THRIFT STORE FIND INSIDE SHADOWBOX CLOCK - GEORGE BARTELL WATERCOLOR? PEN & INK?

I saw this painting? Pen & ink? artwork of a race car speeding away around the bend of a curve in what I thought was a shadow box frame until I looked at the back & saw directions for the batteries for a clock!

I looked at the artwork again & didn't see any hole for the hands/motor and when I googled the artist's name I figured someone had used the frame/box to protect it - because it looks like an original pen & ink (my guess because it's signed in pencil) by renown automotive artist George Bartell!

So I took the back off when I got home & lo and behold there was a sunset print with a hole for the clock's hands being used as a backing for the art!
A couple of questions - is this a pen & ink or a watercolor? - If you look at the photos near the end you can see that Bartell(?) mounted a piece of paper on a art board and then painted(?) the scene; because at 1 side it is loose & when you pick it up you can see some of the paint(?) is still/also on the edge of the board.

So what is it made of; pen & ink or paint?
And - does anyone know what kind of car that is?!

Thank you!
PS - has to be one of my coolest finds in a while!

 

The car is a corvette. Beyond that, you've got me.

 

Looks like acrylic and black grease pencil to me, Journey.

 

I don't think he used grease pencil - is there a way to find out what it's made from exactly; so I can list it correctly?

 

Looks like acrylic and grease pencil to me too. And I don't think mis-identifying the medium will hurt much. According to the internet:

"Bartell liked to work in acrylic, but he was more than happy to use whatever was handy."

Debora

 

Agreed, thanks Debora

 

Would grease pencil have a slick or ... greasy (sorry! lol) feel to it?

 

Wouldn't surprise me. Crayon and oil pastel would if you touched them.

 

That is what I thought too, but this doesn't have that feel - it's dry to touch - this couldn't be a print could it?

 

The "feel" of a grease pencil may not be perceptible to a non artist, or you'd have to have very keen tactile senses. Yes, it should smear a small amount off on a q-tip if you want to have a go at it on a part that is not near the signature. Do not wipe on the signature. A hint of iso.alcohol on the qtip will make more of a mark on the painting (or print) so if you use a cutter like alcohol, be sure it is very dry and in a non descript place. If nothing - it's a print.

It looks original to me, but I have a question, the flat canvas has been cut down to fit the frame on two sides, cut by hand with a utility knife. What am I looking at in your last photo above? Is there a fabric paper type canvas of the picture laying on the top of the flat canvas on which you can see the hand cuts from the back? Is that flat canvas - nothing more than more backing, along with the original sunset print?

 

It was painted on a piece of paper that was first glued or attached to a board (label says brownie board - photos 7 & 8) and that's where he didn't tape it off first & painted over the paper onto the board.
Also it must have been done in 1969 as dated because the paper comes off the board fairly easy now.

 

Yes - it's not a print!

 

I suspect your original dated work of a racing Corvette by George Bartell is very desirable.

Debora

 

I agree

 

Thank you - I am curious about it being a corvette; I thought I read during that period he was making ads for Ford Shelbys?

 

He painted lots of Corvettes.

Debora

 

Have you sold it?

 

Sold it to a guy in Az for $400 or $450 if I remember correctly; he saw post on Miami FB marketplace and contacted me!