Bavarian Folk Art

A few weeks ago a lady from Kentucky called to ask if I would paint a Bavarian Wedding Box for her to give as a wedding gift.  She had seen one that I had painted in the October issue of Paintworks magazine - October 1998!!!  Apparently she is an elderly lady and doesn't have access to the internet, so she went to the local library and asked them to help her find my phone number.

Some of you may know that I'm a decorative painter and I've authored a number of painting books over the past 20+ years.  In fact, I just finished two painting booklets for DecoArt, which will be in Michaels stores in the not too distant future, but more about that later.  Since all my brushes and paints were unpacked, I agreed to paint the box and she arranged to have a blank bentwood box shipped to me.  Ta daa, here it is:

I know that Folk Art isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I truly enjoy "strokework" and the history behind this European style of painting.  From the Roses & Castles style found on the narrow boats floating through the English countryside, to the Bavarian style found on furniture and buildings in the alps of southern Germany, each country has its own style and use of color.  What really stood out on this old design, were the scrolls or flourishes that are so popular today - another example of what was "old" is "new" again.

I'm loving the new "mixed media" trend, another great example of re-discovering and updating old techniques.  As I searched through a mountain of magazines and tear sheets to find this particular project, I re-discovered a whole bunch of my old ideas, techniques and projects that I can re-cycle and update, so keep checking back, I may even inspire you to pick up a paintbrush too!

Don't forget, there's going to be a fabulous giveaway for July, sponsored by iLovetoCreate.  Here's a sneak peek

More details on how YOU can enter to win on July 1st, so y'all come back now.........

Yours truly,
Julie :)