Thoughts on this oil painting

It is on kind of thick cardboard like material

 

Hard to tell from the photos. Do you see brushstrokes or does it look like it's been printed on? I see what looks like K. and then another letter I can't read and Smith.

 

Could you show a picture of the back? I'm not sure, but maybe that would also give some clues.

 

Here are a few more pictures, it is a oil painting kind of thick paint strokes
Signed K.A. Smith on the back





It kind of looks like that peg board type of material

 

Hi Sharona! That "cardboard material" appears to be flat canvas with a piece of thin cardboard glued to the back. I'm not sure I've ever seen the back of a flat canvas before that didn't have the manufacturer's name or some other identifying marking stamped onto the back. It almost looks hand-made.

If you mentioned the size, I missed it. The weave of the fabric makes me think it is quite small? idk?

I can see that where it once had an eyehole screw inserted for a hanger has made some damage on the back. Has the hanger wire been inserted at the bottom of the back now? --That will cause the painting to lean forward a whole lot when hung on a wall. I would still sell this with the frame because the frame will protect the corners during shipping.

As for the painting, it is pretty well done (not the best but certainly not the worst), ocean water is more difficult to paint to get a realistic appearance than, for example: trees. I'm inclined to think this is the northeast New England coast and the Atlantic Ocean, rather than the Pacific - although I have nothing tangible to base my opinion on other than the colors of the rocks and the lighting.

Perhaps some of our New Englanders can give their take on the location? idk? Somehow I doubt that this was done in another country and then shipped in to the USA, but anything is possible.

 

Thanks Anti!
It is 24 by 18 fairly large, the eyeholes are in tact it is not tightened in frame with nail properly

 

and yes you are right, canvas glued on board

 

The canvas almost looks home-made to me. How big is it?

See where the eyehole used to be is now cracked as though it was ripped from the wall? <<That is what I was talking about. Although the frame looks to have some damage to it, any painting is safer shipped in some sort of a frame.

Curiously and thankfully, I didn't see any damages to the painting itself. It is possible I missed some, my eyesight isn't what it used to be.

 

I'm going to toss out a few guesses: circa 1920-1930s painting. I believe it may have been painted from a photograph, possibly a b&w photograph, I don't think it was painted outdoors from real life.

 

Thanks so much for your opinion and help!
Here are the key hole scews, probably my pictures that are not that clear
Here are some close ups

 

I was talking about the hole above the eyehole screws - where it has a split up on the back edge. The frame looks to be made of painted oak, pre-pickled wood era and not purposefully a "faux finish" on the frame. Thank you for showing me.

 

Thats what I was thinking on the frame, do you think the frame is mid century?
Ok I am blinder than a bat yes the screws have been moved and it is split

 

I thought it looked like the coast of Maine.

 

It could be almost anywhere..

In some ways it reminds me of the North Sea.
The Northumberland, England rugged coastline where I grew up.

 

I think it is rather well done. I do think style and subject says East coast of US. Frame says 50's or later. Have seen blank cardboard backed canvasboard like this before and usually equate it to 30s-early 50s. It is possible that the painting is older than the frame but they also could be contemporary to each other.

 

My impression is the California coast from the early 1950s, there was kind of a craze then and thru the 1960s.

I like the composition, over all and the contrast of the light sky and dark water and rocks. That may be why it looks northern, but I have seen hundreds of these waves splashing on the huge rocks paintings from Cali or of Cali.

But I am unsure what the artist was trying to accomplish? Being 'modern' or being 'quick'? The spray is a pretty simple sponge daub and the rocks near the signature show a rather quicky-style of single brush stroke.

I might grow tired of looking at the lack of texture on the rocks, which might be due to a lack of technique or a conscience effort by the artist, who was imitating those types of paintings from the 1930s, my guess is more of the former and less of a conscience effort to create a style.

As far as the frame being cracked, that happens on oak when they don't pre-drill the hole before pounding in a nail or screw.

 

Of course it could be West coast but I kind of get a Rockport school impressionist vibe from it with the spare brushwork and darker palette. Any clues based on where this was found or known provenance?

 

No provenance, just a local garage sale with no info
Only a couple of bucks in it, so not worried about that
Thanks for all the help!

 

How big is it Sharona?

 

The painting is 24 by 18