Thoughts on this oil painting

That's larger than I'd envisioned and now that I've reread this entire thread I see you already answered as to the size. Sorry. I wish all posters of items would include the dimensions, especially on artwork. You should do well with this on fbay. Thank you for answering all of my questions (and some more than once).

I feel this painting is of the New England coastline rocks due to the lighting and believe it to have been painted from a b&w photo. The frame appears to be same circa as the painting.

Yes Lilfont, actually I do know that thin oak wood will easily split if not pre-drilled but that's not what I'm seeing here. I'm seeing a violent damage on the frame back as though it were snatched from the wall with anger. Yes that is more blatent damage than it simply starting to split from someone trying to screw in an eyehole screw by hand. ANY artist would know to pre-drill the hole for the hanger and this wasn't a bad artist.

Far better than mediocre.

 

I didn't mean to suggest that anyone here was unaware of oak's propensity to split, just that a previous owner wouldn't. I was unsure exactly what created the damage, a violent marital spat or a pliers angerly yanking out a nail that became lodged in an already cracked frame.

As far as lighting and coloring. What might be a cheery California day can easily come off as a gloomy New England squall in the hands of a novice who tends to develope a muddy pallet no matter what he's painting.

 

So true.

 

Here are the points that would make me think that it is a Cali or NE coast. Of course these are a little arbitrary, as a painting from either coast can contain elements of the other.

After coming back here and looking at it several times, let me say that I think it is an amature painting from the 1948-1953. There are stylistic elements that harken back to earlier styles of painting (1930s) but I think those are more accidental and not the result of a developing skill. (ie, cobalt used for ocean, ultra marine for sky and never the twain shall mix.)

What makes me think it is California? The large rock jutting out on the left, the need for ocean 'spray', the driftwood and the bright sky. These are cliche elements in the early California coast paintings.

What makes me think it is North East. The heavy palette, the milder waves and the mossy shore. If the gaze was turned 15° to the right, I would probably go with North East, because the cliche Atlantic painting is as much about the shoreline and land as it is about the water. The thing that is missing from this being a cliche Pacific coast painting, is the sunset.