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detail, brandywine tomatoes
--Detail from 'Brandywine Tomatoes'

folk, primitive and
naïve paintings

Primitive folk art paintings are a kind of self expression that is hard to define, besides being generally obscure.

When considering folk art many now seem more interested in who the artist is or was, or the marginal and sometimes painful life of the artist, than the art.

But I believe that many of the folk art paintings I have seen deserve at least some of the attention, and in making my list I am attempting to talk about them independent of their creators.

  • Their usual perspective is not like that of the Renaissance artists.

  • They assume a lot of liberty with viewpoint, depth, size, shape, color, light and shadow. . . . many of the elements of painting.

  • Myths, symbols, and the swirling worlds of dreams and fantasy are elements of some.

  • They are simple and direct, and can be playful and expressive. Folk art can be both serious and whimsical at the same time.

  • Something I notice is that the spirit of many folk art pieces I have seen is similar to modern art. Their sense of space has no great depth, they are bold and get your attention.

  • The most intriguing folk art to me is a bit like poetry, not prose.


giclée prints

Giclées are digital prints on paper or canvas, usually from a professional digital media shop.

The printers scan or photograph the artwork and then print a digital image using a high resolution printer with tiny nozzles which spray archival inks. In giclée printing the ink is more permanent than dye ink and bonds well. Some shops offer a protective UV spray.

And although they are the result of relatively new ideas in digital printing, carefully made giclées are now fine art prints. The intense colors compare well with halftones, and the technology offers the artist and art buyer new options.

Giclées are currently broadly accepted, and some are now found in art galleries and museums.


Email: dawn@dawnpeterson.com


--Detail from
"Alice's Coffeehouse"

© dawn peterson 2007-9. All rights reserved.
Webpage & art work by dawn peterson.

This page last revised January 3, 2009.

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