Art is entertainment, right?

[Dragon]

Okay, I'm going completely off topic - way off topic - here. But I know we have a very catholic crowd here so ....

I was out at my storage shed the other day and looked at four painting I have. 

Two were done by an artist in Louisiana - Mary Tannous from Lake Charles;  I know that shé had at least a couple of exhibitions at MSU ( McNeese State University in LC ) and her work is exceptionally realistic portrayals of Cajun life.  But for some reason I am unable to find anything about her on the web.  I haven't been back to LC in years and have no idea where she is or what she's doing, does anyone??

Now for the artists in the crowd.  When my uncle died, I was given [among other things] these two pictures.  They both appear to be watercolors APP 2 X 3 feet in size my guess is that they were (last) framed between 40 - 50 years ago - they do NOT appear to be lithographs, but then I could be wrong

The first is what I call sewing:


and the artists signature is:



the other is:


and the signature on it is:



So okay, don't tell me that I should NOT have tried to use my cell to take pictures of pictures outdoors ... I can see that already.

What I'd really like is for someone to tell me that they recognize one of these artists and that I have a picture that's worth - oh, let's say - 3 or 4 million USD -- fat chance, but I can wish, can't I?

But just for the sake of curiousity, does anyone recognize the sig on either of these watercolors, can you identify the artist, are they worth anything?  Not that I'm interested in selling ( but might if they really are worth anything )

PS:  I told you this was about as off topic as it gets!

[unlegendary]

Even though I did study art in college at one time I was never a big fan of every other artist out there and art appreciation was THE MOST dull class I ever took in my entire academic life beginning at 1st grade. Maybe it was the instructor, maybe it was my constant hangovers, but I hated the class so I didn't learn all that much and besides, my major was commercial art even though now I wish I had gone the fine art route, but I sold the eyeballs I had in the back of my head I used for hindsight along with all those great drawings and ink paintings i did.. Of course great is subjective, but my then customers said so anyway..They never commented on the eyeballs.  :'(  OK, I was also selfish and not so humble when I was a college art student.. I truly believed I was the greatest or darn close at my craft so I didn't pay all that much attention at the time to anyone else or the masters..let's pretend and call it the invisibility of youth so I don't feel so bad thirty years after the fact.  After all, arrogant snob doesn't sound as good and having that moniker hung on me and my art??...OUCH!. ;D

What I'm trying to figure out is if that's part of the picture on the first one that looks like the artist is painting a self portrait of himself painting or if that's YOU in the reflection of the glass taking a picture with your cell phone.  :-X
I have my suspicions, but don't want to give it away to everyone here.  ;D
I do like the images and even like the way your own big head blends in there..oops! You should sell THAT because it's MUCH more entertaining and artistic.

Now to the original question,,...art as entertainment.. Well, that's debatable and some will call it ART as HUMANITIES and culture can't properly exist without art and all that and to a large extent I agree. Art has seemingly magical powers to persuade and to sooth the human condition and it has the power to inflame and reach our darker parts as well. On the same hand art has the power to make us laugh and feel just plain amused at ourselves as those stupid creatures that do nothing but make hay with building ourselves up just for the sole purpose of our own destruction without even knowing it till it's to late.  Entertainment? You betchum!
Now about the entertainment part of trying to figure out some obscure signature.. that's funny. I do it all the time..
You might put them up for sale or auction and see what happens or you COULD make a trip to those places and MSU to visit the art departments to see if they kept any records, but don't be to shocked if everyone moved on and the only records they kept were grade point averages or you could visit some local galleries in the area (if any) and antique shops to see if there are any old followers out there and you may well learn the artists are now stock brokers on Wall Street or work for a multinational "organics" corporation selling their slop for twice their actual value..  Ya never know.. If they're on Wall Street they might want to buy their old work back for a few cool mil and if that happens don't forget who told you to check it out.  :EB: