Folk Art & Decorative Painting

This style of art is very much about brush stroke techniques, which lends itself perfectly to being a teachable art, regardless of your experience. The style is more representative of a subject rather than an exact likeness and is not limited to being just floral.

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Another term used for it is Tole Painting, which meant  that items of wood, ironworks or utensils had been decorated in Folk Art.  You can apply these styles to just about anything from furniture to fireplaces, cups to cupboards!

 

Here in the UK probably the most well known of this style of folk art would be Castles and Roses popular on canal boats. The one shown below was painted on a cast iron water pump as a commission.

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Styles from other countries include Rosemaling, Hinderloopen among others. The British Association of Decorative and Folk Arts (BADFA) have some basic explanations of them - click here to be taken to their site.

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When I paint in a particular style I'll try and remember to post some interesting facts or information about it in my blog section.