2026: Best Thrift Store Fine Art Finds

In late July 2026, when thrifting at the Mission Thrift Store in Midnapore on Calgary’s south side and I noticed a very large artwork, maybe a poster, on top of a high shelf.  I was intrigued, but since we are trying to downsize our art collection - I walked away. But I didn’t get far, before I circled back to have another look. I was captivated by the bold red colour, overlapping layers and Mattise-like brush work. I was a sophisticated lithograph.

Noticing a male staff member nearby, I asked if he could get it down so I could have a closer look. Sure enough it was a signed lithography by Pat Hall (or maybe Pat Hill), dated 1988. It even had the title “Red Tie – Sun Watcher.” Now I was really interested. Time to get a second opinion – she wasn’t as enthusiastic as I was, but she didn’t say “No!”

So what the heck - it was only $12. Why not take it home, do some research, enjoy it for a bit and I can always donate it back.

“Red Tie / Sunwatcher” in its original plexiglass clipped frame. You can see the three plates - grey, orange and red - as well as the addition of the yellow and green colours. There is a passion, energy and complexity that immediately captured my interest and imagination. Yes it does have a sense of fire and heat perhaps that is the Sunwatcher element the artist wanted to express.

Gotta Love Facebook

As soon as I got home, I took a photo and posted it to Facebook to see if anyone recognized the work, or perhaps even reaching the artist. Within an hour I had several responses, informing me there was a student named Pat Hill (male) at the Alberta College of Art (now Alberta University of the Arts) around that time. One person suggested I contact Alexandra Haeseker, the ACAD printing instructor at the time. Ha! I know Alexandra so a quick email  and sure enough she remembered a Pat Hill and him doing ambitious prints at the time. (I forgot to mention the print is 48” by 32”, which is huge for what looks like a stone lithograph)  inches, with five different colours.

I couldn’t find anything about Pat Hill on the internet so perhaps he went on to do other things. Or maybe he will surface as this blog circulates.

Close-up of the playfulness of the brush work.

Close up of the circle. Do you see anything inside the circle?

Framing Fun!

After hanging out with if for a week or so we decided it was worth getting framed. It’s  open-sided framed with plexiglass clipped to a sheet of Masonite with a wood structure attached to the Masonite made it very heavy and awkward to hang. I thought perhaps we could just replace the backing with foamcore or coroplast and clip the existing plexiglass to it, as a new sheet of Plexiglass that size would be about $300. Not sure I liked it that much!

I took it to my local framer, but she didn’t think that would work. I decided to get a second opinion (Webster Gallery / Avenida Framing) and while they agreed foamcore or coroplast might not work, they said they had an inexpensive simple black wood frame that would work for $150. Sold!

I was told it would take two weeks, but it was done in 2 days. How’s that for service? It is now on our dinning nook wall for us to study and enjoy.

The framed artwork thanks to Avenida Framing.

Close-up of the yellow area. Is that the tie? Is it a shoe? What about a backbone?

Here is what the artwork looks like in our dining nook.

Second Fine Art Find

Less than a month later, we were again thrifting this time on Calgary’s west side at the WINS store next to Sarcee Trail. Immediately heading to the art area, behind some furniture was another huge  (42”  x 32”)artwork, this time framed immaculately. It even had cardboard corners to protect it from damage. My initial though was it would make a great frame for one of the street photography projects I am working on.  At $60, it was a good deal as the mats were acid free meaning I wouldn’t have to change them, just get the photo printed to fit the opening.

Hot Tip:  I have been purchasing art (for their frames) from thrift stores for the past 6 months in anticipation of an exhibition of some of my street photography. It is amazing the frames you can get for $5 to $15 dollars. I just get a new mat cut, clean up the glass and pop in the photo and it looks like I spent $300+ on a new frame. Think about that if you ever need something framed or reframed.

Once I got it home and had a good look at it, I realize it was a complex print, combing two printing techniques, the bird-like image is made using a calligraphy method and the moon is a serigraph technique. I Googled the “artist Keith Mitchell” and sure enough there was a Keith Mitchell living in BC who had also gone to ACAD.  As his website had an email, I sent him a note, and he quickly responded to confirm it was indeed his work, done when he was a3rd year student with his instructor, Ranjan Sen. He said there are only three prints in existence as the plates were destroyed in a warehouse fire 40 years ago.

Today, Mitchell is a conceptual photographer and sculptor based on Vancouver Island, Canada. His practice combines constructed wooden sculptures with experimental digital photography to explore the relationships between light, shadow, and perception. Maybe I will find one in a thrift store when I am next in Victoria or Vancouver.

Donyonda, Keith Mitchell, 1970.

Last Word

What are the chances of finding two very large, sophisticated prints by ACAD students that date back 56 and 38 years within a few weeks of each other?