From 1700 to 1860, fantasy flowers swirled about the walls and furniture in rural Scandinavian houses. Denmark, Norway and Sweden each adapted particular style elements from their shared folk art known as rosemaling.
Daily sessions will explore one facet that influenced the development of their folk art heritage, (i.e., materials, religion, geography, economics and social customs of the 18th and 19th centuries). PowerPoint images and period artifacts will complement each day’s lecture with the goal of enabling the student to identify national styles. Museums in the United States with folk art collections will be identified.
Students will also learn rosemaling strokes and basic design principles common to all three schools. Painting materials and a choice of patterns from Danish, Norwegian or Swedish styles will be available. Instruction about wood preparation, traditional color and finishing techniques will also be covered. Class participants will receive notebooks with color copies of the project patterns and other supportive material (i.e., a reference book index and a list of museums in the United States with folk art collections). Beginning and advanced painters are welcome.
Instructor Christina Keune, a professional craftswoman since 1983 has demonstrated and taught rosemaling in the Washington, D.C., area, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina and Wisconsin. She holds a B.F.A. from George Washington University and has pursued independent studies with master painters of rosemaling in Norway and the United States. She has attended nine work-study tours to Norway sponsored by Vesterheim, the Norwegian American Museum (Decorah, Iowa) and has toured Sweden repeatedly to research 19th century painted wall hangings. She received the Crystal Award from Gammelgården Museum in Scandia, Minn. In 2006, she earned the Gold Medal for rosemaling from Vesterheim.