Folk-inspired Art Series

I spent some time in Mississippi and Louisiana, recently, along the Mississippi River, in and around the town of Natchez. While I was there, I was intrigued by a lot of the African American Folk Art that I kept seeing. Much of it untrained, simply composed and bright in color. The complete opposite of the landscapes and portraits you find in all of the wealthier white antebellum homes of the area.

In June, I've agreed to show some artwork in a neighborhood-wide art show called Art in the Garden. It takes place in the Phelps Grove neighborhood, here in Springfield. (I'll be on this very front porch.) Rather than just show a bunch of my older watercolor and pen and ink works, I've decided for the next two months to work in acrylic on wood and in a more folkish style than I normally do. I've not really painted in this medium much since college. Having fun with it, though. I knocked out three small works this week, hoping to end up with maybe 20-25 pieces by June 9.

The theme is "The Ozarks", inspired by southern folk art.