The second was a watercolour of a cottage and river I bought it a while ago for £2 at out local charity saleroom. I had noticed that just visiblle above the mount was the top of a signature and had meant to investigate so I cut the old tape of the back to take the picture out. Inside the back of the frame were four pages from an old newspaper called Reynolds News dated 1948. When I removed the newspaper on the back of the painting were a few sketches of buildings and the title "A Corner Of The Upper Thames In Picturesque Buckinghamshire KMB 1916" Well there was one question answered I knew where the painting was of. I moved the painting up in the mount and now the signature could be clearly seen Kathleen M Blake 1916.
What of the newspaper I wonder, an article in it may have a connection with the artist or place in the painting, it may have been put in when being framed just for interest to someone all these years later who discovered it or it may just have been put there to fill a gap in between the frame and the painting. I can't see any obvious connection reading through it although it is very interesting, who would have thought probelms with a nudist colony next to a school in those days!
I have searched on Ancestry.co.uk and found a 1911 census record for a Kathleen Muriel Blake born in 1890 and living in 7 South Place, Mill Lane, Marlow, Buckinghamshire. The occupation given on the census is artist. I think this is probably the Kathleen who painted my picture. I'm certainly going to have a try to find out something about the her and this one is definitely being put up on our wall to keep. A little bit of mystery makes it all the more interesting to us.
It's a wet miserable day here this morning. I wish I could stay in and investigate more but my Dad has a hospital appointment this morning so I have to brave the elements and meet my sister to take him there. Have a great day everyone what ever you are doing. xx
