Historical water color  print in its original frame. In good vintage condition.

Measures: 14 " x 11"

About Gray's History

First studio, Skillman, New Jersey

Decades have passed since that day in 1965 when the very first hand painted watercolor print left the 'studio' of what would one day become Gray's Watercolors: the 'studio', the tiny low-ceilinged dining room of an old Dutch Colonial farmhouse; the print, a scene of the Cornell University campus; Gray's Watercolors, at that time called The College Watercolor Group; and the production method, one that would be modified and refined many times in the days and years to follow. The subject matter of this first issue bore no resemblance to the paintings from which the original idea for watercolor reproductions sprang almost a decade earlier - watercolor sketches created with a few bold strokes of the brush, scenes of sand and sea, rolling sugar-white dunes, waving beach grass, billowing clouds, and the sparkling aquamarine of white-capped Gulf surf….which sold as fast in the local galleries as they could be painted.

Founder Paul McConaughy at Cornell, 1953

Such ready market demand started the artist, Paul McConaughy, then - in 1957 - an Air Force lieutenant and pilot stationed at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, to considering the possibilities of reproduction of his paintings. Although he had gained recognition for his work in the past - at Cornell University, and earlier during Adirondack summers studying watercolor painting under Adele Hepbron (American Watercolor Society), and in various juried shows and competitions more recently - he was now making daily discoveries in both the quality and quantity of his work. This prompted a growing interest in art reproduction. He soon discovered, however, the art reproduction processes available at the time were costly indeed, especially for small-run editions.

The ongoing search for some effective, relatively inexpensive way to reproduce limited editions of watercolor prints subsequently led him to Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Mellon) in Pittsburgh for a year of graduate studies in printing management and fine art, and for several years thereafter to commuting into New York City as a marketing executive - first in the printing industry, then in the mail order publishing business - before the shipping of that first watercolor print of the Cornell campus in 1965.

Watercolor of Beebe Lake at Cornell, from first series

Beebe Lake at Cornell, from first series

During his daily commutes, a plan had slowly taken shape in his mind. And so it was that on a fine October weekend in 1965, he headed for his old alma mater, where he produced a series of watercolor paintings of campus scenes. When the paintings appeared for sale in the alumni publication a few weeks later, the response was immediate and far beyond expectation. Orders poured in from the Cornell alums…and The College Watercolor Group which would become, in time, Gray's Watercolors, was officially launched. (The 'Group' at this time consisted of two part-timers - the artist, still employed full time, and his wife, a non-artist and full-time homemaker, who assisted with advertising and paperwork.)

Early studio of Gray's Watercolors, Ringoes, New Jersey

With orders in hand, McConaughy was faced with the challenge of the actual reproduction and set about implementing the plan for print production devised in his imagination during the commutes. The plan was essentially that developed by Currier and Ives, 19th century print makers who had created original artwork of scenes and events of their day, then reproduced the artwork as pen lines, then employed copy artists for hand painting the prints. This had allowed for the production of prints in small (or large) editions, affordable to a wide market, and, as it turns out, of a quality to stand the test of time…Currier & Ives prints having now become synonymous with valued Americana.

We are not a corporation just a mom and daughter antique shop. We do our best to provide excellent customer service and provide you with answers to your questions. In addition, we take all your reasonable offers seriously.

Please see photos for additional description and there will be a 15% restocking fee on any returns and Buyer pays for returned shipment.

Please shop with confidence we have a high positive customer service rating we offer a great discount.

Thank you,

Oxhisgems