I bought this finely painted Victorian watercolour recently at a car boot sale.
Research has found that the original, entitled 'Hope' by George Frederick Watts, is President Obamas favourite painting.
A copy hangs in The White House.
Nelson Mandela also kept a copy of it with him whilst he was imprisoned in South Africa.
My painting is also signed 'Hope' and has an illegible artists signature in the bottom right hand corner.
It looks like JHJG, and Christies Art Department are kindly looking into it for me.
I find the painting beautiful but a little disturbing since it looks to me more like despair than hope.
The painting measures 10x7 inches.

Brendan. webwatchmaker.com

This early morning misty watercolour is by Baragwaneth King.
The colours are almost psychedelic.
I guess this scene is in Scotland or maybe on the Devon moors.
I love the feel of fresh, early morning, damp clean air!
The painting measures about 3ft x 1ft.

Brendan. webwatchmaker.com

I adore this marine watercolour by Samuel Walters.
It is apparently the scene of a boat race just off the coast of Dun Laoghaire, Dublin.
Many of Walters paintings are in the Maritime Museum in Dun Laoghaire.
I grew up in Dun Laoghaire and remember the old lightship in the painting. It rotted away in Dun Laoghaire harbour.
The lightship has now been replaced by the Kish Lighthouse.
Unfortunately my photo rather mutes the vibrant colours of this beautiful painting.
It measures about 14x12 inches.

Brendan. webwatchmaker.com

This watercolour is by the Hungarian artist, Neogrady Laszlo.
It appears to show a young girl running home from the cold snow.
I think it is a very tender scene.
Probably painted during Hungarian midwinter.
It measures around 20x14 inches.

Brendan. webwatchmaker.com

This painting is by Jorge Aguilar. He is a Spanish painter living in England.
It is a fairly large oil painting, much of the paint in relief, painted with a pallette knife.
It is a very watery scene with what looks like a Cathedral in the background.
I should like to know where it was painted.
Perhaps the Fens?
Courtenay Fine Art think it is 1960's.
The artist is still living.
It measures around 32x20 inches.

Brendan. webwatchmaker.com

'Roy Beddington (1910-1995) was a fisherman who wanted to be an artist, and an artist who wanted to be a fisherman. "The trouble is," he wrote, "one always wants to fish when one is painting and paint when one is fishing . . . When one is fishing down a pool, the light suddenly changes and a perfect picture reveals itself. At such a moment I have to make up my mind whether to go on fishing or to take up my paints."

This gentle watercolour seems to show a little funfair by a canal basin.
Possibly an industrial town in Northern England?

I paricularly love the way he has painted the clouds.
Lovely brick colours too.

Measures around 12x10 inches.

Brendan. webwatchmaker.com

This interesting watercolour scene I think may be Vienna Austria.
Notice the rather strange headwear of the nuns on the right of the picture.
There is also a sign on the right which reads 'Hotel Maria Theresa'.
There is a hotel by that name in Vienna, but that hotel looks more like a Swiss Chateau.
The mountains are certainly imposing.
I have not yet visited Vienna.
Painting measure 10x13 inches.

Brendan. webwatchmaker.com

I bought this painting a week ago.
Quite a dark gentle marine oil painting.
It is signed T Weddel.
I have a special love of maritime art.

Brendan. webwatchmaker.com