Verne – Biography

The artist Verne, as the artist was known, was actually Gladys Marie Baxter Duckworth of the Laguna Beach, California area during the ’40’s (perhaps earlier) until the late 50’s. Her small landscape and seascape oil painting style is very recognizable. Verne also painted large scenes. An unverified story was that she would come into the galleries with her pet monkey (perhaps a spider monkey) on her shoulder. She lived in the Laguna Canyon and was truly one of Laguna’s most popular artists.  Birds Studio shop was on Pacific Coast Hwy, just across from the Hotel Laguna where many of her paintings sold.
Gladys was born in Brockton Massachusetts on September 18th, 1904 and died in Laguna Hills CA on January 7, 1981.
A big thank you to SF for correcting my glaring errors and providing some wonderful personal historical context.

VERNE – Laguna Cliffs, Purchased 1989, Oil, 7 x 7