Purple Mountain Majesties

This impressionistic painting of lilac-tinted mountains framed by tall trees and green pines is by a well-known Texas artist, Thelma Travland Cardwell-Cale.  You may already be familiar with this artist's work, even if you have never entered an art gallery.  In 2011, Cardwell's painting of a field of vividly-colored wildflowers was chosen by H-E-B to appear on the store's reusable tote bag. The original printing of 98,000 soon sold out. In 2014, then 81-year-one Cardwell's colorful Texas-themed work was again selected by H-E-B to appear on a tote bag, as well as items from the chain's Cocinaware, including mugs, trays, and cutting boards.  

This oil painting on board is signed by Cardwell on the front and has extensive provenance on the back.  Although the painting is undated, there may have a clue from the artist's personal life.  In 2004, Cardwell, who had been widowed for 16 years, married Charles Cale and began signing her paintings as "Cardwell-Cale."

Cardwell graduated from Corpus Christi High School in 1949 and majored in fine arts at Southwestern University. A resident of Pleasanton, Texas, where she has lived since the 1950s, this 1997 winner of the city's Senior Citizen of the Year is a regular contributor at the Pleasanton Express and has taught art as a volunteer at the Larry Brown Alternative School. Active in both local artistic circles and her community, in 2005, Cardwell organized a group of artists to decorate the new Atascosa Health Center and in 2014 she donated artwork to the new Pleasanton Civic Center.  In September of last year, Cardwell donated artwork featuring dogs, cats, and horses to the Atascosa County Animal control for display in their lobby.  She has participated in numerous exhibitions and her work can be found in collections throughout the state, including in the homes of two former presidents and two Texas governors.  

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Paris. . . When it Drizzles

Every time I look down on this timeless town,

Whether blue or gray be her skies,

Whether loud be her cheers, 

Or whether soft be her tears,

More and more do I realize that...

I love Paris in the spring time,

I love Paris in the fall,

I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles,

I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles,

I love Paris every moment

Every moment of the year

I love Paris, why oh why do I love Paris

Because my love is near.

Cole Porter, 1953

This brilliantly colored impressionist scene of rain-slicked city streets may remind you of a winter day in Paris (the building in the misty background certainly resembles the Paris Opera House), but it comes from the brush of an Italian painter, Antonio DeVity (1901-1993). 

 Born Umberto Marone in southern Italy, DeVity studied art in Naples and Rome. His grandmother's family was from Paris and DeVity traveled to the French capital to study painting, falling in love with the city. It was there that he began using the name "Antonio de Vity." He painted many Parisian scenes, often incorporating important landmarks in the background. Returning to Naples, DeVity founded an art studio, which became an important school for Neapolitan painters. In the late 1960s, his son took over direction of the studio and also painted under the name of Antonio DeVity. His paintings have been exhibited throughout the world and are widely collected.  The use of bold bright colors, reflective streets, and soft lighting are typical of DeVity's works.

Howdy Comrade!

This unusual and unique poster is an extraordinary Austin artifact.  It commemorates the 1987 Texas–U.S.S.R. Musicians' Exchange, a cultural exchange tour of the Soviet Union featuring a group of Texas musicians, including Butch Hancock, Bobby Bridger, and Bobby Mack.  The Texans performed with local musicians and met with artists and audiences in Leningrad, Moscow, and Kiev.

This poster was designed by Nels "Jagmo" Jacobson, who also helped organize the tour, and was printed by Bee-Bop Printing.  The silk-screened posters were printed in a limited number series of 100 and were used to publicize the tour or were given away during the exchange.  Jagmo, who moved to Austin in 1978, has been an important figure in the Austin art and music scene, designing posters for live-music venues such as Liberty Lunch and for performers such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Ramones, Willie Nelson, and Jerry Jeff Walker. He was the original art director for South by Southwest, a founding director of the American Poster Institute and the South Austin Museum of Popular Culture, and is a board member of The Rock Poster Society. The Art of Modern Rock: The Poster Explosion by Paul Grushkin and Dennis King pictures the 1987 exchange poster and includes a short biography of Jagmo.  This poster is numbered in pencil 34 out of 100.

It also appears to have been signed by Jagmo in pencil.

This poster is the perfect confluence of history (both local and international), art, and music, capturing in striking graphics a specific period of Austin's past.  If you are a fan of the Austin music scene, a local history buff, or a collector of contemporary posters (or especially all three) this poster awaits you at Next-to-New.

Just My Type

If you want to write that great American novel, what better instrument than this solid and substantial Remington No. 11 manual typewriter dating from the 1930s?  By American company Remington Typewriter Company, you can channel your inner Ernest Hemingway or F. Scott Fitzgerald.  

E. Remington and Sons began in the 1830s by manufacturing firearms, producing its first typewriter in 1873.  In 1886, the company sold its typewriter business to the Standard Typewriter Manufacturing Company, including the rights to the Remington name.  

Once considered the most modern office innovation, the typewriter has since been replaced by the computer.   In 2011, Godrej and Boyce, the last company in the world manufacturing typewriters, closed its plant in Mumbai, India.  

Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries. . .

. . . especially when you go through it wearing this big beautiful vintage brooch by famed jewelry designer Guglielmo Cini (1903-1979). Born in Florence, Italy, Cini opened the Сini Jewelry Company in 1922 in Boston, Massachusetts, later moving the company to Laguna Beach, California.  Cini created an opulent tiny toiletry set of gold, platinum, and diamonds for actress Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle, as well as a platinum engagement ring, adorned with a full cut diamond, so diminutive it would not slide over a straight pin.  Created between 1928 and 1935, with contributions by over 700 artists and craftsmen, the Castle was displayed throughout the United States, raising money for charity (it is currently on display at the Museum of Science + Industry in Chicago).

Of shimmering sterling silver, this pretty pin displays Cini's extraordinary skill in sculpting delicate details and capturing natural forms.  It is signed on the back of one of the leaves.

Pretty Bird!

This superb sculpture of a beautiful bird perched a leafy branch is by Texas artist Siggi Munk, one of the pioneers of modernist southwestern sculpture in the 1960s and 1970s. Although born in Germany, Munk spent most of his adult life in Texas, with a studio in Grand Prairie.  Working in bronze, iron, and copper, Munk was inspired by nature, especially birds. He was an important influence in mid-century modern sculpture and was awarded a Special Jury Commendation for Sculpture at the 1962 33rd Annual Dallas County Exhibition of Painting, Drawing and Sculpture.

   Since his death, there has been a growing interest in Munk's pioneering modernist sculptures and as well as recognition of his influential role.

A skilled sculptor, Munk melded natural movement and stylized modernism.

His works often feature bases of rough stone.

The sculpture is signed on a plaque affixed to the stone base.

Reach for the Golden Ring. . .

. . . especially one as beautiful and elegantly understated as this one.

Of gleaming 14 karat gold, the streamlined band supports a single oval faceted stone that sparkles with the warm colors of amber and honey.  This striking ring is the perfect accessory for any outfit and would make a wonderful gift.