M.C. 5 Cent Jones Watercolor Portrait of His Wife in Red and Blue

I purchased this painting from an online seller based on some not very good photos and worried it might have faded a bit, but no--the color here is as rich and strong as it ever was, and I think this is just a marvelous portrait. It is the work of M.C. "5 Cent" Jones (1918 - 2003), and this I believe a portrait of his wife.

A self taught artist who began painting after his retirement, Jones--whose nickname derived from his diminutive stature, just about 5 feet tall--spent most of his life as a laborer, picking cotton and working as a field hand on the Lynn Plantation near the Texas border in Louisiana. Lots out there about him and his work, which is well known and documented. I don't very often handle the work of known artists, but this portrait just completely won me, right down to the way the arc of her hair rises above the top edge of the painted ground, rising into the border. All the better in person, full of warmth and full of life. Love.

20" x 16 1/8". Ink and watercolor on poster board. Back is the shiny face of board, surface of painting is matte and light cream. Very good condition, better in hand, color rich and strong and really nice ink drawn details.