Folk Art Creativity

 Be Joyful

11.5 x 3.5 x 0.25 inch acrylic on wood

Folk art aka primitive style arts and crafts has fascinated me through its abundance of simplistic charm. Twine, wire, muslin, brown paper and twigs are also attractive to my creative senses because they have a similar charisma. 

Focusing on not being perfect, compared to realism, is a daunting challenge. Picking up a piece of something to make it into something is an exercise that helps me explore creating folk art. Resourcefulness is a skill that folk art  to me, thrives on.

The plaque above began with a calendar cut out of a loon* on my desk area used as a model. The wood was the lid to a small box from an old project I took apart. Paint always nearby. Outline with a marker pen. Free hand lettering with dimensional fabric paint.  Whala! A small cheerful folk art style piece.

How to hang it up, I didn't consider until it was finished. The quarter inch wood can be drilled for a leather shoelace hanger. It is light enough to glue on a hanger on the back. Tacked to a thicker piece of wood is also an option. 

*Real Loons are black and white. They also have red eyes. That one is blue because that's the color of the left over paint on my palette at the time.