Highlights and Sales Results--Couer d' Alene Western Art Auction 2012

Shirt Worn by Chief Joseph Sold for 877,500 at Auction

Scout's Report by Howard Terpning Sold for 977,000 at Auction

A Life of Cultivation by Scott Tallman Powers--Winner of the Collector's Choice Award

The 2012 Couer d'Alene auction realized total sales of over 17.4 Million  up from last year's 16.9 Million.

Top sales prices included Howard Terpning's "Scout's Report" which sold for 977,000, Frank Tenney-Johnson's "Cowboys Roping the Bear" which sold for 921,000, and a shirt worn by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce tribe (and documented in the earliest known photo of him and a painting that hangs in the Smithsonian and was used for a U.S. postage stamp), which sold for 877,500.

Although there were many sales (90% of all lots sold),  and overall sales were up over last year, we didn't see the way over estimates sales on Terpning paintings that we did at the last big auction in Scottsdale. Can't complain about the almost 1 Million hammer price on "Scout's Report", though.

There were many wonderful paintings, and some very good buys to be had. One of my collectors walked away with a painting well below what he was prepared to pay for it.

Auctions are a funny thing.--sometimes there are two or more collectors who want the same painting and prices can go wild, other times if collectors intent on buying paintings by a particular artist don't attend, or buy something else during the auction, and use up their art budget, you may find a treasure for less than you would expect.
 
The Collector's Choice Award for the 2012 event went to Scott Tallman Powers for his new painting "A Life of Cultivation", which sold for 22,230..

Pino Daeni Original Painting Maternal Instincts (Version 2)--Famous Paintings with Multiple Versions

Maternal Instincts Original Painting by Pino Daeni

Artist Pino Daeni originals are prized by collectors, and Maternal Instincts is one of his more iconic paintings.. A version of the Pino original painting Maternal Instincts just became available. It has the mother in a lavender dress and the daughter in a teal dress. Another version of Maternal Instincts by Pino (which was also made into a limited edition art print) has the mother in a deep purple dress and the daughter in a burgundy wine dress, and has a deeper background as well.

Many famous artists throughout history have painted multiple version of paintings, including DaVinci, Monet, Van Gogh, and Munch.

A version of Edvard Munch's The Scream made the news this year when it sold at Sotheby's auction house for just under 120 Million, breaking auction records. There are four versions of The Scream. The other three are in museums in Norway.

Rouen Cathedral by Claude Monet

 Between 1892 and 1894, impressionist Claude Monet painted a series of 31 paintings of the Rouen Cathedral with different light and atmospheric occurrences, such as clouds and fog, and from different perspectives. The paintings were well received, and a commercial success at the time. One of the Cathedral paintings was sold at auction in 2000 for over 24 Million. Two of the paintings are in the National Gallery of Art in Washington  DC, there are others in museums throughout the world.

Without Borders by Peter Max

Of course, there are famous examples  in modern or "pop art" as well, with Andy Warhol and Peter Max. Sometimes multiple versions of a painting would be displayed together as one montage, but there are also versions of paintings that stand alone.

With multiple versions of original paintings, each painting is a unique one of a kind painted by the artist's hand, and not a reproduction like a limited edition print or giclee canvas.

For more information on Pino Daeni art or to request a quote on Maternal Instincts,  visit the Pino art exhibit. or contact us at 661 476-7558 or info@jwatsonfineart.com.

Moms in Art--5 Great Paintings of Mothers and Children

Mother Berthe Holding her Baby by Mary Stevenson Cassatt (1864-1914)

Moms have been portrayed in art through history. In addition to paintings by earlier masters like Mary Stevenson Cassatt, there are some great paintings of mothers by contemporary master artists like Pino, Steve Hanks, Morgan Weistling, and I thought I would share some great art that honors Mom with you.

A Place in My Heart by Pino Daeni

Italian artist, Pino Daeni (1939-2010) was raised by women alone during the war, and his appreciation for mothers shows in many of his paintings.

A Place in My Heart reminds us of the joy of being a mom at the end of a long day.

Pino started his career as a book cover illustrator for many of the top publishing companies and then moved into fine art. His beautiful paintings and limited edition prints on canvas are highly collectible.

Maternal Instincts by Pino Daeni

In Maternal Instincts, Pino portrays the fierce protective nature of moms, like a mother lion for her cub.

The emotion comes through in this painting, which was also made into a limited edition.

Another great painting of a mom in art is "A Mother's Warmth" by
watercolor artist Steve Hanks.

Steve was an oil painter for many years and then developed an allergy to the paints, but he didn't let that stop him in pursuing his passion for art. He developed techniques of layering watercolor to produce realistic skin tones and objects that rival those in oil paintings.

A Mother's Warmth by Steve Hanks

The scenes in Steve's paintings often have a relaxed and "laid back" feel about them.

He paints nudes, but also fully clothed people and often shows them by the water.

Artist Morgan Weistling pays tribute to a mom's patience in his painting" A Helping Hand".

A Helping Hand by Morgan Weistling

This mom in the Old West works on her project with her helper close by her side.

Morgan is one of the Masters of the American West at the Autry Museum, and his new paintings are in great demand. Many of them are of women or children.

A Helping Hand was made into a limited edition print on canvas as well.

I hope you have enjoyed this celebration of mothers in art. 

J Watson Fine Art offers beautiful original paintings and select limited editions by award-winning artists in Western Art, Romantic Art and Impressionist landscapes and street scenes. Contact us at 661 476-7558 or e-mail info@jwatsonfienart.com or visit www.jwatsonfineart.com for assistance with your art collection.

Western Art at the Couer d'Alene Art Auction 2012

The Sutter Creek Stage (1932) by Frank Tenney Johnson (1874-1939)

The Couer d'Alene Art Auction is coming up Saturday July 21st, with an artwork preview and party on Friday, July 20th at the Silver Legacy Resort  in Reno, Nevada.

Heralded as the biggest Western art auction by the Wall Street Journal, the Couer d'Alene auction offers some wonderful art treasures for Western art collectors and dealers.

This year some of the highlights include art by deceased artists such as Albert Bierstadt,  Frank Tenney Johnson, Charles M. Russell and Frederic Remington, as well as living masters Howard Terpning, G. Harvey, Morgan Wiestling, and Mian Situ, just to name a few.

Most of the artwork comes to auction from museum or private collections, but there are also some new paintings created just for the auction by some of today's top Western and wildlife artists.by invitation only.

At the recent Scottsdale Art Auction in March of 2012,  many Howard Terpning paintings exceeded auction estimates dramatically. Captured Ponies had an estimate of 400-600K and ended up selling for over 1.9 Million, and Mystic Power of the War Shield had an estimate of 600-900K and sold for over 1.7 Million, which were the two top lots in the auction. It will be interesting to see what happens with the Terpning paintings at the Couer d' Alene this year.

The Autry Museum just hosted an exhibition about Howard, who is now in his 80's with more than 80 of his original paintings on display. A new book of his art,  Terpning: Tribute to the Plains People ,was recently released.

Not all of the art is at the seven figure range at the Couer d'Alene auction, however. There are lots with low estimates starting from a few thousand up to the strong six figures.

You can  preview the art that will be at the Couer d'Alene Auction here. If you can't attend you can place a proxy bid, or if you would prefer to have an art dealer take care of the process, J Watson Fine Art offers bidding assistance for our collectors. You may contact us at 661 476-7558 or e-mail us at info@jwatsonfineart.com  for more information.

G. Harvey Art--Celebrating America this 4th of July 2012

Dreams of a Nation by G. Harvey

Cowhands of the West by G. harvey

An Evening with the President

G. Harvey art celebrates the spirit of America--what we have accomplished, and the challenges we have faced. So, it is a fitting tribute for this 4th of July to present some wonderful works of art by this beloved painter of America.

The 4th of July reminds us of the freedoms we enjoy and how lucky we are here and gives us a new appreciation of those who have paved the way for us.

Wishing all the Fine Art Collector blog visitors a Happy 4th of July this year!

View more G. Harvey art.