Painting American Folk Art
The history of decorative painting spans several centuries. Instructional guides predominantly focus on contemporary interpretations of Victorian-looking florals, but inPainting American Folk Art, noted decorative artist Andy B. Jones reaches further into the past to present 11 delightful folk art projects with a loosely colonial feel. The remarkably thorough introductory section covers more ground than most decorative painting manuals, including not only supplies, preparation, and essential brushstrokes, but helpful advice on choosing colors and working with value. Each of the well-documented projects is rated one, two, or three brushes to indicate degree of difficulty; thus beginners can try such items as a putty-grained saltbox or a Fraktur painting encased in a faux-painted mahogany frame. Intermediates can tackle a country tin ware painting on a gooseneck coffeepot, reverse-glass tinsel painting, and theorem painting (multicolored stenciling on velvet), and advanced students can handle objects like the wooden bucket done in Peter Ompir style with borders and fruits. A source directory gives contact information to order all the paintables, and complete painting and stencil patterns are included.--Amy Handy