waistcoats with bright, colourful decoration on dark
backgrounds. Lots of bright red used with stylised
flowers, darker leaves in flowing lines, floral borders –
filling in with lines and squiggles. Painted eggs, wooden
graduated size dolls.
Lots of gold scrolling on black. Much painting on
religious articles i.e. triptychs, icons etc.
Germanic - Bauernmalerei (Farm Painting)
Developed in Germany, Bavarian and Austrian Alps and
Switzerland. Artists travelled from farm to farm and town
to town spreading different styles across Europe.
Backgrounds usually dark (green and black, also
Hindeloopen
imitation wood grain). Decorated houses, borders
around windows and door frames, blank walls both inside and out.
Inside artists would paint cupboards, chests, headboards, everyday furniture and utensils. Typical
examples of wardrobes with four individual panels of either country scenes or bowls of flowers.
Stylised roses, tulips leafy borders, later on scroll-work filled in the
designs.
English Canal Art - Narrowboat/Barge Painting
This only really developed since the 18th century with the use of canals
(in the industrial revolution) on the long barge boats. Families living in
small, cramped, dark often sooty quarters tried to brighten their
surroundings by painting everything they could. The wood panelling both
inside and out was decorated as well as everyday utensils, water jugs,
coal buckets, trunks and containers of all kind.
The traditional designs were very basic comma one colour stroke roses,
yellow, white and bright red; blue and white daisies and stylised leaves –
with highlights over-painted when dry.
Larger areas have castle scenes with mountains, fields, trees, rivers and
bridges. Usually painted in oils and enamels – repainted when dirty!
Backgrounds are mostly black, green or red, with areas of designs
English Canal Art with
separated by narrow bands of red or yellow. There are similarities with
Roses and Castles design
Gypsy caravan painting
American
Because of the multi-cultural immigration to America, styles are a mix of all European styles, with
the main influences being Dutch.
Modern painting styles are of simplified, ‘cute’ animals, cats, bears, chickens etc. Borders typically
simple and repeated. Lots of dots, trails of dots, cross-hatching and hearts.
Painting on storage boxes, letter boxes, tin, wood, scales, jugs, plates, suitcases etc.
Mediterranean
Mix of European, Greek and North African (Moorish) influences - surfaces mostly ceramics, plates
and tiles etc. Subjects typically fish, birds, grapes and fruit; basic stroke painting and overpainting.
Those are all examples of traditional folk art, but the ‘decorative’ aspect
is limitless: naive painting, murals, faux finishes (wood, marble), trompe
l’oeil, gold leaf, graffiti, mixed media, steampunk/industrial … what ever
you like to decorate with.
We look forward to seeing your art featured here!