Day 6
Sat. Aug. 7th, 2010
What is Folk Art?
In "The Crafter's Devotional" today, Ms. Call speaks about folk art and what it is....even though over the years I have been an often avid creator of folk art, I never knew how far it reached, not really....
These are just a few of the examples that Barbara Call gave in her book, that can define "Folk Art":
- The art of the everyday (I Love this one, I think it may be my favorite...)
- Expresses cultural identity and traditions
- Folk art is a collaborative reflection of traditional art forms, from a variety of groups...
I ventured into Folk Art the old fashion way....by accident....while I was working on a "project", an idea I had in my head that kept evolving so it soon turned into a series, a friend stopped by....generally I didn't allow anyone to see what I was working on till it was finished...but...on that day I made an exception.....okay that's not exactly true.......what REALLY happened was I was so excited to see her I forgot I was working on anything and well.....she saw it...and said, "I LOVE this, I didn't know you where a folk artist too?"...."Folk Artist?" I thought....I'd never thought of anything I had made as being folk art....I thought I was just screwing around....who knew?
So I began to pay more attention to folk art....I think I took it for granted because it was all around me growing up...but....I soon realize how much I LOVE folk art....
What do I LOVE about it you ask? Well I'll tell ya....What I love first and foremost is the nostalgia, yep, I'm gooey like that....but I also love the diversity and how varied the mediums can be....it can be one just one like metal or clay....ooooor.....it can be metal and clay and wood and paper and rhinestone....Whatever You Want! How FUN is that! WOW! To be only limited by ones Imagination......hmmmmm? That means the possibilities are....well...INFINITE! HOORAY for INFINITE POSSIBILITIES!
Soooo, below I've added some pics of my folk art pieces....ask whatever questions you want about them....I am happy to share information and techniques....there's room for Everyone!
(okay, remember I JUST got a new camera like 2 weeks ago....so you know what that means....it means my most of the pictures were taken with my OLD digital camera....a dinosaur of a camera actually....okay...so here we go...)
This was a collage I made on canvas....the subject....Love.....I used found objects, a cake topper, real leaves from a flower arrangement that was in the house...paper of course...an old key...ribbons...you name it....it's probably in there somewhere....
this is a my ribbon "Art Doll"...her name is "Pieces of My Heart"....she is 2nd in a series of art dolls...where the rhinestone heart is a window to her soul...inside are heart pieces mixed with shiny stuff....I used "Graphic 45" paper for her head and LOTS and LOTS of mostly "O'ffray" ribbon...there are some vintage ribbons mixed...I made here jointed...and she does actually move...her arms that is....
this is the back of her...I used "Prisma" paper for the body....the stamp I used was from a French love letter if I remember right.....
This is one of two old chairs that I stripped, sanded and painted in Folk Art style.....I painted them free hand from some pictures I found.....then I stained them and sealed them.....
I also distressed them alittle.....this is the final result....I LOVED making these chairs come to Life....
this is a photograph of the 2nd chair...it's almost finished...alittle more paint and distress...some stain and sealer.... I did finish this chair but couldn't find a picture of it.....
This is what I stripped the chairs down to in order to recreate them....I do love and enjoy giving new life to old things.....
Blessings & Joy,
Alexia
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