How much is that painting worth?
Consignor Canadian Fine Art’s Rob Cowley appraises items during day-long event in St. John’s
The rich arts community of this province came out in full force this week … one person at a time … to see if that special piece of art that has been hanging in their homes may be really special.
Nearly 40 people took advantage of having Rob Cowley of Consignor Canadian Fine Art at their disposal to evaluate and appraise their paintings Tuesday during a full-day session at The Rooms in St. John’s.
This province has its own great painters that include David Blackwood, Christopher Pratt, Mary Pratt and Gerald Squires, and anyone with a piece of their works, or that of other famous artists, was eligible to make an appointment and have Cowley appraise their works.
“It was a busy day … but a great day,” Cowley said.
“I have had a chance to see an Edwin Holgate (Group of Seven) painting (valued at around $10,000) and a David Blackwood print — a well-known Newfoundland artist — valued between $4,000 and $6,000,” he said.
During one of his sessions, Cowley had a chance to appraise “White Boat on Newfoundland Coast” by Quebec artist Bruno Côté. The 12”x16” work is owned by Jack O’keefe of St. John’s.
“I have sold many works by Bruno Côté. There is a large audience for his work,” Cowley said.
“There was one of his large works we sold for more than $34,000 at an auction. For this one I would conservatively say we are looking at $1,500 to $2,000 at auction, but it could be more,” he added.
He said Côté’s work historically leans toward the higher side
of auction prices because of its quality and detail.
“It is a rare depiction of Newfoundland. What we have learned is that Newfoundlanders will buy works that remind them of home,” he said.
Because of that, Cowley said the painting could sell for $3,000 or more at an auction, depending on who is looking for this kind of painting for their personal collection.
Being in St. John’s is a great thing for Cowley, as it not only allows him to ply his trade, but is also a homecoming for him.
He was born right here, two Newfoundland parents and grandparents, and spent the first eight years of his life here before his parents moved to Ontario.
“In fact, I am in town for the Cowley family reunion which takes place on Friday,” Cowley said.
“I am home for that and I am happy to see family and friends.”
More than pleased
The painting’s owner, Jack O’keefe of St. John’s, was happy with the assessment of the painting he has owned for more than 20 years.
“I am not surprised at the appraisal, as I had a rough idea of its value,” O’keefe said.
“I like the painting, not because it’s from Newfoundland that interested me. It was the style, colouring and perspective that I like. I like it because I liked it, not because it was from Newfoundland,” he added.
When he saw it, he made the purchase because it was coming from a known, bona fide artist whose reputation speaks for itself.
“I paid a lot less for it than what it is appraised for. It has had a substantial appreciation over the time I have owned it,” he said.
O’keefe, who is from Conception Bay South, retired after 30 years with Newtel and did several other jobs for a number
of years before clewing up his work days for good in 2014.
He has been an artist for most of his life and enjoys painting landscapes and seascapes in acrylic. He dabbled in oil and water colour, but enjoys acrylics more, as he says they are vibrant and dry quickly, two attributes he enjoys.
His painting — “The Edge” — was entered in a competition recently and he hopes to have this work and more in his own studio, which he is working on for a fall opening. It will be an art studio, as well as a place where he can hold some classes for others wishing to learn to paint.
“When you have clients like Jack — who have artwork in their homes that they like — and it has been there for 30 or 40 years given to them by a loved one, they find it valuable,” Cowley said.
“(For others) it may be a piece from a lesser known artist, what we call a tourist artist, and it could be just a decorative value,” he added.
Cowley said those pieces could also be historic prints, reproductions of a famous work by well-known artists, which used to have value. However, that market has died out in recent years.
“It used to be people collecting art didn’t buy homegrown Canadian artists, preferring instead to collect more well-known artists from Europe,” he said.
“For the past 20 years — with those people getting older or passing on — there have been more estate auctions and those prints are plentiful,” he said, explaining why they have decreased in value in the marketplace.
Since its inception in 2013, Consignor’s art specialists have valued more than $1 million in undiscovered art through public appraisal events and travels, including a set of Jack Bush prints that were stored under the owner’s bed for decades and sold for $57,000.
Apart from the sales of artwork through auction and private means, Consignor Canadian Fine Art also provides professional appraisal services. Lydia Abbott and Rob Cowley are both accredited members of the International Society of Appraisers, the largest professional association of appraisal professionals in North America.
Abbott and Cowley can provide formal written appraisals, written to current Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice standards for a wide range of purposes, including insurance, probate and donation.
Those who have a piece of art they wish to have appraised can call 1-866-931-8415 or RSVP at www.consignor.ca.