Modern day decorative painting is based on the traditional techniques of strokework and surface preparation. Contemporary designs that are more popular today will have evolved from many years of skilled techniques and designs. If you are interested in learning more about these traditional techniques, a variety of classes are available from Creative Possibilities Teachers to provide instruction in strokework and other forms of decorative painting.
The origins of Decorative Painting started in the elaborate designs of everyday household items. At a time of change in northern Europe when travel became easier and safer, trade between countries grew and more businesses appeared as opportunities increased. The firepit in the centre of the room became a fireplace or stove in the corner. No longer did the smoke from the fire darken everything with soot before finally making it's way out of the hole in the roof. A special room could be built for receiving company. It needed decorating. Churches were being decorated - could those ideas be reproduced in the home?
Decorated items were imported from the Orient. Everything was painted, from window shades to ladies' fans. Paints, brushes and books of designs began to be available. The interest in painted decoration grew and so the need for artists who could produce images in a stylised manner. Images that needed to be painted simply, not only so they could be done quickly (and thus inexpensively) but also to enhance the decorative character of objects.
The following is an overview of some of the many different styles and techniques which developed;
- Icons
- Brides' Boxes
- Chinoiserie
- Russian Lacquered Miniatures
- Zhostovo Florals
- Norwegian Rosemaling
- English Narrowboat Painting
- Hindeloopen
Picture examples have been included for illustrative purposes only and for the purpose of displaying the techniques.
Icons
Traditional icons were created by preparing the surface with between 12-20 coats of white gesso and repeated sanding and handrubbing to leave the surface exceptionally smooth. The traditional method for painting icons is egg tempera, which is the mixing of raw egg yolk with pure colour pigments and applied in translucent layers. The painting progresses from dark to light values, reflecting God's creation of the universe. The painting of Christ was probably an old family icon which would have been displayed in a home rather than in a church, where icons were more elaborate. The painted Russian egg is a modern example of iconic work where the egg is an ancient symbol of rebirth, a cherished Orthodox symbol of Christ's resurrection.
Brides' Boxes
These were handmade bentwood boxes that were decorated by families and transported to nearby cities for sale by merchants. They provided families and many small communities with a means of economic support for several generations and everyone, from grandparents to small children, were busily occupied in this enterprise. Most of these decorated boxes came from central or lower Germany. Many can still be seen in museums around the world and in some private collections.
Chinoiserie
When objects made and decorated in the Far East were brought to Europe in the late 1600s, a curious collecting fever took place. Whilst the influence of Oriental design wasn't really new, shipping made items more available at a lower cost. As demand far outstripped supply, European imitations of Oriental designs, called Chinoiserie, were produced. As workshops all over Europe tried to imitate the beautiful finish of Oriental lacquerware, these pieces were said to be 'japanned'. Many items from this period are often referred to as such or simply called lacquerware. They are distinctive for their Oriental influence.
Russian Lacquered Miniatures
Around the time of the Russian Revolution of 1917, skilled icon artists turned their talents to more secular themes. These themes often included romanticised scenes of village life and Russian fairy tales. The painting was done on small papier-mache boxes using mostly egg tempera adopting the layering technique similar to those used for icon painting. Some designs feature gold or silver leaf or mother-of-pearl inlay. Each village trains it's artists in it's own distinctive style and the entire village is employed in the endeavour, from the assembly of the boxes to the final lacquering process. The quality of craftsmanship is strictly controlled by a committee of artists that examines each item before approving it for sale.
Zhostova Florals
It is generally believed that the first Russian trays were produced in the early 1800s in Zhostovo, a small village outside Moscow. At once functional and decorative, trays provided a nice flat surface for decoration and could be stored, shipped and displayed with relative ease. Painting workshops were begun in other villages, but this style of painting is usually referred to as Zhostovo because the work produced there was the most influential. As time passed, the artists of the Zhostovo style improved their techniques and methods of production until they achieved an extremely beautiful, highly refined style of floral stroke painting, still practiced today. These artists receive intense training and eventually develop an extremely high level of brushstroke skill after painting for many years, day in and day out.
Norwegian Rosemaling
Inspired by the colours of the long dark winter nights and and long gentle summer days, there are many different Rosemaling styles. Stylised flower forms and acanthus-inspired scrolls decorate objects, walls and ceilings with lush plantlike designs. An animal, a house, a person, a bird or a fantasy figure sometimes punctuates a design and lends a bit of whimsy to a composition that could easily become monotonous and repetitious. The variety of motifs attest to the wonderful imagination and creativity of a people with a rich cultural background and an unwavering belief in the worth of individual expression. Most early rosemaling paintings were done in oils, but the interest in acrylics for rosemaling is increasing.
English Narrow Boat Painting
A simply stroked rose in beautiful bright colours complemented by graphic borders in bold contrasting colours epitomises the charming appeal of traditional narrow boat painting. It seems that this style of painting began when a group of people wanted to decorate their 'homes away from home' while travelling along England's canal system transporting various commodities, including coal. This is a prime example of the good folk adapting to a necessary way of life and using painted decoration to make their surroundings as beautiful as possible, including doors, water buckets and even the harnesses for the draft horses. Early examples includes figures and animals, but landscapes won out to such an extent that the style is often simply called 'castles and roses'.
Hindeloopen
In North Holland, by the sea, sits the small town of Hindeloopen where artists still paint today. The Hindeloopen style is distinctive in its astute use of colour, typically a limited palette of toned colours, an augmented primary colour scheme of red, yellow, blue and green and sometimes a monochromatic blue scheme that some artists refer to as 'porcelain painting'. Pieces in this style are heavily decorated, accented with simple marbling technique and touches of carving with bands and stripes of gold. Birds, flowers, scrolls and sometimes fruits cover their main design areas. Most Hindeloopen artists still paint in oils, although acrylics can also be used.
Adapted from an extract from 'Jo Sonja's Guide to Decorative Painting' by Jo Sonja Jansen.