Inspired By Folk Art

"Cozy Winter Home" ACEO

One of the things I've been longing to do art-wise is to return to my folk art-style "roots." I don't have an art background... and much of my inspiration in starting to create came from folk art & outsider art.

I love...

...the colorfulness of folk art!

...the "use what you have" & "improvise as you go" ingenuity of folk art.
 
...the "nothing's perfect" and "somewhat wonky is OK" philosophy of art.

..."one of a kind" and "made entirely by hand" kinda art!

Back when my two sons were little & we spent many fun hours in our local library, I loved to hunt for books for myself filled with pictures of folk art, Amish quilts, cottage-style decorating & tales of flea marketing. As a budget-wise mom, I was drawn to the "design on a dime" philosophy I found within these books... Yes, this way of thinking really fit my lifestyle!

Well, many years later, I still love the same things!... rich colors, nubby & woven textures, repurposed materials, artful creations full of personality & originality, art made by hand that tells a unique story.

I hope that the art I create today reflects my love for the beauty of handmade!  

Celebrating Life's Simple Blessings

"Bedtime Story"

'Twas the first week of a brand New Year... As always a great time to make a fresh start & explore new directions! Or, maybe in my case, a chance to go back to old loves & pick up where I left off...

Long ago on another cold January day, I started my very first blog, Simple*Blessings. It became my place to write little stories about the everyday things of our family's life & to draw colorful pictures that illustrated my stories. A blog just for me! (& anyone else who happened to stop by.) A blog "just because"...  A blog that was fun & creative & made me happy!   :)

Well, somewhere along the way, I put my silly illustrated blog aside & moved on to other artful things. But recently I realized how much I missed it!... just noticing ordinary everyday things, telling silly stories, & doodling some pictures to make them pretty.

So, here I am again... Blogging "just because it's fun." Trying to look for the beauty in the ordinary. Playing with markers & colored pencils like a kid again. Happy to be...

Celebrating Life's Simple Blessings!