Howard Finster, Self Portrait as Preacher - Outsider Art: Painting on Wood 1990 - SIGNED & NUMBERED

This really nice, but rather common Finster piece came from the estate of a friend of mine. He and I learned about Naive (or Outsider) Art from our boss in Chicago in the 1980s who is one of the premiere aficionados of Outsider Art. She was one of the people who started the Intuit Museum in Chicago for Outsider Art, and her house was and is full of all kinds of work by various Outsider artists. She had a huge Howard Finster piece in her living room, which was later sold at a Christie's auction when her husband passed. My friend and I both picked up small pieces by Outsider artists throughout our lives. And that's the long story how I came to be responsible for selling this small Howard Finster self-portrait. 

This is a shape of Finster's art of which you can find many online. I think he had someone cut a lot of them for him with a jigsaw, or perhaps did it himself, and then painted them each differently. So, he could made a great many of them. He had become famous with his Talking Heads album cover, in the 80s. After that, people started to clamor after his artwork.  

Here's what it says on it (Finster wrote things on his work): "HOWARD FINSTER FROM GOD MAN OF VISIONS. SPEAKING TO YOU BY FOLK ART. MY HANDS. GET TIRED. BUT NEVER STOP .I. MEASURE YOUR SOUL FROM BOTTOM TO TOP. I. CAN.T. STAND TO SEE YOU LATE. JUST OUT SIDE OF GODS. GATES. TO All OF YOU .I. MAY NEVER MEET. GET READY TO JOIN ME ON GODS GOLDEN STREETS. WHERE YOU AND I. WITH ANGELS MEET. WHERE I WILL BOWE AT JESUS FEET. GOD BLESS YOU ALL. 

REACHING OUT TO HELP MAKE A BETTER WORLD. 

On the thing in his hand: OUT TO WIN THE WORLD TO GOD BY (Howard FInster's signature) FROM GOD

 MAN OF VISIONS GOD BLESS YOU ALL"

All typos are (sic) as they are on the art. I think the piece with the most words is a piece of cardboard he added on later, and not written on the wood. I also think this art is created with WOOD, ACRYLIC PAINT, CARDBOARD and a SHARPIE. Best guess. Oh, and 2 nails. 

On the back it says "14.000.496. WORKS SINCE 1976 BY HOWARD FINSTER (signature)

APRIL 28. 1990 GOD BLESS 8:40PM:" and then there's a little drawing of a man and a bird(?)

Please look at all the photos and read everything I've written about the condition and description of this item. Contact me via eBay if you have any questions that the photos or description do not answer. If I can ship it to you safely for less, I will refund you any significant difference. 

I'm a highly rated seller and I ship quickly. It'll come to you from a smoke-free, pet-free house. Thanks for the consideration.