Sometimes I feel like pulling my hair out and today would be a good example. I was browsing through my favorite thrift store (Goodwill – Las Vegas), looking for small treasures for still life paintings and some used frames that would have some good life left in them. And I ran across this …
I loved it as soon as I saw it and had to have it. Where does the hair pulling part come in? It comes from wondering who painted it. It is signed “COLE” in the bottom right of the painting. That’s all. Nothing on the back. Nothing on the edges of the canvas. Nothing.
So, you would think in this day and time that finding out about this artist with Google would work. Not a chance. Do you know how many artists there are with the name Cole on the internet? Could it be a Thomas Cole? That would be nice, but no, this isn’t the way he signed his paintings.
I searched through about one hundred different artist websites and pages looking for this Cole and didn’t find anything that would say I had found my artist.
So, I have a really nice landscape painting by Cole. That’s all I know. If you happen to know any more than this I would love to hear from you.
The Daily Painter 
Shad S. I just purchased one today December 19th 2020 really nice trees big mountain in the back with a moonlit sky and a nice creek with lots of moss very beautiful painting!!
$5 Goodwill San Antonio Texas. Name search also led me here.. I can tell its vintage. Well iam going to buy a nice frame for it.
LikeLike
I received a painting from my grandmother. Winter scene with cottage by a river or creek with mountains and trees. Same signature! Located in NE Texas. I’d love to know more as well!
LikeLike
I bought a painting signed Cole two days ago at Goodwill. I paid 10 dollars for it. It’s framed already. I love it. I can’t find anything about it either.
LikeLike
The painting is of some Ducks flying over a small lake in the winter. I’m in Mobile alabama.
LikeLike
I have a painting with the same signature, I had the same problem as you. Couldn’t connect the painting with a specific person. If you would like to have a look at the painting you can email me at
danrohde12345@gmail.com
It is a landscape painting as well, with a mountain backdrop…
Perhaps we could work out a deal. Two of a kind.
LikeLike
I am in the same boat!!!
LikeLike
Mountain scenery by Cole.
Beautiful painting, would love to know more about him.
LikeLike
Any new data? I have one also with a tiny rural mill and water wheel..nice vintage frame. Richmond VA
wendygaylemarch@gmail.com
LikeLike
I am researching a painting with the same signature that sounds identical to yours!
LikeLike
I have one too. Fall landscape scene. Any clarification would be appreciated. In Waco Texas.
LikeLike
My mom is deceased now but she told me the story behind the Cole painting that she owned. She said that there was a man who set up in front of a paint store where he painted and sold paintings to passerby’s. Not sure what year it was but she bought hers in Brownwood, Texas. So I know the painting is at least 40 years old. Mine has a cabin by a river with Mountains in the background.
LikeLike
Thank you. Mine is a landscape in the Southwest of a seguaro cactus. I just love how he painted the sunlight on it. Bought mine in 2003 at Salvation Army in Phoenix.
LikeLike
Yes, I believe he was a very talented Artist that used the Thomas Cole techniques and themes in his paintings. One day these paintings should bring a pretty penny.
LikeLike
Thank you. Mine is a landscape in the Southwest of a seguaro cactus. I just love how he painted the sunlight on it. Bought mine in 2003 at Salvation Army in Phoenix.
LikeLike
Thank you. Very helpful information.
Mine is a landscape in the Southwest of a seguaro cactus. I just love how he painted the sunlight on it. Bought mine in 2003 at Salvation Army in Phoenix.
LikeLike
I got a pretty big canvas painting with what looks like melting now on trees and a lil on the side of the river bank with a old shack and mountains in the back with a lil snow on them but one thing I noticed that no one has mentioned when reading about a similar painting is I have a number 1 in the bottom left corner my brother was telling me that when he looks at the painting he gets a feeling of somthing hiding in the picture he needs to find so I was reading and thinking what if it’s somthing like a clue what if he did his paintings in series and the series of my painting and everyone who has a similar panting holds a hidding message and maybe that why he spread the out across the world
LikeLike
I’ve just acquired a Cole painting as well, in Virginia. I saw it and fell in love instantly! I’m glad my search led me to this thread, but I wish we could uncover more on the artist. The painting I have is a beautiful forest landscape with a cottage deep set into the backdrop with birds flying above. Very serene!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Where are you in Virginia? I might sell the one I have as I lean more Mid Century Modern. I am in Richmond
LikeLike
My grandmother deceased recently and I got one of the paintings that she had in store Its a cottage on a lake with a mountain background and beautiful trees with the same signature bottom right corner I’ve noticed where most people are posting from I am in Canada
LikeLike
I was at an estate sale in Massachusetts and found one of these paintings with the same COLE signature on the bottom right. It is a woods scene with a cabin on a river. It has a water wheel and a picket fence. The woods scenery in the background is beautiful and it looks to be either dusk or dawn.
LikeLike
Strange to have found this feed …I happened to pick mine up at the local donation box. I would have loved to know where and who this artist is.
LikeLike
Add me to the list of “COLE” signed paintings 🙂 mine’s of a ship on open water that I bought from a Salvation Army in WNY. Would love to learn anything that anyone knows.
LikeLike
I have a painting with a ship on open water as well. I bought it in the 80’s for 50 cents. It too has “Cole” as the signature.
LikeLike
Looks like I’m part of the COLE club too! I bought this landscape painting of a river running through a valley, with mountains in the background. Bought it for $15 at Salvation Army store in BC Canada. I am utterly in love with it!
LikeLike
I bought one from a couple in Arizona for $25
It is a large landscape of a snow capped mountain , a river running through with a little cabin amongst the greenery. It’s beautiful
LikeLike
I bought mine in Phoenix at Sally for $5! A landscape with a saguaro and two barrel cactus. I was mesmerized by how the light played on the obbjects.
LikeLike
I bought mine in Phoenix at Sally for $5! A landscape with a saguaro and two barrel cactus. I was mesmerized by how the light played on the objects. I really love it!
LikeLike
Add me to the list. My wife inherited from her grandmother a beautiful 24″ x 36″ COLE painting of a cabin in the woods, by a waterfall, in front of mountains.
LikeLike
Me too but I can’t find anything on it. Mines the water, moon, trees and a cottage landscape. Large on similar frame and this is the closest cooler signature I found. There are many, Thomas, George, Edwin, Sandy, Max and more.. I tried emailing a Cole specialist today. Guess I’ll wait and see. Though it’s old and she didn’t buy trash. My grandfather was an artist himself.. I’m determined but getting nowhere
LikeLike
I have a COLE painting, acquired in California. It’s two fishing boats at a wharf with a building. Nice detail.
LikeLike
Hello.
My name is Ricker and I found a Cole painting in a thrift store about 7 years ago. I live in Clearwater/St Pete Florida. This is a big oil canvas painting of a cabin on a river with a water wheel. The painting is set at evening time and has a light golden glow to the painting. Possibly fall time. 2 large trees are to the right side of the painting the word COLE is in white on the bottom. I did a Google lens search and found the exact same painting for sale for $190. But no information about the actual painting. Your right Thomas Cole painting would be nice. Who is this mysterious painter COLE??
LikeLike
I have a Cole as well 24×36 mountain winter scene. I have also came across a painting of a clipper in rough seas by R Boren, Can not find much on hime either.
LikeLike
My grandfather was an artist. My grandmother left a COLE painting of the water, moon, trees and a little cottage to me. There are so many COLEa artists I can’t figure out who. There’s Thomas, Edwin, George, Sandy, Max and more. It’s a 40 inch oil painting and I can’t find anything about it. Part of the mystery club here. Yours has the most similar signature, was totally hoping for any answer. But I do know my grandmother didn’t buy trash so it has to be worth something. It’s fairly old, on canvas, definitely oil and by the frame it’s definitely by a COLE family member.
LikeLike
I researched this artist for an appraisal. Unfortunately, these paintings are worth very little. They come from a Mexican based company called, Artistic Interiors Inc., a mass produced “art mill” that hired artists to churn out paintings for tourist shops and department stores. They were around in the 70s and 80s. People would hold parties at their homes and sell the artworks. The Cole paintings are commonly found today in resale shops such as Goodwill. People pay anything from a $1-$25.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Count me in, a painting of a sailboat and dock in distance. Strange no info and several paintingS.. wish we could post pics
LikeLike