Favourite decorative art pieces – part one
I’m planning on putting up a few posts on this same topic.
You’re probably not like me, and can’t bear to part with any of your paintings, but I have actually kept very few of my own folk art / decorative art pieces.
They have either gone off to another home (usually one of my sisters), or I just couldn’t bear to look at it after a while, because I wasn’t happy with the quality of the work.
Leibe Bird
Yet another adaptation from a Jo Sonja book. I think this was from the big book of decorative painting.
I painted this on one of those textured artist boards. It’s propped up on a plate stand in my daughter’s bedroom.
I love this combination of colours. After I painted the design, I glazed/shaded using retarder medium to give a bit more depth.
Peaceful Moments
Click on image for larger
This brush sketch is painted on watercolour paper in the same style as the previous post (girl vignette).
The design was from a Jo Sonja Jansen book (one of my favourite artists, she is so inspirational).
On the larger image (click the thumbnail), you can see that I actually wrote on there the colours I used, which were the same colours in the girl vignette.
Girl & Bird Vignette
This quick sketch was done on watercolour paper with JoSonja artist gouache.
I sponged the background on using a couple of colours on top of each other. I think the main colour for the background was Smoked Pearl.
Use only small amounts of paint and you can get quite good drybrush type effects.
Keep it simple, let the strokes speak for themselves – no complicated shading or floating. Just vary the pressure of your strokes, adding more thin layers to give shape.
I also used a spattering (flyspecking) effect at the end. Water down the paint (do a test spatter first on scrap paper to test the amount) then use another brush, or similar implement to tap the brush with paint in it, releasing spatters over the painting.
Remember, less is more.
Cornflowers
Don’t you just love cornflowers?
I do. They are the essence of country life, especially when they are arranged in a rustic pitcher like this one.
I painted these from a photograph in British Edition Country Living magazine (this is my favourite mag). (more…)
Folk Art Card
Want to do something creative, that you can give to friends and family?
Try handpainting your own cards.
This one was painted onto pastel paper with josonja artist gouache paints. The texture on the paper helped give a drybrush effect without really trying. Great fun!
I trimmed the bottom of the top page with a craft knife to give a more unique edging.
You could use any type of paper, as long as it is thick enough to stand up.
I adapted this design from a Jo Sonja Jansen book (can’t remember which one), but this style is great for ‘just doodling’.
About
Hello. Thanks for stopping by.
I'm a folk & decorative artist, living in Australia, born in Scotland.
I'm inspired by nature, simple rhythms and the creation of the master artist Himself.
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