American Folk Painting

Fans of Charles Wysocki, Mary Engelbreit, Grandma Moses, and folk art in general will fall in love with this guide to painting, organized by seasons. Featuring projects that instruct artists of all skill levels how to draw and paint subjects that include quaint homes, pretty patterns, colorful gardens, picturesque farms, beautiful birds, and textured florals, this book features American-themed folk art infused with a modern twist. Beginning with an overview of what folk art is, followed by introductory topics like color, tools and materials, and drawing and painting techniques, Folk Art Fusion: Americana also includes sixteen simple step-by-step projects done in approachable and popular mediums. Rounding out the book is a gallery of folk-art pieces sure to inspire lovers of all things Americana. Simultaneously fresh and nostalgic, Folk Art Fusion: Americana draws on America’s rich artistic tradition and heritage and provides a fun, accessible take on creating beloved scenes from the heartland.

"Richly illustrated with over 260 color plates, Folk Art in American Life presents a broad sampling of the wealth and variety of American folk art from the late seventeenth century through the late twentieth century. Its scope includes objects from many diverse subject areas - from paintings to household furnishings of many kinds, to textiles, to sculpture, to environments."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

For a full list of entries, contributors, and more, visit the Encyclopedia of American Folk Art web site. This is the first comprehensive, scholarly study of a most fascinating aspect of American history and culture. Generously illustrated with both black and white and full-color photos, this A-Z encyclopedia covers every aspect of American folk art, encompassing not only painting, but also sculpture, basketry, ceramics, quilts, furniture, toys, beadwork, and more, including both famous and lesser-known genres. Containing more than 600 articles, this unique reference considers individual artists, schools, artistic, ethnic, and religious traditions, and heroes who have inspired folk art. An incomparable resource for general readers, students, and specialists, it will become essential for anyone researching American art, culture, and social history.

This book presents watercolor renderings along with a selection of the artifacts in the Index of American Design, a visual archive of decorative, folk, and popular arts made in America from the colonial period to about 1900. Three essays explore the history, operation, and ambitions of the Index of American Design, examine folk art collecting in America during the early decades of the twentieth century, and consider the Index's role in the search for a national cultural identity in the early twentieth-century United States.

For the new or seasoned collector, this groundbreaking guide reveals how to evaluate contemporary American folk art as well as where to see it, buy it, and what to spend on it. The highly informative text is organized by region and features more than 181 biographies of both new and established artists. Color photos of more than 155 works as well as 44 black-and-white portraits of the artists are included.

For a full list of entries, contributors, and more, visit the Encyclopedia of American Folk Art web site. This is the first comprehensive, scholarly study of a most fascinating aspect of American history and culture. Generously illustrated with both black and white and full-color photos, this A-Z encyclopedia covers every aspect of American folk art, encompassing not only painting, but also sculpture, basketry, ceramics, quilts, furniture, toys, beadwork, and more, including both famous and lesser-known genres. Containing more than 600 articles, this unique reference considers individual artists, schools, artistic, ethnic, and religious traditions, and heroes who have inspired folk art. An incomparable resource for general readers, students, and specialists, it will become essential for anyone researching American art, culture, and social history.

The authors approach the popular folk art genre of the house thematically through its depiction in various craft media--quilts, paintings, drawings, samplers, rugs, furnishing and more. 150 photos.

This work presents a private collection of American folk art sculpture. Weather vanes are the focus of this collection of mostly 19th-century pieces, but included are ship's figureheads, decoys, and a painting of a stalking tiger, reproduced in a four-page gatefold. All the sculpture has been specially photographed for this book, with many pieces shown in double page spreads and from multiple perspectives.

Drawing on the natural folk art tendencies of children, who love to collect buttons, bottle caps, shells, and Popsicle sticks to create beautiful, imperfect art, this activity guide teaches kids about the history of this organic art and offers inspiration for them to create their own masterpieces. The full breadth of American folk art is surveyed, including painting, sculpture, decorative arts, and textiles from the 17th century through today. Making bubblegum wrapper chains, rag dolls, bottle cap sculptures, decoupage boxes, and folk paintings are just a few of the activities designed to bring out the artist in every child. Along the way kids learn about the lives of Americans throughout history and their casual relationships to everyday art as they cut stencils, sew needlepoint samplers, draw calligraphy birds, and design quilts. Important folk artists such as the last surviving Shakers, the legendary Grandma Moses, and the Reverend Howard Finster are also explored in sidebars throughout the book.

The early Pa. Dutch settlers introduced to America a native craftsmanship strongly influenced by their ancestral fatherland. It developed a flavor of its own which has contributed so richly to the historical folk art of the New World. Brings together a representative collection of illustrative material (over 270 photos) as an excellent record of the Pa. Dutch folk art. (144pp. illus. Masthof Press, 1993 reprint of 1946 ed.)