Oil painting signed 'LONGWORTH '26'

This is a hand-painted oil or acrylic painting on stretched canvas depicting three children paddling in the ocean surf. The physical composition features three figures viewed from behind or profile, wading in shallow, foamy green and white waves. The figure on the left wears a yellow straw hat with a blue band and a light blue dress. The middle figure wears a matching yellow straw hat and a light-patterned top and shorts. The figure on the right wears a wide-brimmed pink sunhat with a red accent flower and a white dress. The background shows a dark green sea meeting a pale sky with textured, impasto white clouds. The brushwork varies from smooth blending in the figures to thick, textured application (impasto) on the cresting waves, seafoam, and clouds. In the lower right corner, there is a visible dark signature reading 'LONGWORTH '26'. The canvas appears to be in clean, well-preserved condition with no obvious tears, punctures, or significant paint loss visible in the photograph. The attribution in the name rests purely on the observation of the legible signature at the lower right corner, and the piece remains unauthenticated. The style is illustrative and representational, capturing a bright, casual seaside scene.

Based on what I can see in the photograph, this hand-painted oil or acrylic painting on stretched canvas depicts three children in the ocean surf and bears a signature in the lower right corner reading 'LONGWORTH '26'. The canvas appears clean and well-preserved with pleasant impasto texture in the waves and clouds. However, I cannot verify from a photo whether the materials are archival, whether the signature is contemporary to the work, or if this is an autograph piece by an established artist. Physical inspection is needed to evaluate the canvas age, paint chemistry, and structural integrity. My appraisal value range of $400 to $800 assumes that the attribution is correct and that it represents a mid-20th-century or dated regional illustrative work of this type. Decorative and representational seaside paintings with this level of charm generally appeal to regional collectors, though market demand fluctuates. If physical inspection reveals this piece to be a later reproduction, copy, or an anonymous work 'in the style of', the value would drop significantly to the $100–$250 decorative art range. To support a higher valuation or confirm authorship, an in-person examination by a fine art specialist, scientific pigment testing, and research into exhibition history or provenance documentation would be required.