THE MYSTERIOUS "MAE"

Last summer I found this painting at a yard sale and I had to rescue it.  The yard sale was in the former home of the deceased Guymon resident, Vonceil Gray (not sure I spelled that correctly).  She and her husband had owned a wonderful dress shop on main street where I remember shopping with my mother and older sisters.  Vonceil was a really classy woman who was always beautifully dressed whenever you saw her. When she died, her home and it's contents were sold.

It's hard for me to see a discarded work of art (well there are some that might deserve to be hidden under the bed).  I have difficulty throwing away abandoned student work left in my classroom, too.  Mae (which was written on the back of the canvas cardboard) needed a home so I not only brought her to mine but I also hung her on the wall.  Someone did a nice job of depicting this person using some lovely color techniques.

The only other clue I have is the date "1972" written on the back of the piece.  Someone had marked out something beside the name, Mae but I can't make it out under the black.

I've lived in the same little town for over 50 years and think I know just about every aspiring artist in town but no Mae comes to mind.  I don't know if it's the name of the artist or the subject.  So Mae remains a mystery.

Maybe someone out there can help identify her.  Regardless, she is admired, enjoyed and appreciated each and everyday as I walk past her.  Someone cared enough to capture her and Vonceil cared enough to frame and display her in her beautiful home.

I think each and every working artist hopes that their creations outlast them and are appreciated and cared for long after they are gone.