so much, she made copies of the paintings to hang in her office at the university where she worked, before safely storing the originals.

She said: “One of the art history professors came in one day and she saw the works, and she goes, “Oh, I didn’t know we had any Winslow Homers in our collection.’

“I just about fell out on the floor, and I said, ‘Well … those belong to me.”’
Show appraiser Betty Krulik revealed the history of the artwork: “Winslow Homer [American, 1836–1910] started working in watercolor in about 1873 in Gloucester. These works date from slightly later, about 1878.

“The medium of the one closest to you [Boy and Girl on a Swing] is pure watercolor. There might be some pencil underdrawing that’s very faint. It has lost color. We call that light struck. There were times when he painted in very pale washes but this is a little paler than usual.”

Boy and Girl on a Swing (ca. 1879) watercolor and pencil on paper, 8 ¼ x 12 in. Photo courtesy: Christie’s

Sharing her expert opinion, she said: “I’m going to value them as though they are by the artist. They look absolutely right to me. In my opinion, they’re signed with every stroke of the brush. The little boy and girl on the swing is probably worth about $30,000 to $50,000. That’s fair market value. That would be the range you might get in an auction. I would insure it for about $70,000.”

Krulik determined the second painting had an even higher value: ‘The one of the boy and girl at the well has the pencil underdrawing the watercolor. And then these touches of gouache, they’re just perfect 1878 Winslow Homers.”

“This one is in much better condition. It has not lost color. And you can actually see that the opening goes to the very edge, that there might-might be a little bit of what we call acid burn … from the old frame where it’s darkened at the very edge. But you can see that the color hasn’t really changed. You get that full range of the greens. What might have happened, though, is that the paper might have darkened very slightly. And you can see [in places] where the gouache has protected the original color of the paper, the kind of buff tone.

“For this one, an auction estimate would be about $150,000 to $200,000. And I’d insure it for closer to $250,000.”

In fact, the works were auctioned by Christie’s on January 23, with Boy and Girl at a Well (1879) sold for $113,400, including fees, and Boy and Girl on a Swing (1879) sold for $75,600, also including fees.

Watercolor Does Plein Air Too

If you’re interested in watercolor – but also painting plein air – watercolorist Andy Evansen has perfected just the technique to try. Andy was always inspired by the watercolor paintings of British artists Trevor Chamberlain, David Curtis, Ed Seago and Edward Wesson, among others.

He found himself attempting to capture the landscape with the same economy of brushstroke, taking advantage of the luminosity of watercolors done in just a few washes. In addition, he was impressed with the way those artists seemed to capture everyday scenes in such a way that revealed a hidden beauty, subjects that many would simply pass by.

Andy Evansen, “Perseverance,” watercolor, 11 x 15 in.

He became a signature member of the prestigious Plein Air Painters of America (PAPA) in 2012 and served as their President from 2015-2017. His paintings have won numerous awards, including the Bronze and High Winds Medals from the American Watercolor Society, and he was their demonstration artist for the 2018 Exhibition. His love of painting on location also led to him being a featured presenter at international conferences and a sought-after instructor.

Andy Evansen, Cattails Behind Vermillion, watercolor, 11 x 15 in.

Evansen shares his decades of experience and the secrets to creating a great watercolor painting. This video shows you the steps for a winning composition, how to nail the values every time, how to avoid watercolor problems, and how to blend shapes for a more pleasing painting. You’ll learn to lead the viewer’s eye, use darks to design a scene, create believable reflections, paint skies effectively, and make use of spontaneous brushstrokes, as well as discover how to build a color palette … and much more.

You’ll Learn:

How to create a powerful and pleasing composition
The ideal painting setup
The complete color palette
How to take average compositions and make them spectacular with a few small changes
How to master values by creating and using value studies
How to avoid trouble in your painting
How to merge and blend shapes for a more pleasing look
How to catch and lead the viewer’s eye
How to use darks as a tool to design a scene
Essential drawing skills
How to create realistic impressions in water
How to lift highlights
How to paint details
How to know what to leave out of a painting
How to give the eye rest
Dry-brush techniques you can use to your advantage
How to make light and sun feel realistic
How to give brushstrokes the feel of spontaneity while keeping control
Remove excess water in your painting
The important steps for creating a realistic underwash
How to paint spectacular skies
Using color and grays to keep the painting pleasing
How to make whites and lights pop in the painting