APPALACHIAN FOLK ART BIRD ROOST

Front side of Appalachian bird roost

I met Miss Sharon about a month ago when I stopped at her place to ask permission to take some photos of her unique bird roost that I had noticed from the road. 

She was an older woman that had lost her husband recently. She told me that he loved to watch the birds which gave him the idea to build a nesting box for them. He told her he was going to make it out of coffee cans that he usually saved for nuts and bolts storage.

Back side of Appalachian bird roost

He placed his finished roost high in the air using a peeled tree as a post. He partitioned the cans using scrap wood. 

Notice the types of coffee cans that he used for his masterpiece. He had old tin cans toward the top while on the bottom row he used newer plastic coffee cans. 

I consider this bird roost as a definite piece of Appalachian folk art. Not contrived folk art but the real thing.   

APPALACHIA -- OLD HANDMADE RIB BASKETS

 SMALL SPLIT RIB EGG BASKET

On early Appalachian farms and in small towns, collecting eggs for the household usually involved a child or teen trotting out to the chicken house to gather eggs from some protective mother hens. Along with the young person came a small egg basket that could easily handle a dozen eggs. These baskets were made in the region  -- sometimes by the very household that collected the eggs.

The Appalachian area eventually became famous for their well crafted baskets. There were many basket designs -- small, large, and medium each designed to fulfill a certain use. The basket construction varied with the maker -- examples being round rib, round, and rectangular to name a few.

The art of basket making was often passed down to the next generation. Various construction methods can sometimes identify the basket-weaver or the family weavers. 

Appalachian split baskets initially seemed to be made to provide containers for various chores around their country farms. The raw materials were available in the abundant woodlands and the knowledge to make them was present among the folks. Split baskets are strips of wood such as hickory, oak, or ash splits removed from felled trees.

SMALL SPLIT RIB EGG BASKET -- CLOSE UP

Above is a close up of the small split rib egg basket seen in my top photo. The wide rounded handle is worn smooth from years of handling. The ribs are those carved pieces that emerge out from the top diagonally. The weavers are those strips that are woven around the entire basket. Making a basket took time and skill. 

Law and Taylor's book, Appalachian White Oak, Basketmaking, Handing Down the Basket, discusses the complete process of basketmaking from tree to finished basket.

I mentioned that these baskets were for chores around the house. Well their beauty and craftsmanship eventually attracted buyers both from the immediate surroundings and afar. Basketmaking became a cottage industry -- whole families sometimes got involved and some could even support themselves by the basket trade. 

Today these Appalachian baskets are treasures that are sought after by collectors of antiques and folk art. Many spiral into the hundreds of dollars range. 

If you are lucky though, they can still be found at Appalachian yard sales or perhaps at estate sales -- at reasonable prices.

BUDDING YOUNG FOLK ARTIST

NANA'S HOUSE -- FOLK ART PAINTING BY WHITNEY

My family has  been interested in folk art for several years. Not only for its aesthetic, naive beauty but also for the stories sometimes associated with them.

Last summer my youngest daughter and twelve year old granddaughter came for a visit. Twelve year old Whitney had a light in her mind that she wanted to, "fire up." while she visited. 

She asked her mother if she could buy some acrylic paints and canvas boards at our local art store. We had no idea what she was up too. She sat at the kitchen table with her newly bought paints and tried her hand at folk art. She sat for many hours silently working on the paintings. When through she presented two paintings to me for my folk art collection. I love them.

SELF PORTRAIT BY FOLK ARTIST WHITNEY 

I thought she came up with some nice examples of folk art. Believe me, they are now displayed in a very visual part of my home. They now reside among some old Kentucky crocks on one of my vintage benches. The whole montage fits well together. 

WHITNEY

Children sometimes begin their interest in folk art from what they see parents or relatives constructing or collecting. Much folk art is imagined, made, and loved without words . . .  it will have gathered into itself something of its creator's freedom (Henry Glassie, 31).  It contains variability and tradition.

Some folk art constructions  include; woman's handwork (quilting, weaving, etc.)  sometimes passed down to daughters -- hand woven basketry often  made by parents as well as sons and daughters  --  carving skills from father's hands to hands of sons and daughters -- this is but a small sample. Folk art is a widely diverse dimension. Not always passed down through families but sometimes expressed through the spontaneous freedom of the mind.


For Whitney I hope that this is a beginning for a future interest in folk art.


SOURCE:
The Spirit of Folk Art by Henry Glassie 

AN ARTISAN MARKETPLACE

 FULL BODIED, HUMAN SIZED, SAINT NICK ARTWORK

Yesterday I visited the rather new Kentucky Artisan Center that is located a couple minutes off Interstate 75 an artery connecting  states between Michigan and Florida.   The Center, run by the state of Kentucky,  seems to serve highway travelers in several ways. It has a fine restaurant, restrooms, lots of benches and seating both indoors and outside and a marketplace for Kentucky made goods. One can find artwork, crafts, books, and gourmet food all with ties to the state and for sale.

 

CONTEMPORARY FOLK LIZARD SCULPTURE

Art work and crafts dominate the marketplace. Many beautiful and unusual pieces can be found -- all contemporary and for sale.  

The items cover a broad spectrum, some reflecting the early forms of Kentuckian folk design, while some others, the newly evolved Kentucky arts and crafts, are dynamic and fit well with the old folk forms.

WOVEN RUGS -- THROW RAG RUG TYPE

I took a few photos of pieces that I thought were good examples of the contemporary art work.

FULL BODIED DOG, FOLK ARTWORK

Books by many Kentucky authors such as Barbara Kingsolver or Wendell Berry line the shelves on one wall. I perused them and found a few that I was unfamiliar with. I wrote them down and will order them through my local library.

THE CENTER 'S WING WITH AN INTERPRETIVE APPEARANCE OF EARLY KENTUCKY STONE HOUSES

Overall it was a nice break to visit the Center and stroll through the for sale items made in Kentucky. It was a refreshing exposure to locally made and the idea of  local economies. 

FOLK ART -- CARVED CIGAR STORE INDIAN

CARVED INDIAN, BY FREDRICK HYATT, MICHIGAN, BASSWOOD, 26.5" HEIGHT, ONE PIECE, 1985

In 1985, by coincidence, I learned about this elderly man that was an unknown folk artist. He was disabled and lived rather modestly in an old trailer in an urban setting. He worked in several mediums but his wood carvings were his favorite.

SIDEVIEW

I was able to buy several carvings of women and men, painted and full bodied, about eight inches tall. Then he asked me if I would be interested in a tall Indian carving. The Indian carving was a small replicate of a full-sized cigar store Indian that once could be found displayed outside of tobacco stores. The full-sized cigar store Indian was popular in the early to mid-twentieth century in the U. S. and perhaps before and also on the continent.

The notion was that since tobacco was introduced by Native Americans an interpreted facsimile would be used in selling tobacco products. Therefore, the rather unlikely representation of an American Indian was born. Although we are aware that such figures as the cigar store Indian were carved with a "western eye" and therefore are not representative of true American Indian culture. But these Indian carvings were part of the American culture of the time even with this misrepresentation of the native culture. Such is culture -- you have a ying and yang relationship. I did buy the carving.

CIGAR AND HAND DETAIL

This all happened 24 years ago. I was younger and not as fully into folk art as I am today. I eventually sold the small fugures for practically pennies and then gave the Indian to my son.

HEADDRESS DETAIL

Today, I realize that I should have found out the history of this amiable folk carver named Fredrick Hyatt. So many questions I could have asked! Opportunity missed.

Post Photos: Folkways Notebook

CONTEMPORARY CRAZY QUILT BLOCKS -- ROUND ROBIN STYLE

CRAZY BLOCK MADE INTO A PILLOW

As I stepped into the Berea Appalachian Fireside Gallery this past August, I was met with a small exhibit of contemporary crazy quilt blocks. The blocks were artistic, diverse, colorful, and had particularly fine needlework. There was a sign near the quilt blocks that introduced the exhibit as "Out On The Line IV." The artists of the blocks were women from a group called The Berea Depot Quilters.

BLOCK MADE INTO A DISPLAY PIECE

The sign's information also stated that the blocks were made using the round robin method. I was totally unfamiliar with round robin. I contacted the quilt group and talked to Carol Ann White about the the method. Basically it is a few quilters working on crazy quilt blocks. 

A BLOCK IN THE MAKING

Above is an example of a block that is just beginning to be worked on. You can say it is pretty much in its raw state. As you can see the block has ten crazy quilt pieces. This means that ten quilters will be involved with working on this particular  block. Each crazy quilt piece of the ten pieces of each block will be assigned to one quilter who will add her unique needlework during the round robin. 


Each quilter will have a block of ten crazy pieces to be passed around simultaneously to all ten quilters  -- each quilter getting only one of the blocks at a time.


As each quilter has the block for a month it will take ten months for each of the  quilter's blocks to be finished. Each of the ten blocks will contain a collage of all the persons involved with this particular round robin. 


Hope this explanation is understandable -- please send me a comment with any questions about how to do this round robin.

LION DETAIL ON A FINISHED BLOCK

The lion block above displays some of the work accomplished on one of the blocks. Below are some of the individual blocks that were in the exhibit.

CRAZY QUILT STYLE ON A FINISHED BLOCK

WEB AND SPIDER SURROUNDED BY OTHER DESIGNS

MIX OF VIBRANT COLORS AMONGST THE CRAZY QUILT PIECES

A DELICATE ICE CREAM CONE SURROUNDED BY LACE

GARDEN VARIETY OF CRAZY PIECES 

BEE, BUTTERFLY AND FLOWER PIECES

LACE, 2009 DATE, AND A PORCUPINE

I felt the quilt blocks were both eye-catching and striking -- certainly a reflection of the quilter's love of their craft.


The quilters involved were: Rita Barlow, Pat Jennings. Linda Murdoch, Deannee Oliver, Barbara Taylor, Sarah Vaughn, Ginnifer Watts, Carol Ann White, and Jo Ann White.

APPALACHIAN "MAKE DO" DOLLS

1940s CLOTH DOLL 

In Appalachia, as well as other parts of the country, cloth dolls have been part of the culture as long as there has been fabric around to make them. Cloth dolls were both hand-stitched or machine-stitched or both types of stitching were found in one doll. The cloth dolls in this post average about 15 inches in height. 

I found these dolls in the Appalachian area. They probably are indigenous to the area however they could also be migrants from other parts of the country. No documented history came with these dolls. 

The above doll is more than likely from the 1940's. She has both hand stitching and machine stitching on her body as well as her clothes. The fabric appears to be 1940s plaid. The buttons also speak out 1940s. She is in excellent condition given her age.

CLOTH DOLL CLOSE-UP OF HAND-STITCHED FACE

A close-up of the cloth doll shows her hand stitched face. Hair is sewn on yarn. 

HAND-STITCHED CLOTH DOLL'S SHOES

Her cloth shoes made with the same material as the dress are capped by swirling buttons. The maker of the shoes even used a white material to indicate soles. 

HAND-STITCHED RAG DOLL

I would consider the doll in the charming rose floral dress above to be a "rag doll." Some use the term cloth and rag interchangeably. To me a rag doll looks rather primitive in its structure I would consider them a piece of folk art. . I sometimes wonder if these loosely made dolls were made by children.

HAND-STITCHED RAG DOLL

This guy in the blue polka dot pajamas has a happy smile on his face -- another doll that I would classify as folk art. Both the rose dress lady doll and the blue pajama guy have early printed fabric as clothes. They could or could not be original to the doll. 

Folk art can be found in many types of material including fabric. The cloth and rag dolls are part of our "make do" culture. Our doll history can be traced back to when this country began. 

Take a look around -- attics, yard sales, and second hand stores. You might just find one of these pieces of our folk culture. 

MARIA'S FRONT YARD GARDEN -- Sunday Simplicities

Maria in her front yard garden

"I never planted anything in my life until eight years ago. Then when I moved here my thoughts just turned to plants. The results you see around me are how I envisioned my garden. It has taken a few years to get to this arrangement."

These words were expressed to me recently when I stopped to snap a few photos of Maria's front yard. I asked permission to take a few photos and as a result met a fine woman with a good heart.

Her garden is a joyous spectacle. It is a folk garden. She has turned her front yard into a creative, contextual, unrestrained, exuberant, garden -- all defining words of folk art. Her collection of memories, stones, whimseys, plants, colors, and water are all organized in the garden much to her inner delight.

Front porch area of Maria's mid 20th century home

She plants mostly shade perennials as there is a large grandfather tree that hangs over part of the garden. She loves all colors and changes colors as the whim hits her. She will repaint all the garden items another color whenever she gets in the mood. Right now red predominates on chairs, birdhouses. and some planters.

Red and white begonias in her grandmother's pot

She has put together family memories through the use of her grandmother's iron pots.

Maria's front yard pond surrounded by her collection of stones

Water was an important element to her garden. She with the labor of her daughter created a pond -- she surrounded the pond with her collection of stones. Maria loves stones and collects them locally from creek beds. But she has collected stones from as far away as Washington state. She mailed a beautiful boulder home from the west that cost her fifty dollars in freight charges.

Red blooming hibiscus

A young hibiscus puts on a lovely show near the street-edge of the garden.

Social area near pond

A small sitting area is located near the pond. A reflection of the inviting context of the whole garden.

Teapot and pig whimsy near pond

Maria told me that she has many of the plants because folks have given her starts and also she has rescused some plants from fields and old homesteads. Also, that some of the old statuary was given to her by neighbors. She said this season she only spent seven dollars on plants.

Old fashioned garden statuary with bear cubs.

Collections of old statuary items contribute to the definition of her folk garden.

Neighbor's complimentary folksy planted bathtub complete with garden ducks and lots of red and pink petunias.

Across the street from Maria's home is a friendly neighbor that compliments her front yard garden by putting on a folksy show using a bath tub as a planter.

Maria has created a "dancing" front yard garden that reaches out to friends and neighbors. All in the small town of Berea, Kentucky.

IMMIGRANT FOLK PAINTING

When A. deDoes passed through Ellis Island in the early 1900s his stock in trade was his blacksmithing skills. He was immigrating from Holland to the U.S. -- a young married man with wife and young daughter. As a family they knew precious little English. But he was of a tough mind and knew what he wanted in this new country. He took his family and trade to St Louis, Missouri and built a blacksmith shop on a piece of land where he called himself a horseshoer and wagonmaker.
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Where the family lived in St Louis is not known but records show that the wife, a daughter and a new born American son returned to Holland for a few years. No one knows why. Perhaps for economic reasons? This is a presumption, as much of social history seems to be when there is little written documentation. Family stories do survive but those can become inflated as they are passed from generation to generation. But basically, I believe there is always a nugget of truth to passed-down family stories.
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When I met A. deDoes, I was eighteen years old. Fifty-one years ago. He was then retired from an automotive job in Michigan. He had been painting oils for a number of years -- painting the stories of his past. He was kindly toward me and showed me all his paintings. All naive -- folk in nature. At that time he still carried his Dutch heritage represented by a heavy accent.

Now a member of his family has the above large three feet by four feet painting hanging in their family room. Its frame is pine, two inches wide, and is the original handmade frame designed by A. (Anthoney) deDoes. Yet, little history is known about the man with the exception of the bits and pieces that I describe at the beginning of this post.

With the large painting above, A. deDoes painted the memory of the first place he moved to in the United States. He included himself working at the forge, his son on a donkey, and a helper shoeing a horse. Unfortunately, all the other paintings he artistically worked over in his latter years have disappeared. But, fortunately there is this monumental painting of an immigrant and his attempt to make it in his new country of America, no matter what it took.

Many social reflections can be considered with the painting. One is that it was a time of overlap between horse and wagon transportation and automotive vehicles. Two, is that it is a statement about the toughness needed to migrate to our country. And three, that complex personal memories remain in the psyche for years after they happen. Luckily for some, they lay it down for posterity through art such as this.

(Click on photo at top for enlargement of A.deDoes oil painting)

KENTUCKY BLACK BARN WITH QUILT SQUARE

KENTUKY BLACK BARN WITH QUILT SQUARE

I took this photo about a month ago. I was out riding along HWY 21 in Madison County when I spotted this distinguished, well kept barn. So many of the barns in this area are having a difficult time staying in good repair. Some actually falling to the ground for their final resting place -- and with that loss the disappearance of cultural stories. I feel barns have moods, depending on the weather conditions and their state of health. Above the substantial, blackened barn is wrapped in the cool, misty day reflecting a lightness upon the land.

OLD FOLK ART WHIRLY

WHIRLY HANGING AS IT WOULD HAVE HUNG ON A PORCH AT ONE TIME

Recently a new friend, that I've met since moving to Kentucky a little over two years ago, surprised me with a great gift as she knew that I liked folk art. I liked a particular folk piece that she owned and she just up and gave it to me. What a kind and generous gesture. I thought I would put it on a post as it has a bit on history. Karen, my new friend, is a native Kentuckian and can tell stories about Kentucky folks that are intriguing.

WHIRLY LAYING HORIZONTALLY ON MY WORKTABLE DETAILING ITS SPIRAL

When she was a small girl she remembers a whirly (also referred to as whimsy) like the one she gave me, being on a family member's covered back porch. Ten years ago she had the opportunity to buy this Kentucky whirly from Rockcastle County, Kentucky as it reminded her of that long ago family whirly.

CLOSE-UP SHOWING HOW PIECES ARE PAINTED ON EACH SIDE

The whirly is chunky materially and whimsical in nature. Old paint colors of mustard and barn red decorate the whirly. It appears that it probably was placed in a sheltered place outdoors as the paint has remained in fairly good shape.

My question is -- was this type of folk art regional to Appalachia? Karen remembers whirlys from about forty years ago. What time-line were these old whirlys on in the world of folk art?

Each individual piece of wood is eight inches long and is positioned horizontally on a vertical rod. Each piece is made of one inch by one-half inch dimensional wood and is attached to the vertical rod through a hole running through the middle of each wood piece. The wood pieces are painted barn red on one side of each piece and mustard on the other side. When arranged on the rod they are arranged into a spiral. Very folksy in feeling, the old whirlys were done in different lengths and colors or no color according to Karen. The length of this whirly is just under 20 inches long.

ROD SCREW FOR ROD AT BOTTOM -- ALSO A SCREW IS AT TOP FOR THE ROD

An old end screw shows how the rod was run through the middle of the whirly. How old this whirly piece is cannot be told. Lots of age to the piece. I am sure it provided lots of smiles for the original owners. I expect it will for me too during the coming years.

SELF TAUGHT FOLK ARTIST'S BIRDHOUSE

With his eye for design and his hands for crafting, Wayne Wolfinger of Lansing Michigan created a birdhouse for his yard that was meant to resemble his home. Self-taught Wayne can work in just about any medium to achieve lively pieces. This birdhouse is made of scrap metal.

The top photo is the front of the birdhouse and the bottom photo is the back. Wanye crafted the birdhouse about twenty years ago. He maintains the house paint and has the pleasure of birds occupying it most seasons.

WAYNE'S FOLK CARVINGS

SELF PORTRAIT

"The animals are inside the wood -- I go in and find them and bring them out.” Folk artist Wayne Wolfinger was holding a large section of a cutoff tree limb as he spoke these words. Wayne carves with a chain-saw releasing from the wood full-bodied folksy animals. He also, for the past twenty years, has designed folk metal pieces but his true calling is his wood pieces. He began this interlude with wood when he retired from the auto industry in Lansing, Michigan.

PART OF WAYNE'S GALLERY OF CARVINGS

Now 74 years of age, Wayne has created a gallery of animals around his home. His spark came when he viewed a chainsaw carving at an art show. That influential carving has resulted in a yard full of exuberant animals roaming across and through his vegetable and flower gardens. He has absolutely no desire to sell his work. He has feelings wrapped up in each piece and would not part with any of them. He has plenty of wood available from tree stumps on his large urban yard. To Wayne, the stumps are just the thing to turn into a standing bear, turtle or other folk art animal.

PENGUIN

Perhaps his love of nature also influenced his work when he started ten years ago. He creates his animals in an outdoor area behind his home. Wayne succinctly says "the wood directs what is to be made - then look for a photo of an animal to fit it - sketch it on paper and start to work". So with walnut, cypress, ash, and maple Wayne has taken his chainsaw and released characters to play in his yard.

Wayne and his wife lived winters in Florida for a while when he retired. While there he brought home cypress to carve. Some of his animals are therefore Floridians at heart.

TURTLE CARVED AS ONE WHOLE PIECE FROM A STUMP

Wayne spoke gently as we rounded his yard filled with various types of gardens. There was obvious delight in his voice as he told me about what he had created here. "The first one I did was the hoot owl on top of the grape arbor,” and, “it turned out so good that I couldn't quit." He explained that once he started making the animals "he just couldn't stop". He paints them with spray paint or any paint he has laying about -- ever so often he repaints them as they weather.

WAYNE'S WATCH DOG

Wayne is right when he says he can't quit carving. He is now preparing for his next project. Wayne pointed out a tree stump about five feet high. With it he is planning to carve the upper part into a goshawk. And, of course, after that project he is already thinking about the next -- a nice totem for another tall stump on his property.

BEAVER FROM A STUMP

BEAR FROM A TALL STUMP