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Careers: Arts/Crystal Skelly paintings

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Expert: - 8/9/2009


Question

Unknown - lost her dis
I met Crystal Skelly in the 70s as she displayed her art work at the plaza of Century City Towers
in Los Angles California. I visited with her many times when displaying her art work there. I was
so impressed with her paintings I wanted to buy them all.

I spoke to her husband as well and he said "she does all the work and I just frame them." They
were a wonderful couple and a joy to be around.

Seeing as how I couldn't afford to buy all her work I bought what I could. A total of 5 paintings.
Four originals and one lithograph. The lithograph is of a Roman ruins scene. I tried to buy the
original be she was asking as I recall around $3500 to $4000 and that was out of my budget. At
a later time she sold it and decided to do another very much the same and had it lithographed.
I put in my order months before that was finished and got an early number. Four actually. I believe
she had a hundred done but really don't know the number. I never saw th original before it was
lithographed.

One of the originals was a fine example of a rose but after having it in my home for a while I
decided it needed a dew drop on a petal and asker her if she would do it. She said to drop it off at
her sisters home in Thousand Oak and she would do it on her next visit which she did.

All this occurred in the 70s and I lost contact with her after I moved. Just found out she passed.
So very sorry. I always missed the good times we had.

I actually do have a question. I am over 80 years old but no one live forever and I would like to
know the value of her paintings I own. How do I go about that?

Photo of Roman ruins scene attached.

Thanks, Lyle

Answer
Hello Lyle,

If you still live in LA, my only suggestion is to check the yellow pages for "art appraisers" and give a couple a call to see
if they have any knowledge of the art works in question.  If you don't want to keep the paintings, you could offer to donate them to a museum and/or a charity and they should do an appraisal.

Wish I could be more helpful.

dj murphy

p.s. You have good tastes in in art work!

DJ Murphy

Expertise

Artist for more than 35 years...current art gallery owner, served on Arts Councils...have many contacts in the art world...can be resource for artists trying to get exhibited...common questions about pricing, submissions, insurance, etc. Long time artist, art gallery owner, consultant. If I don't know the answer to your question....I will tell you!!

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