Uncovering Our History Through The Relics Left Behind
Posted in Art
I became acquainted with the works of artist Tom McKinney when I first started buying art from a framer before I discovered auctions. I bought a print awash in dark tones titled “Lazy Afternoon,” of…
Roland Ayers was one of those local artists who was a friend and mentor to a few people but was largely unknown to many. For years, he ran the Friends of the Free Library of…
It’s been more than a month since I self-published my book “ART WITH HEART: How I Built a Sweet Collection by Buying Cheap at Auction.” The book tells the story of how I amassed a…
The apprehension in my framer’s voice was palpable. I had given her a painting three months before for new framing. I had called often to ask if it was finished, but each time she had…
Posted in Art, Black history, Books, and Ephemera/Paper/Documents
William Henry Dorsey was not only an artist but a collector. That’s not unusual. What is unusual is that he was both at a time when Black folks were struggling to survive the dehumanization of…
Posted in Art
Otto Neals was born with talent, but he never stopped pushing himself. He mastered watercolor after years of trying. “Watercolor was very difficult for me. But I loved it so much that I kept going…
Posted in Ephemera/Paper/Documents, Movies, and Performers
I didn’t know Mantan Moreland made so many movies, my old auction buddy Janet exclaimed. Neither did I. We had individually gone through items in an upcoming online auction and were marveling at how many…
Seemed like pretty often, a sleigh turned up at auction around Christmas time. Since most of the auction houses have temporarily closed and moved online, I haven’t seen any this year. But several have appeared…
Posted in Art, Black history, collectibles, and history
Every now and then at auction, I’d pick up a box of sundry items and find a few coins in the mix. I know nothing about the value of old coins, but I always hoped…
My auction buddy Sly had picked up the painting at an estate sale at a house. Even in the middle of a pandemic, he can’t seem to stay home and stop buying stuff to add…
