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The authoritative listing of artists is called the E. Benezit. This will however only give you information on dead and known artists. You can also try AskArt.com for a more comprehensive listing of living artists. A search of "Lawson" produced these results: http://www.askart.com/AskART/search/Search.aspx?SearchType=Artist&LastName=lawson&FirstName=&Action=SubmitArtistButton

That being said we must keep in mind that there are literally thousands of artists, almost all of whom work without any recogntion whatsoever.

If you love it then that's all that matters.

I will say that I notice (I'm a conservator) some stretcher bar marks and what looks like a dent in the lower right. I cannot tell fro mthe photos but it also appears that there is some mild paint flaking though it may be the photo. That frame should be replaced with something a bit more substantial, perhaps a black floating frame... but that rabbit must go...it's simply no good.

And from another perspective I don't see this painting on a bright blue wall as a good choice. The painting contains so much color that it fights the wall...

It looks vaguely Abstract Expressionist, so the date sounds about right, maybe a little earlier (1950s-60s). Maybe take it to an appraiser? Either find someone locally, like Bonham's and Butterfield's, or looks for appraisers elsewhere in the U.S. who specialize in post-war American painting; you could call them or send them an email.

Do you know if the painting is oil or acrylic? That could also help you date it, which might help you narrow down which Lawson might have painted it.