Smart Art

Aside from some original pieces given to me by my twin sis artist, I dig up most of my art at the thrift shop. Some is juvenile - literally, as in the case of the self-portrait of a six-year old girl (see "Bittersweet Thrift" from January).

When I troll the thrift shops for art, I'm just like any high-end collector: I buy what I love, what calls to me.

This painting definitely called to me - I love the urban (Paris?) scape and slightly retro feel (yes, it's mounted on a tweedy canvas fabric, tres 1970s). It looks original as the paint is raised and the signature in the bottom right reads "Brasso."

I did a quick Internet search and couldn't find much save for an auction of a Paris scene by a painter with the same name and similar style - the date on that other painting was 1970 (my birth date!) and it was valued at only a few hundred bucks.

That's OK. I love my painting and it filled a rather blank space on my icky-coloured coffee wall. It's the most I've ever paid for thrift art: $89.99, but it's worth it.

This week I'm dedicating the blog to Thrift Art - I'll take you through what I've found and how I display it - and how little I've paid for most pieces!