Men Painting Florida - Highwaymen Art

September 13th, 2008 | Niche

Of all the items I've seen on eBay, paintings by a mysterious group of men known as the Highwaymen may be the most intriguing. Most artists seek to be recognized. They can be snooty, eccentric, arrogant - but not these guys. Most of them went to their graves without any formal recognition. Some pieces of their art now sell for thousands of dollars - but when the paint was newly dry, only brought the standard $35 each.

The Highwaymen artists are/were a collection of black artists from Fort Pierce, Florida who painted vivid landscapes and Florida scenes. They painted from the 1950's to the 1970's. With few exceptions, you could not purchase their paintings in galleries. Their works were sold mostly from the trunks of cars to passing motorists. They could also be found carrying their paintings door to door in business districts and even selling on busy street corners.

These artists were masters at capturing Florida sunrises and sunsets. Their paintings often feature the vivid colors of the royal poinciana tree and colorful skies and palm trees with the water of the Indian River in the background. They are truly some of the most beautiful paintings I've seen.

Highwaymen, by tradition, work fast and sometimes talk even faster. Some paint three or four pictures a day and have a smooth sales pitch. They seldom waste an ounce of paint or an extra brush stroke on a picture. Lacking canvas, they sometimes painted on the back of cheap boarding used in house overhangs. They built picture frames out of carpenter's door trim. They used house paints instead of the expensive art store colors.

For most, painting was, and continues to be, a way to escape minimum-wage jobs or welfare. It wasn't about the art as much as creating an income. Despite the incredible beauty of their work, few have struck it rich or become well-known.

While a few highwaymen still paint, they keep a low profile to avoid the scrutiny of state or town officials, or the IRS.

Where can you find their paintings? They still turn up at garage sales and estate sales. I've seen reports of people spending as little as $1 on these paintings at garage sales. Looking at how they sell on eBay shows it would be well worth knowing what to watch for...