Folk Art
Previously, I thought I wasn’t a fan of folk art. Certain characteristics of the art just didn’t connect with me. Then, we planned a FaceBook Live that had a folk tale theme. My point of view changed.
Art for an Online Sale
I always add at least one piece of art to each Live sale. I decided folk art most closely matched the theme so I did a piece in acrylic on a wood block as the giveaway item. It was simple…a horse, some houses, a fence, some shadows. Then, I posted it on FaceBook. Everyone liked it so much more than I thought, and I actually did, too. I also enjoyed painting it!

Folk Art can be in Watercolor
Watercolor is usually my medium of choice, so I decided to do a couple more pieces for the sale. That’s when I began researching folk art and realized the style is much closer to my heart than I had originally thought. Folk art is art for the common people…the people that I love.
The Artists Canvas Can Be Creative
Folk art might be practiced on utilitarian objects such as a block of wood or a bucket or some such object. Common folks worked hard and didn’t have time or money for fancy paints or canvases. In the winter when they couldn’t work outside, they might have painted a scene on something they were going to use like a hoe handle or a chair. I think this would be a great way to add some visual joy to the hard work the people had to do.
Local Themes
I had never really given much thought to the subjects of folk art being localized. A horse and buggy, or cows, or some other farm animal that was common to the region would adorn a cabinet or a stool in the artist’s home. Simple homes set beside a green pasture with a barn and some animals were and still are common themes. The drawings were intentionally unsophisticated which is part of the allure for me. In some areas, the art might be full of details and doodles which added interest and made the creation of the art last longer! Sometimes, I find it is just kind of sad to finish a piece that I have been working on.
Folk Art is Worth a Try!

Anyway, I did a couple more folksy type paintings in watercolor and ended up loving them, too. My customers did as well. Now, I want to do more and maybe focus more on what is part of my local heritage. Our mountain homes and returning wildlife would make interesting subjects along with our history of coal and moonshine. If you love art, and home, I encourage you to look into folk art. It’s simple and rustic. My mistakes looked intentional to others. You might be like me and find that you can create folk art and like it more than you thought!