St Ives painting recently bought at David Lay's auction - more information forthcoming.

Further analysis of the St Ives painting has revealed more information and given rise to some confusion over the boat and incident in question......

for instance, closer analysis of the note on the back reveals some text on the reverse side that says, "Return of  the Girl Renee after missing for three days, St Ives, 1962"  in a different hand.........

the artist has now been identified as one, Edith M Huxham - Janet Axten, from the St Ives Trust archive has supplied the following information about her, "She is not a St Ives or Newlyn artist, but she showed five paintings in an exhibition at Lanhams Gallery (there is a Lanhams Gallery sticker on the back)in St Ives many years ago. The Archive has a copy of the catalogue, but it is undated sadly. I would think that the exhibition might have taken place in the 1920s or early 1930s, but the name of the exhibition was called ‘Paintings and Watercolours by artists past and present' - so not very helpful. Her paintings were selling for £5.00. She painted a work called ‘The Mermaid of Zennor’, but the rest of the paintings were flower studies".......

a closer look at the bow of the boat reveals indistinct lettering.......

while this crop gives a better view of the boat which John McWilliams suggests could be Breton rather than St Ives (due to the rounded or slightly flared bow)......

this is the painting in full.