PRIMITIVES!
We LOVE primitive folk art!
© 1998 - Stephen G. Kent / Homespun Peddler
You know, there just aren't many primitive folkart pages on the web!
Well, Homespun Peddler wants to remedy that.
We LOVE primitive folkart pieces;
we make 'em, we buy 'em and we sell'em.
We're dedicating this entire section of the web site to our
"Primitive Pals". There are many pages for you to surf so
get ready to spend some time. If you find something that you
like or that we're missing, please send us an
e-mail
and we'll get right back to you.
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So what, exactly, is "PRIMITIVE" folkart?
Well, people who like "primitive" know it when they see it,
but they all have a hard time describing it to others.
The dictionary has a number of definitions. Here's what Webster's
said concerning primitive arts and crafts:
Adj: Characteristic or imitative of the earliest ages;
crude; simple; rough; uncivilized; underived; primary; basic;
Noun: An artist or work of art that belongs to or is
suggestive of an earlier period.
Those are pretty good definitions (except "crude"),
but "an earlier period" covers a LOT of art.
Let me try to narrow the focus a bit with some characteristics
and illustrations
that illustrate primitive art as we like it.
American rural:
It seems that everything we see has a distinct American look and
a rustic flavor.
We don't see obvious European or Eastern influences.
The period is generally at least post-revolutinary.
Everything is obviously hand made and usually has a very
distinct rural flavor.
Simple materials:
We say that primitive art has a certain "country simplicity."
It reminds you of something made at the old homestead in a time
when the only "craft supplies" were found in the sewing room or
out in the barn: old wood, scraps of tin, buttons, left over
cloth.
Antique look:
Most primitive art has an old or antique look.
Modern artists may make their crafts from new material but they'll
use various techniques to give it that antique patina.
Wood is often painted then rubbed with a light brown stain or even
brown shoe polish.
Cloth items are often made from muslin then aged by
spraying, dipping or rubbing with coffee or tea.
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UGLY!:
Yep, ugly. There are some pieces that we love but can only describe
with that adjective. But we don't mean really "UGLY" ugly.
We probably mean "strange", or worn, or old,
or made of unusual materials
Consider
Sonja Sandell's
Hickety Pickety pattern #56 "WICKED!".
Now she's UGLY but you gotta love her. And people do.
As a finished doll she's one of MOST POPULAR Halloween pieces.
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Obviously hand made:
We're sure that some primitive looking art is factory made or
at least done in a production line fashion.
But the pieces that we all love and want are obviously hand made
and the same pattern never turns out exactly the same from piece to piece.
Child-like art:
Simple faces, scrawled handwriting and stick figures
often characterize primitive pieces.
A child's handwriting is the most obvious of these features.
Cloth samplers have simple sayings, frequently attributed to children,
and usually look like a child's hand made greeting card or picture
drawn in school.
PattyePoo's "My Calico Cat" sampler
shown at right illustrates many of these features.
Click on the image to see a larger view then click BACK to return.
(Sampler & text © 1999 - Pattye Kent)
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Anyman's art:
Most pieces look like something that a mother made for her child
in a time when that was often the only way to afford a doll or toy.
There's an untrained style but an obvious sense of pride and care.
There's often the feeling that anyone should be able to make primitive art.
Skillful construction:
There was a time when a marriageable young woman was judged by the
quality of her needlecraft. We are well past such attitudes now,
but we still appreciate quality.
True to the spirit of homemade crafts,
primitive art is characterized by fine workmanship.
The artist's care is obvious in tiny stitches, extra knots,
careful painting, and general attention to details.
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Subtle sophistication:
Primitive pieces have that homemade and untrained look but
they also exhibit a subtle sophistication.
The mix of buttons, bows, cloth, lace, string and other materials
can be extensive and impressive. Colors are carefully selected
and blended and paint is applied like fine makeup.
Pattye Kent's (aka "PattyePoo")
Mother Liberty
shown at left illustrates this idea. "PattyePoo" blended painted muslin,
print material, wire, paper mache', and hand stitched wording
to create a simple but intricate piece with the primitive feel.
(Mother Liberty doll © 1999 - Pattye Kent)
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Lots of love:
Of all the definitions and illustrations and examples we can give,
primitive art may be best described as "works of love".
It's a teddy bear or simple doll or stuffed pillow or
favorite quilt that a child has loved and held and slept with
until it was almost worn out.
We think of our own children when they were young and gave us
a crayon picture with the caption "I love you".
And we remember our own cherished toys.
We long for our lost doll and wish that, just once more,
we could hold her and be comforted by her
softness and hug her until there was nothing left but the memory.
Primitive art revives the memory, gives us comfort, and takes us
back to a simple time when gifts came from the heart and
one toy was a friend forever.
The Seedpod Archive
The Seedpod is a newsletter circulated within a group of
crafters known as the "Primitive Pals."
Homespun Peddler is pleased to present an archive of back issues
of this newsletter.
This is a great resource not only for primitie crafters,
but for ALL crafters.
There are several good discussions of the term "primitive".
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As our web site grows and is found by people like you, we get requests for patterns and information. Homespun Peddler is considered by many to be the web's Primitive Art Resource Center. We specialize in primitive craft patterns because that's where much of today's of primitive art starts.
Visit our CONTENTS page to see the list of all our pattern sections. You can order patterns directly from The Peddler.
If YOU are a primitive art lover, drop us an e-mail. We want to learn who's looking and what they want.
If you're a pattern designer we DEFINITELY want to talk to you. We're always looking for new lines to show in our web-catalog. Send us an e-mail asking for information. Or send a brochure or sample pattern to:
Homespun Peddler
600 W. Midland St.
Bay City, MI 48706
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