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The Farmer, the Curator, and Their Loves

October 30, 2014 mithra ballesteros

This collection is called Prairie Textures and it comes with two interesting stories. The first is about the unframed canvas. It is a watercolor study of a calf and I think it is wonderful. Unsigned but wonderful. Such thick cottony paper. Such expertly mixed colors. I admire the confident brush strokes. And the economy of brush strokes as well.

I bought it from the estate of a gentleman who had sold the family's dairy farm to move to the Big City, meaning Milwaukee. He lived in a loft apartment down in Bayview and his place was kitted out like a 1960s bachelor pad. Swanky barware, Danish teak furniture, a stunning collection of  Blenko blown glass, stacks and stacks of vinyl, very expensive audio equipment, and really good lighting. Not at all what I expected from a former dairyman.  

It was the farmer's city neighbor who told me about his former occupation. He and I stood together in knee deep snow and bitter temperatures for well over an hour waiting for our numbers to be called. That is a whole other blog post -- how often I've seen acquaintances of the deceased show up at an estate sale to, I don't know, confirm what they had always suspected went on behind the front door? It cracks me up. Mind your p's and q's people.

Anyway, scattered higgledy-piggledy in the loft apartment were vestiges of farm life like seed catalogues, a stack of almanacs, county fair posters, and even an old journal with daily entries measuring rainfall and weather. (His neighbor snagged that, damn him.) 

And the watercolor study of a calf. I supposed he valued this art as a connection to the farm and its creatures who once might have seemed burdensome at times. I also purchased these pencil portraits of quarter horses. Perhaps it is the same artist. I haven't yet listed these. 

Interesting story #2 is about the woven basket which is photographed on its side. It is Native American and supposedly from the estate of a serious collector of Southwestern art. I happened to notice on the underside of the basket three initials: JCH. So Google and I got together and it turns out there is an expert and author of books on Native American basketry who goes by those initials. He is currently the curator of North American collections at the British Museum. I have sent him an email asking if he took basket weaving classes while studying the Native Americans or if he perhaps used a felt tip marker to write his initials on his finds. We shall see! 

In any case, I listed the collection last night and it sold this morning. It was purchased by someone who got a sneak preview of it through my first email newsletter. I will close this week by urging you people to subscribe! Either to the shop or here on the blog. (See that box to your right?) I don't email a lot and when I do, it is with something that will make it worth your while to open. You just know that it's only a matter of time before I post something that you will want. You also know I only ever find ONE of something, so you'll be glad you got first dibs. 

Photos by Renn Kuhnen.

Photos by Renn Kuhnen.


You Might Also Like: 

How to Beat the Competitiion at an Estate Sale

How to Beat the Competitiion at an Estate Sale

 



 

In Vintage Finds Tags estate sales, vignettes, vintage
← My Personal Shopper in South AmericaCostuming the Family is Fun! →

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Welcome! I'm Mithra (pronounced Mee-thra). I'm an interior stylist and a writer. I'm also a vintage and antiques lover. I have an online shop, Finder Not Keeper, where I sell my best finds. (That's a white lie. I keep the best finds.) Read more about me and the blog here. 


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Instagram posts

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A few days back in the ‘Quon. All of February is the price I’m willing to fork over for one week in September.
Latest blog post about our new outdoor shower and the differences of opinion between this guy and his mother (me) on how it should be used. #linkinbio
Latest blog post about our new outdoor shower and the differences of opinion between this guy and his mother (me) on how it should be used. #linkinbio
Brainy, brave, kind, genuine, indefatigable, funny, patriotic, fair, hard working, gentle, strong, iconic.
Brainy, brave, kind, genuine, indefatigable, funny, patriotic, fair, hard working, gentle, strong, iconic.
Those aren’t my hands forming baguettes. But I took the pic. @heat_her_all_a_man has it down  and I’m ready with my salted butter and honey. What do you eat with baguettes?
Those aren’t my hands forming baguettes. But I took the pic. @heat_her_all_a_man has it down and I’m ready with my salted butter and honey. What do you eat with baguettes?
Surveying the herb garden after a good weeding session. Basil took a hit the last couple weeks but everything else is flourishing like summer lasts forever.
Surveying the herb garden after a good weeding session. Basil took a hit the last couple weeks but everything else is flourishing like summer lasts forever.
First restaurant account for @littlelaurentide! Also first time eating out since the snow was flying. Really really fun night. (Not to mention that building’s white with black trim paint color scheme is 💯)
First restaurant account for @littlelaurentide! Also first time eating out since the snow was flying. Really really fun night. (Not to mention that building’s white with black trim paint color scheme is 💯)
Surprise lilies, also known as naked ladies, fit in well here at the farm for reasons we will let you ponder.
Surprise lilies, also known as naked ladies, fit in well here at the farm for reasons we will let you ponder.
This is son #2, the farmer. Walter is working hard to turn this place into a sustainable organic farm. Follow us @littlelaurentide for the latest on how mother and son align, clash, argue, hug.
This is son #2, the farmer. Walter is working hard to turn this place into a sustainable organic farm. Follow us @littlelaurentide for the latest on how mother and son align, clash, argue, hug.
On the blog today, the newest bachelor at Little Laurentide. Will he draw viewers or is he a train wreck along the lines of Juan Pablo Galavis? Read the latest blog post to find out! Link in bio.
On the blog today, the newest bachelor at Little Laurentide. Will he draw viewers or is he a train wreck along the lines of Juan Pablo Galavis? Read the latest blog post to find out! Link in bio.
On the blog today: a tour of the best places on the farm to sit for a spell. And I write a bit about what it’s like to cohabit with a son who used to give me every kind of gray hair. He could teach a polar bear how to be grumpy and I could teac
On the blog today: a tour of the best places on the farm to sit for a spell. And I write a bit about what it’s like to cohabit with a son who used to give me every kind of gray hair. He could teach a polar bear how to be grumpy and I could teach a grizzly bear how to be grumpy. It’s a new world for the two of us, farming together, and can you guess how it’s going??

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