Original signed oil painting by Helga Schweininger, a Costa Mesa, California artist and author (born in Graz, Austria; settled in Southern California in 1962). The reverse bears three handwritten titles – “Strange World, ” “Spider Cocoon, ” and “Spinning (Cocooning)” – suggesting the artist revised her own read on the piece more than once. One of the more genuinely surreal pieces in this collection: a solitary tree shelters a fuzzy, web-wrapped cocoon marked with a red X, while a strange red-roofed pod nearby cradles a cluster of pale, egg-like forms with two small birds perched watchfully on top. Above, a trail of glowing red orbs drifts through a hazy, textured sky over barren ground. The muted, sandy palette and dreamlike imagery set this piece apart from the artist’s brighter, more narrative animal and garden scenes – closer to outsider surrealism than storybook whimsy. Signed “Helga” in the lower right of the canvas. The reverse bears the artist’s handwritten (and revised) titles, size, and catalog number. Part of a collection of works by this artist currently being listed from the same estate. This piece’s surreal, symbolic quality may appeal specifically to collectors of outsider/visionary art in addition to the artist’s usual folk-art audience. Dimensions: 24″ W x 30″ H (canvas only, unframed).
