Molly E. Brubaker

Vintage Abstract Expressionist -- An Artist and His Tools

1977

Blocking Study pair #1 and #2, portrait of a blonde woman, by Gordon Cook (American, 1927-1985). Circa 1960. Signed on verso "G. Cook (3) #1. unframed. Image size: 24"H x 20"W each. Bay area estate sale find. Gordon Cook was born in 1927 in Chicago, Illinois. He attended Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington where he received his B.F.A in 1950. Cook then went on to study fundamentals and life drawing at The American Academy of Art* in Chicago. The same year he studied intaglio* printmaking with Vera Berdich at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago*. He took graduate courses and continued studying intaglio printmaking under artist Mauricio Lasansky at the State University of Iowa. In 1951, Cook moved to San Francisco. Soon after his works received the journeyman's card in International Typographical Union, Local 21. He began exhibiting his prints, drawings, and paintings at the Porpoise Gallery in San Francisco. Four years later, Cook became a charter member of the Bay Printmakers Society and exhibited in their annual exhibitions at the Oakland Art Museum for the next five years. His etchings portrayed mainly San Francisco landscapes such as the Golden Gate Park, Diamond Heights, and Lake Merced as well as flowers, especially roses. He participated in his first weekly drawing group with artist Alvin Light, Manuel Neri, Joan Brown, and William H. Brown. Cook also taught at the San Francisco Art Institute*. His etchings where exhibited in a one-man exhibition at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, in the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts. At this point Cook returned to painting. Moving to Rio Vista...

Beautiful impressionist mid-century portrait of a woman in a garden setting by Philadelphia artist Sol Jasner (American, 20th Century). The woman has short hair and is wearing a lovely lavender colored blouse, and she is surrounded by lush greenery with a cluster of grapes growing on the vine in the background. Signed "Sol Jasner" on verso. Unframed. Canvas size: 18"H x 24"W. A mid-century Philadelphia artist and art educator active in the 1960’s, Sol Jasner taught art classes alongside his contemporary Philadelphia artist Martin Zipin.

Mid-Century Modern portrait of a man by California artist Genevieve Rogers (American, 1904-1984). The abstracted background has texture created with d...

Mid century portrait of a woman with pearls and a blue shirt by California artist Genevieve Rogers (American, 1904-1984). Unsigned, but acquired with ...

"Take me Home" by Lu Haskew Oil 19x16" framed, 12x8" image size Signed lower left A young child very apparently ready to go home from their intense yet cute look. The child is weari...

Martha Walter Women and Children in Anticoli, Italy, circa 1908-1910 Signed lower right Oil on canvas 36 x 40 inches Provenance Spanierman Gallery, New York Exhibited New York, Hawthorne Fine Art...

A stunning full-size portrait of a woman in a pink dress, straw hat, and red sandals. Although Fenske titles this work as only a sketch, we feel it’s a truly mesmerizing and dynamic ...

A stunning depiction of James Dean done in an abstract impressionistic manner with a heavy use of paint and we also can find bold strokes of white, gray and black. Creating a black a...