Gillespie Park painter receives second painting from great-great grandfather

Brenda Secky had pulled off an unexpected victory a year and a half ago. Through sheer coincidence, circumstance, and the generosity of others, the Gillespie Park painter had managed to procure a long-lost painting made in the 1800s by her great-great grandfather, Albert Christian Striffler.

Now, after months of hoping, Secky has a new piece of art from her ong-ago relative: an idyllic pair of houses resting along a peaceful body of water. Nothing could make her happier. 

“It’s serenity,” Secky said. “It resonates with me to my core … being in nature, it’s so beautiful.”

The story began when an art collector in New Jersey, hearing about Secky’s story and the last painting she found of her relative’s, asked about her lineage, suggesting he might have one of her great-great grandfather’s works. 

She was apprehensive, aware of fake social media accounts and scams, but curious. After taking one look at the painting’s signature with its distinctive capital A, lower-case c and capital F, and Secky knew the piece was another creation of Striffler’s. She says it looked just like the painting she had in her family home. 

“I said ‘that's it’,” Secky said. “There's another one out there.”

It was a joy for Secky to discover there were more of her ancestor’s works. After all, she loved his paintings but had no idea how popular he was, or how prevalent his art had become. But based on his skill set — how good she believed he was — she had a hunch that he had just continued to paint throughout his life.

“I just assume like me, he just never stops painting,” Secky said. “It's just a passion that you have. And if you don't feed it, you’re not in your happy place … it's your ray of sunshine, it brightens your day. It makes you feel good. It's a sense of accomplishment. It’s so many different things in one package.”

Which isn’t to say her great-great grandfather’s painting had made it into Secky’s hands just yet  — the buyer still put the AC Striffler’s painting up for sale on eBay. Which posed a new problem for the painter's great-great granddaughter: finding a way to use eBay to purchase her family art piece. 

“I know of eBay but I’ve never had a reason to venture on there,” Secky said. “I'm not a shopper, I listen to music and work.”

The price of entry wasn’t steep — the opening bid started at $70 — and Secky then spent the next six days and six nights checking on her bid. 

When the timer ran out, Secky was the winner of Striffler’s art piece. A few weeks later, the painting was at Secky’s door and tears were in her eyes. 

Secky shares her great-great grandfather’s penchant for landscapes, though he had an interest in watercolors that evoke a warm, peaceful feeling that she admires. Though it’s unclear what the exact setting is that Striffler painted, Secky likes to think it’s of the Hudson Valley in New York around where her family is from. 

Now that she’s finally acquired the piece, Secky is resting from looking for another, and is more focused on where the new art piece she hang. She’s leaning towards having both of her great-great grandfather’s pieces in her room, so she can see them every day when she wakes up and every night she sleeps. She can think of no better way to inspire herself. 

“I pinch myself every day,” Secky said. “I’m so glad I have it.”