Don Harvie Art Appraisal

Tugboat in Industrial Harbor Watercolor by Don Harvie

This is an original watercolor painting on paper attributed to the artist Don Harvie, as indicated by the signature in the lower-left corner and provided provenance. The piece depicts a vibrant tugboat with a red hull, blue upper deck, and white cabin, set against a muted, atmospheric industrial background featuring dark green cranes and shipping infrastructure. The composition utilizes a wet-on-wet technique interspersed with dry brush details, characteristic of mid-to-late 20th-century American watercolor styles. The palette contrasts the warm, saturated reds and oranges of the boat with the cool, hazy grays and greens of the industrial skyline. The artwork is professionally mounted with a white window mat and housed in a thin, polished gold-tone metal frame typical of late-century gallery presentations. The visible condition of the paper appears stable with no immediate signs of foxing or moisture damage, though the matte shows some slight aging. The signature 'DON HARVIE' is clearly legible in a stylized block lettering. Harvie was known for his mastery of the medium and his ability to capture maritime and industrial life with a balance of technical precision and artistic fluidity. Potential value factors include the clarity of the signature, the industrial subject matter which is popular among collectors of nautical art, and the overall preservation of the pigments which remain bright despite their sensitivity to light.