Page 94 - The Decorative Painter Spring 2016

You never can tell where lightening will strike and, once it does, it’s said to never strike twice in the same place. Decora- tive painting strokes sometimes seem just as unpredictable and rare—a real phenom- enon when done well.
As a 12 year-old beginner painter in 1977, I practiced strokes in oil trying to recreate stroke ma-
ven Jo Sonja Jansen’s Folk Art chickens, strawberries and butterflies. Tole painting, as we called it, was all the rage. In reality, the misnomer ‘tole’ painting (‘tole’ means ‘tin’) began in 18th century New England by European immi- grants, but quickly came to encompass all kinds of folk art in 20th century minds. In 1972, the Society of Decorative Painters had been organized through the efforts of teach- ers, like painting pioneer Priscilla Hauser mda, and folk art, a.k.a. decorative painting, quickly spread around the globe. This trend included art forms incorporating stroke work of various traditions including Rosemaling Hinde- loopen from Holland, German Bauernmalerei, European chinoiserie, Russian lacquer and Zhostovo art, Phad painting of India, the Venetian florals so often associated with Chippendale trays, Mexican retablo and the Ameri- can Pennsylvania Dutch, just to name a few.
Thanks to intercontinental travel and digital communi- cation, today we have limitless access to all kinds of paint- ing traditions, many of which employ strokes. Strokework is one of the hallmarks of decorative painting and learning to “pull a stroke” well can be a lifelong pursuit. Is it just
a stroke of luck when you do it or can you learn to pull beautiful strokes again and again? Yes, YOU can!
Comma, S- and C-strokes are some foundational strokes. They look like their namesake, but when com- bined it’s sometimes hard to see the original stroke because they combine to create larger elements and rhythm throughout the design. Be on the lookout for strokes in your environment. Imagine how they were made using what shape and size of brush, paint, pressure and hand movement. Being alert to stroke elements will help you
utilize their combined power in creating beautiful designs. A good brush is essential to pulling a perfect stroke with
the most common being a round, though many different brushes are favorites of experienced stroke artists. The size of the brush affects the size of the stroke. Fresh, flowing paint aids in creating full, complete strokes while a dry brush can lay down a wispy, transparently subtle stroke.
As a kid I used to practice my strokes on tracing paper atop a stroke worksheet, sometimes using only water. I practiced comma-strokes incessantly until I felt improved or exhausted. Whenever I intend to do strokework, I still must warm up on scratch paper before I can successfully pull a keeper. It’s not unusual for me to quickly take off
a stroke I’m not happy with, and that’s okay! Although,
I do admire artists who can confidently pull stroke after beautiful stroke. I can only imagine the long hours they’ve invested in developing their skill.
As you improve your skill, practice your strokes using good reference material. Sources include the Internet simply by searching “folk art stroke painting” or “painting brush strokes.” For a more complete reference, use a book or take a class on the subject
by renowned stroke artists. You can
buy a new book or an out-of-print clas-
sic. Today your class choice is myriad: will it be in
your own home via your computer or by traveling across the world for a multi-day seminar in an exotic locale? The choice is yours!
The National Norwegian-American Museum & Heri- tage Center, called the Vesterheim, offers a downloadable PDF on rosemaling at www.vesterheim.org, or you can visit the Center in Decorah, Iowa, to view more than 3,000 items or take a painting class. This is just one of the many resources committed to preserving and perpetuating our world’s strokework heritage.
Beautiful designs aren’t a freak of nature like being struck by lightning. They take thought and time to create, backed by countless hours invested in skill development. Artisans of the past have often honed their skills to the point of professional proficiency enabling them to ‘live by their brush’. These itinerant artists have brightened our world for eons, leaving us a global legacy—many are a stroke of genius. Developing your skill at and appreciation for stroke work will show in your own painting and add to our world’s collective decorative painting treasury.
by Nanette Hilton
A Stroke of Luck
92 The Decorative Painter • ISSUE NO. 1, 2016
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