Attic find: Unknown Oil Painting

I think you might have found a keeper.

Can you post a close up of the sky and the door to the church? Some of the back, a stretcher detail, how the canvas is fastened to the stretcher, any tags or notes written on the back of the canvas and stretcher?

I'd like to see the "paint" The sky is masterfully rendered. Its an interesting and composed painting.

How do I attach photos

Getting help with the photos now. coming soon.

Ok, here they come.

Sky Detail


Fascinating use of blue with more sky stroke detail


Signature with stroke details

Church Entrance

The back side of the art

Full frame pic


Canvas mounted to strecher pic


F/354 is the only text on the back

Looks like painted finger prints on back of stretcher.

Kevan Verleye, perhaps?

Closest so far.

But the art is too different.

The art on this is very different. I'm looking at the stretcher and thinking not a high grade mid 20th century, because the center spreader doesn't seem to be offset to keep from "shadowing" when the painting starts. The fities/sixties because nails were used and not staples while the canvas seemed nice and creamy.

The paint on this very "impressionistic" once you get close to it. Its got great effect from 30ft.

You've heard all art is bought at 30ft, 3ft, and 3in.

Another thing I find very interesting about this painting other than the sky from 30 ft is that the warm colors are used in two places, the church entrance and the ditch right at the conduit. Heaven and Hell"? The yellow almost seems to be consuming the figures entering the church.

Its an interesting painting and it is very well composed. The colors are very well designed.

I don't think the frame and painting started off together, in the picture of the frame and canvas together there is a nail scar on the stretcher and no corresponding nail or nail hole on the frame. There are staples on the frame and remains of a dust cover on the frame. The numbers on the stretcher seem contemporaneous to building of the stretcher and feel "American" to me.

I emailed the link to Verley and he responded this morning. It is not his. I didn't think the style was a match either, but wanted to know if the possibility of a relative might be the case. Do you have a suggestion as to what our next step might be as far as assessing a value and figuring out who the artist is? Thank you for the help.

I don't hink this was done by an established painter. I do think the painter had talent but is not sophisticated. I think it has to be worth $500 to $600. It might be worth more with the right frame.