Folk Art

About Folk Art

Folk art is a catch-all term used to describe paintings, sculptures, and textiles produced by artisans and craftspeople with little or no formal training. In colonial and post-Revolutionary War America, folk art was also a vestige of old-country traditions.

German immigrants in Pennsylvania were partial to decorative, boldly colored depictions of animals and floral motifs, recalling styles that were associated with the Rhineland. In contrast, New England portrait artists working during the same period favored the stilted, mannerist style of their native England...

That’s one of the wonderful, if occasionally confounding, characteristics of folk art—unlike other art styles or genres, you cannot sum up its look in 25 words or less. Even objects that deal with similar subject matter often appear to be worlds apart. For example, the devotional “retablos” painted by artists in the southwestern United States would never be mistaken for the equally devout paintings of Howard Finster and other religious, visionary artists in the southeast. More than most forms of art, folk art is a product of the people and places where it was produced.

In addition to decorated handmade furniture, religiously inspired paintings, and stiff portraits, another popular branch of folk art is known as tramp art. Most of these wooden boxes and frames were handmade by artisans who either needed an object for their own use or had made a piece for a family member—that probably explains the profusion of hearts on jewelry and sewing boxes. Though usually associated with wooden surfaces that have been notched and carved, tramp art came in a myriad of flavors, guided by the cultural roots and upbringing of their creators.

Other examples of folk art include carved wood or painted tin weathervanes, some featuring complicated and fanciful whirligigs; snakes or human figures whose limbs or torsos were made out of bottle caps; delicate samplers (used to teach young girls needleworking skills) depicting rural landscapes and letters of the alphabet; quilts blanketed in stars, triangles, and medallions; and duck decoys, which were carved by hunters and are especially prized today since so many of them were destroyed when lighter, plastic decoys came into vogue after World War II.

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Interviews & Articles

An Interview With Tramp Art Collector Clifford Wallach

My first book, "Tramp Art, One Notch at a Time", was self-published in 1998. At the time we started to do the book,… [more]

The Last of the American Folk Arts

Decoration for the simple farmhouse or the village-dwelling artisan's cottage in all countries began and generally … [more]

Folk Art in Pennsylvania Dutch Cooky Cutters

It might seem that so untractable a medium as cooky dough would lend itself to few varieties of design, but among t… [more]



Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

The Original Hobo Nickel Society

The Original Hobo Nickel Society

Founded in 1992, The Original Hobo Nickel Society is mostly devoted to folk art derived from Indian Head or Buffalo… [read review or visit site]

American Folk Art Museum

American Folk Art Museum

The American Folk Art Museum's website showcases current and past exhibitions along with their permanent collection… [read review or visit site]

Anonymous Works

Anonymous Works

This blog combines American primitive folk art, vintage vernacular photography, outsider art, and other interesting… [read review or visit site]

The Outsider Art Pages

The Outsider Art Pages

A modern look at folk and outsider art with a focus on what people are doing to keep these traditions alive. The si… [read review or visit site]

Folk Art in Bottles

Folk Art in Bottles

Whether you call them Bottle Whimseys, Whimsey Bottles, Puzzle Bottles, or Whimsies, this site showcases great folk… [read review or visit site]

Index of American Design

Index of American Design

The Index of American Design project (1935-1942) was an effort to catalog American decorative arts objects from the… [read review or visit site]

Stoveburner.com

Stoveburner.com

A stunning collection of 162 images of stoveburners, those corroded cast iron elements that power stoves, broilers,… [read review or visit site]


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Clubs & Associations: Folk Art


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Rare Vintage Halladay Windmill Weight - Folk Art - Star$1,025 Ends Thursday 11 bids 30 watchers
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Ebay's Best~ Antique 19c. Folk Art Miniature Painting$460.00 Ends Sunday 11 bids 70 watchers
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Antique Folk Art Portrait Painting Young Child C. 1890$355.98 Ends in 13 hours 14 bids 27 watchers
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Jimmy Lee Sudduth Folk Art Painting$300.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 18 watchers
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A Striking Miniature Tiger Maple Night Stand,folk Art$224.72 Ends Thursday 11 bids 51 watchers
Early Primitive Folk Art African American Make Do Quilt$199.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 8 watchers
1988 Vaillancourt Folk Art Father Christmas #92 11 Inch$195.95 Ends Saturday 1 bid 2 watchers
Best Early Antique Folk Art Lighting Candle Holder Look$177.50 Ends Sunday 5 bids 48 watchers
Sash,western Americana,folk Art,beadwork,native America$165.00 Ends in 20 hours 1 bid 14 watchers
C1815 O/c English Folk Art Painting-a Sheep-very Rare $158.40 Ends Thursday 9 bids 95 watchers
Most Folky Early Antique Folk Art Painting Puppies Wow!$156.49 Ends Sunday 3 bids 21 watchers
Howard Finster Folk Art Painting$154.49 Ends in 9 hours 15 bids 17 watchers
Folk Art Portrait Saint Angel Painting Grittyjane $152.50 Ends Wednesday 13 bids 63 watchers
Historical Marine Folk Art Painting Civil War Battle$152.50 Ends Wednesday 8 bids 57 watchers
Huge Folk Art Hand Carved Wood Wooden Giraffe New$150.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid 1 watcher
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A Folk Art Face Jug Ron Dahline$138.29 Ends Sunday 4 bids 27 watchers
Original Painting Lizzy Folk Art Spring Farm Flowers $129.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 18 watchers
Original Painting Witch Yeti Valentine Folk Art + Aceo$129.00 Ends in 21 hours 1 bid 7 watchers
My Angel.... Folk Art Painting By Joji..mother &child$127.50 Ends Wednesday 6 bids 3 watchers
Antique Folk Art Hand Made Colorful Yo-yo Penny Quilt $127.50 Ends Thursday 14 bids 34 watchers
Antique 19th C Hand Hooked Folk Art Nursery Rug Doll $127.50 Ends in 11 hours 2 bids 7 watchers
Mid Century Modern Needlepoint Owls Folk Art Club Chair$125.50 Ends Monday 3 bids 5 watchers
19th C. Folk Art Painted Compote Of Flowers Tin Tray Nr$125.00 Ends Thursday 3 bids 12 watchers
Original Halloween Clock Ryta Huge Mirror Folk Art Ooak$125.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 6 watchers
Antique Hand Handmade Folk Art 3 Ring Braided Rug 55x30$115.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid 11 watchers
"w. Good-1857" English Folk Art O/c Bull In A Field $113.50 Ends Saturday 5 bids 22 watchers
Amazing 1791 Hand Painted Folk Art Birth Fraktur Pa$112.50 Ends Saturday 7 bids 40 watchers
Wonderful Folk Art Decorated Antique Gameboard$112.50 Ends in 20 hours 7 bids 9 watchers
Antique 19c. Folk Art Landscape Painting Cows By Stream$108.61 Ends Wednesday 9 bids 69 watchers
Rare Early Antique Folk Art Love Hair Token Woven Heart$108.05 Ends in 21 hours 10 bids 21 watchers
2024 Original Modern Abstract Folk Art Painting Horvath$107.50 Ends Saturday 6 bids 13 watchers
A Folk Art Face Jug By Ron Dahline$102.50 Ends Sunday 2 bids 35 watchers
19th C Miniature Folk Art Watercolor Portrait Of Man$102.50 Ends Wednesday 3 bids 25 watchers
An Authentic American Ships Figurehead,rare Folk Art$102.50 Ends Saturday 6 bids 20 watchers
Antique Panama San Blas Folk Art Quilt Vintage$102.50 Ends Wednesday 2 bids 7 watchers
Vintage Dempster Windmill Governor Weight - Folk Art $99.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid 2 watchers
Primitive Folk Art Bunny Rabbit Easter Doll$95.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 38 watchers
1620 Original Modern Abstract Folk Art Painting Horvath$93.00 Ends Friday 15 bids 15 watchers
Black Cat Tea Chest Box Folk Art Painting Ehag Pfatt $90.89 Ends in 20 hours 5 bids 43 watchers
Primitive Folk Art Doll With Leather Vest Ooak$90.09 Ends Wednesday 7 bids 46 watchers
Albert Hodge Catawba Valley Folk Art Face Jug - Vale,nc$89.25 Ends Thursday 7 bids 8 watchers
3~ Antique 19c. Folk Art Painted Cover Snuff Box$86.23 Ends Thursday 6 bids 40 watchers
Original Folk Art Mama Painting Landscape Country Horse$86.00 Ends Saturday 9 bids 24 watchers
Charming Antique Large Cat Kitten Folk Art Hooked Rug$86.00 Ends Saturday 8 bids 31 watchers
Whimsey Whimsy Folk Art Fans & Birds Bottle$79.99 Ends Saturday 1 bid 7 watchers

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