Trash to treasure

AUGUSTA - A Hephzibah middle school teacher proved the old adage ``One man&#39;s trash is another man&#39;s treasure.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Henry Drakeford, who teaches art at Spirit Creek Middle School, stumbled upon an original watercolor last summer while visiting his brother in Washington, D.C. <br> <br> Drakeford has found several pieces of art over the years this way. Whenever he gets the chance, he searches abandoned houses and trash piles. <br> <br> His recent find turned out to be ``Autumn Landscape,&#39;&#39; a watercolor by Jasper Francis Cropsey, dated 1899. Auction house officials estimated the painting to be worth between $8,000-$12,000, and he spent another $600 to have the painting restored. <br> <br> Cropsey was a member of New York&#39;s Hudson River School, and he is best known for his bright, bold autumn landscapes. <br> <br> But the painting was not sold when it went up for sale Saturday at Weschler&#39;s auction house in Washington. <br> <br> Drakeford, who is also a painter, is working on a series of paintings based on the events of September Eleventh. He hopes to present one of his paintings to President Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell during the holidays.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/12/186549