Entries tagged "art"

The Art of Mose T

Market Warriors | 04/22/13 at 11:52 a.m.

In one of the booths at the Liberty Antiques Festival in Liberty, NC, Miller Gaffney stopped to take a look at a painting of cotton. The artist, Mose Tolliver (1920-2006), commonly known as Mose T, was a self-taught American folk painter from Alabama, whose style and use of house paints and salvaged objects gave his paintings a distinct look. In his lifetime, Mose T was celebrated as an "Outsider Artist" and his paintings can be seen in museums throughout the United States. 

In 2002, a guest brought a Mose T painting to the ANTIQUES ROADSHOW event in Hot Springs, Arkansas and had it appraised by Paintings & Drawings expert Colleene Fesko. Take a look to learn more about Mose T and find out how much this painting is worth!

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Inspiration for a Nation: Norman Rockwell's "Four Freedoms"

Market Warriors | 02/11/13 at 02:00 p.m.

In Chantilly, Virginia, the pickers met with dealer Art Finkel, who specializes in vintage posters and lithographs. With him, they looked at World War II posters by the American illustrator Norman Rockwell. The pickers struggled with naming the two freedoms that, in addition to "Freedom from Fear" and "Freedom from Want," make up Rockwell's iconic "Four Freedoms" series. Though perhaps best known for the idyllic scenes of American life that frequented the covers of The Saturday Evening Post, Norman Rockwell made notable contributions to the war effort with works like the "Four Freedoms" and "Rosie the Riveter."

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Edwardian and Turn of the Century Style

Market Warriors | 01/04/13 at 06:00 a.m.

The MARKET WARRIORS team is looking forward to the January 6 premiere of Downton Abbey Season 3 on MASTERPIECE on PBS. 

The anticipation inspired us to create these beautiful Pinterest boards highlighting the lavish and resplendent style we've come to adore on MASTERPIECE programs like Upstairs Downstairs and Downton Abbey.

MARKET WARRIORS finds from the early 20th Century

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Who is Maria Ginter?

Market Warriors | 11/13/12 at 07:12 p.m.

Want to know more about the painting Kevin bought in New York for $100 and sold in Virginia for $250? On the back of the artwork was a brief biography of the artist, Maria Ginter. It appears to have been written for an exhibit sponsored by the Polish Institute of Art and Sciences . Here's a photograph of the bio (transcript to follow):

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Peter Max: The Collector

Bob Richter | 10/16/12 at 09:23 a.m.

As if there wasn’t already enough to like about Peter Max, what I quickly discovered during my recent interview with him is that he shares my passion for great Art Deco pieces. In fact, Max has wonderful French Deco furniture all over his studio. In addition, he collects Roseville, and has a good number of pieces in two of my favorite lines: Futura and Baneda. I told him I’d just written a MARKET WARRIORS blog post calling out these patterns, and he smiled and nodded, as if he was completely unsurprised.

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Native American Names, Art and Identity

Market Warriors | 10/08/12 at 12:52 p.m.

In Pasadena, CA, our pickers were tasked with finding Native American objects to sell at auction. On the surface, the task seemed simple enough, especially in the state that has the largest Native American population in the United States. Miller set out on a search for ancient pottery, while guest-Picker Bob Cirillo started hunting for tribal turquoise. But soon the Pickers found themselves searching for more than just a good bargain; they were also on a search for meaning — the meaning of the term Native American.

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Collecting Art Pottery, Part 1: American Art Pottery

Bob Richter | 09/24/12 at 01:07 p.m.

Art pottery is likely one of the widest category of collecting on the map. As such, I own a great deal of it, and really do buy what I love — which often winds up being European, although I have a lot of great American pieces as well. By definition, art pottery is something that was created from clay, either by hand or by machine, for aesthetic value, as opposed to an object that was strictly utilitarian. In Antiquing in Brimfield, MA - Part 2 , our challenge was to find art pottery, and since we were heading to Cowan’s Auction House, which is based in Ohio, I had my eye out for pottery from that region. Ohio has a rich history with pottery with such companies as Roseville, Weller, Rookwood, McCoy, Zanesville, etc. all hailing from the state.

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Q & A with Bob Richter

Bob Richter | 09/06/12 at 08:51 p.m.

If you could only collect one thing what would it be? 

Artwork. I have so much respect for those who create. Whether an artist has captured a glance or a moment, or enabled us to see the world in a different way, I find that paintings in particular hold a great deal of emotion for me. Because I'm so passionate about artwork, I own a great deal of it, and have to rotate my collection. I need a few more walls!

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Tips from Bob Richter, Part 1

Bob Richter | 08/07/12 at 09:32 a.m.

Bob Richter buys with his heart and with his head. Here's 6 tips from Bob on shopping at flea markets: 

1. Buy what you love. At the end of the day, if it makes you happy and it enriches your home, then it’s all good. 

2. Treat vendors with respect and kindness. They get up awfully early and weed through a lot of stuff to find beautiful things. If you take time to have a real conversation, you might just get a better price and make a friend.

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Q & A with Miller Gaffney

Miller Gaffney | 06/19/12 at 07:40 p.m.

When did you know that you wanted to pursue a career in the antiques and art world?

I was born to appraise — I love history, and at a young age I was always examining objects in the attic looking for treasures from the past. I would play dress up in my grandmother’s vintage clothing and costume jewelry, and I managed to purchase and buy objects and build collections at a young age. Some of my collections included dolls, costume jewelry, hats, boxes, seashells, paperweights, and silk fans.

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