Category Archives: Folk Art

John Caple

Wish we could post all of John Caple’s captivating paintings for though they are somber, they are filled with intense passion. John Caple is a self-taught artist who creates paintings in a folk art tradition. He grew up in a close, rural community in which family stories and folk traditions were passed down through successive generations and which were to become the inspiration for his earliest paintings. He paints entirely for himself, a manner of painting that is straightforward, simple and perfectly suited to the job. On John Martin Gallery he is quoted as follows:

“In a world in which we can feel increasingly disenchanted from the earth, I wanted to think about the search for re-enchantment and a simpler wildness within us. It is perhaps that small wilderness within that shapes our relationship to the macrocosm, and so ultimately shapes the world we live in.”

John Caple is represented by John Martin Gallery.

Images:  Courtesy of John Caple.

Tatiana Nedialkova

Loving these Bulgarian folk tales and Scandinavian-inspired illustrations created by graphic designer and illustrator Tatiana Nedialkova. The artist is based in Brighton, UK and studied at Chelsea College of Art & Design in London.  Her images has been printed onto fabric for kitchen textiles currently sold in her Etsy shop, Softer and Wild.  On the Etsy blog she says this about her process:

“Sometimes I’ll draw my prints by hand, scan them into the computer, and then add more elements; sometimes I draw directly into the software. When I work with shapes, I’ll cut out colorful pieces of cardboard and arrange them on a blank piece of paper, like a collage. I’ll play with different combinations, photograph them, and upload them into the computer. Once I have an illustration I want to work with, I’ll usually print the elements, cut them out, and try to find the right placement for the design on each product. Each surface pattern is made for the specific product it’s going on; I never print rolls of fabric.”

The artist can be followed on Facebook and Instagram.

Images:  Courtesy of Tatiana Nedialkova.

Zalipie, Poland

Adding Zalipie, Poland to our wanderlust bucket list.  This small village in South-Eastern Poland has an array of small wooden cottages painted in vibrant floral motifs.  Not very much goes unpainted in this hamlet.  Not only are are house exteriors painted but also churches, barns, wells, fences, fountains, bridges, dog houses, interiors and any surfaces available.  It is uncertain how this folk art tradition started but it certainly is worth a visit.

Images:  Courtesy of various sources.
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