Finding Valuable Vintage Art for $1

I woke to a dream this morning. I had a dream that there was a valuable piece of art hidden behind another piece of art and then woke up. I often check the second hand stores for art and if it is a few dollars, I will purchase some. I have paid a bit more for some that I LOVE, but for the most part, if it is over $10 I won't buy it. 

Since I had that dream, I stopped at a second hand store today and they had totally cleaned out all the art and while I was there, a worker brought out four original pieces of art. They weren't all that good but since I had the dream about there being art behind other art, I went to the very back and pulled out these two pieces of art. 

The first was a watercolor and is very large in size. Actually, both pieces are the same size and are about 2 1/2 fee long and 18 inches wide. It is a contemporary piece and it is signed on the back by "John Wood '67" in pencil. 

I loved the second piece of art which is an etching. It is called "The Iron Worker and King Solomon"  and is large as well. It is so finely printed that there is much detail. I don't know how to tell an original from a reproduction other than this actually has indentations around the edges of the paper so I think there may be some value to it. In my research, I couldn't find a sure fire way to know if it is a first or second run or even a later run but the indents around the edge gave me hope for more value. Here is a link to where they are selling a PRINTED, NOT ETCHED picture of this for almost $100 and I paid $2 for it! 

I came home and researched John Wood online, and found that there is a contemporary artist who lives in CA. And, after doing a bit more research on how to contact him, I found that he has a Facebook page. I wondered if he was still living as the painting was done the year I was born. 

John Wood is still alive and is "with the times" in the fact that he has got to be between 70 and 80 as the painting was done while he was in college. 

I wrote and sent a picture of the piece and he said he remembers it and that it is his! I found that so wonderful that I was able to connect with him and that he would reply! He was very sweet and I will give him a plug, he is having a showing in Denver on August 22, 2019, so if you are in the Denver area, check out his show! 

I find his painting very Picasso like. It is fun knowing that I found an original early work of an artist. His paintings online go for anywhere from $3000 to $6500 new. Here is a link to where some of his stuff is for sale.  I don't know if it has the same value as his later stuff, more because it is an earlier work, or less due to it being an earlier work before he went and graduated from art school. Either way, it was a fun find and I have a few others I would like to get appraised at some point. 

Have a blessed and abundant day!