An Arizona woman found a valuable painting at a Phoenix Goodwill store

Phoenix resident Grace Carpenter is always on the lookout for treasures. It’s what she does.

And that’s exactly what she did on a random Goodwill trip in the Valley on May 2. While waiting to pick up her kids from the bus stop, Carpenter stopped at the Phoenix Goodwill store on 7th Avenue and Indian School Road.

There she came across a painting of a woman holding a cat. The painting – which she ended up purchasing for $32 – proved to be the work of Western painter Charles Craig.

She didn’t know that when she purchased it, but after seeing what looked like a “CHAS CRAIG” signature in the bottom corner of the painting paired with a 1912 date, Carpenter took her musings to TikTok where her video garnered more than 1.5 million views.

Things didn’t stop there, Carpenter said, laughing. Since the video she has boosted her 1,000 TikTok followers to more than 19,000.

One of the commenters said she should go on Antiques Roadshow.

“Someone said, ‘I see that you work in Tennessee pretty frequently,'” Carpenter said. “I have an extra ticket, would you like to go?’ That’s how I went last week.”

Grace Carpenter found a Charles Craig painting at Goodwill for $32 dollars.  She later found out it was worth thousands more.  She is an interior designer in Phoenix

What Carpenter found out at ‘Antiques Roadshow’

The invitation to the PBS show meant Carpenter could verify that the painting she purchased was indeed, a Charles Craig painting.

And it was, but with a twist.

“When I was there, the appraiser that I talked to looked at it and he said, ‘well this is really interesting,’ and he brought it over to a colleague and they brought out a black light and started inspecting it, and they said , ‘thank you so much for bringing this in, it’s so special. It’s our favorite one from today.’ And then he showed me that the cat had been painted into the painting years later.”

Most Charles Craig pieces sell for about $500 dollars, Carpenter said, but at Antique Roadshows, the appraiser placed the value of the painting higher, about $2,000, because of the cat, Carpenter said.

“He said he wouldn’t let it out of the gallery for less than $2,000 dollars,” Carpenter said. “If you really look at the painting now, it makes sense. Her face is so detailed and it’s really beautiful and this cat is like graffiti so it’s really funny once you know what you’re looking at.”

Grace Carpenter found a Charles Craig painting at Goodwill.  She later found out it was worth thousands more after seeing

How Carpenter developed a crack for finding treasures around the world

For 10 years Carpenter lived in Holland where she studied population, poverty and social development.

But instead of paying attention in class, Carpenter said she found herself doodling room sketches in her notebook.

“That’s how I figured out what I was supposed to be doing,” Carpenter said, laughing.

It was then that Carpenter began studying interior design informally with his next door neighbor, Cristopher Worthland, who is a classically trained interior designer. He helped Carpenter develop an eye for thoughtful pieces, through personal instruction, as well as renting out his entire collection of Elle Decor, Architectural Digest and House Beautiful magazines for her to read.

In 2013, Carpenter returned to Amsterdam with her son to show him where she lived. At a flea market, she found a painting by French artist Fernand Léger for 80 euros which she said was later valued at nearly $1 million after it was authenticated as original by the Comité Léger in Paris.

While Carpenter was offered more than 300,000 euros for the painting in Europe, she kept it. She’s keeping the Charles Craig painting, too, she said.

“When you’re a treasure hunter and collector like me, the fun part is in finding but also the enjoyment,” Carpenter said. “I’m an interior designer. I love beautiful things, I surround myself with them and I don’t want to part with them. I love the story and it’s something I can leave with my kids.”

Reach the reporter at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram @sofia.krusmark

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