Michael Kotasek Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Original Painting New Yorker Mag Cover proposal. Army Wedding American Scene WPA Antonio Petruccelli (1907 – 1994) Army Wedding New Yorker cover proposal, c. 1939 11 1/2 X 8 inches ...

A painter who has lived amid and loved the subject matter of his art, Jorgensen’s pictures of the Yosemite Valley and the Missions of California are monuments of early art in this co...

American Scene Social Realism Mid-20th Century WPA Era Woman Artist Children Winnie Borne Sherman (1902-2004) “Ring around the Rosie” Pencil on Paperboard, c. 1930s 13 3/8 H x 15 5...

Man Working Mid 20th Century American Scene Social Realism Industrial WPA Modern Jo Cain (1904 - 2003) Telephone Pole Worker 38 1/4 x 18 1/2 inches Oil on pap...

"Cubist Factory" American Scene WPA Era Social Realism Mid 20th Century Industrial Herbert Heyel (American 1907-2000) "Cubist Factory" 14 x 20 inches Watercolor on paper, c. 1933 S...

"Streetscape" American Scene WPA Era Social Realism Mid 20th Century Industrial Herbert Heyel (American 1907-2000) "Streetscape" 14 x 20 inches Watercolor on paper, c. 1939 Signed l...

Bridge Painter WPA American Modernism Mid 20th-Century Realism Industrial Worker. Sight size: 18 x 23 1/4 inches. Estate stamped verso. This drawing is the study for a large oil we ...

42nd Street NYC 1923 Deco WPA Ashcan American Modern Cityscape Realism Broadway. 10 x 7 1/2 inches. Graphite on paper. Signed, titled "42nd Street" and dated July 26, 1923, lower l...

Jeanne-Marie BARBEY (1876-1960) Trees in winter Brown ink wash and graphite pencil on paper Signed lower right 26 x 20 cm frame 46 x 40 cm Born Louise Jeanne Marie Barbée in 1876 in...

"Going to the Festival" WPA Ashcan 20th Century American Scene Modern Realism Daniel Celentano (1902 - 1980) "Going to the Festival," 14 1/2 x 10 1/2. Watercolor on paper, c. 1930s....

"Steps", a highly realistic late 20th century watercolor landscape of a staircase in front of a wooden barn by Verne R. Horton (American, 1941-2020), 1986. Horton's background as a technical artist and draftsman is apparent in the fine details of this piece, such as the crisply rendered planks of wood that comprise the barn, the individual pieces of metal that form the railing, and each block of cement that make up the staircase. Horton's meticulous rendering of shadows enhances the sense of realism. Signed and dated "Verne R. Horton '86" lower right. Signed and titled "Steps" on verso. Displayed in a new off-white mat and rustic wood frame with plexiglass. Image size: 13.75"H x 9.75"W. Born February 1, 1941 in Los Angeles, CA, Verne R. Horton went to Los Angeles State College where he earned a degree in pre-architecture. As a young man Verne joined the US Navy, in 1960 and served as a draftsman until 1965. After leaving the Navy, he ended up as a technical artist for North American Aviation. His charge: illustrating publicity pictures for the Apollo space program. After working on the Apollo program for three and a half years, he was lured into the corporate world as a regional manager for New York Life Insurance. Horton said he did virtually no artwork in the 17 years he worked for the insurance company. He ended up earning another degree in insurance and finance from American College in Bryn Mawr, Penn., in 1978. He moved within the company 14 times in 17 years, living in Los Angeles, Hawaii, Arizona and San Francisco. "Then I had an awareness that I had always wanted to be an artist," he said. "It seemed that if I were going to do it, I needed to just do it." He quit his job and became a fine artist. Horton's paintings and sculptures are truly those of a professional. He specializes in 1800s to 1930s Western Americana, but his love is steam era railroad art. "You must have historical accuracy. The worst thing is to have somebody come by and say, 'That's not right," Horton said. "You can't get involved in the history of the railroad without getting to know a community." It was his insistence on historical accuracy and love of railroads that brought him to Carson City...

NYC Park Scene American Scene Social Realism WPA Woman Artist Ashcan Realism Isabel Bishop (American, 1902-1988) "NYC Park Scene" Pencil on paper Sight: 5 x 7-1/8 inches Signed l...