Folk Art Fusion: Americana

This book is so inspiring! I honestly haven’t tried doing scenery paintings such as Joy’s style. I do a lot of galaxy forest painting lately but it doesn’t have much details in them. I have a bunch of books that showcases scenery paintings but I’m too intimidated to try them out. I love that American Folk Art doesn’t follow certain rules when it comes to painting and that some of the traditional artists of this art form are minimalists, so I felt it won’t feel as overwhelming to try it out. And seeing that most artists back then didn’t have formal training, it allowed self-taught artists such as myself to express ourselves with more freedom!

Granted the artworks in this book are done using gouache, but I didn’t have any at hand so I tried out one activity from the book using my most opaque watercolors. And since watercolor is my medium, better go with where I’m comfortable with first (I’ll challenge myself with gouache some time later). I opted to do my own style rather than follow what’s on the book. I was’t really expecting much from my output since this is the first time I’d be dabbling on such a form.

I was rather hesitant about posting my finished piece, but I did want to show you what I was able to do, even if it’s not my best. You know what they say, you won’t get better at it unless you start.

If you want a great dose of inspiration, this book is a must-have. I think it’s only available on paperback though but that’s even better, because I love print copies! If you’re wondering where you can find a copy, it’s on Amazon and Book Depository.

A very interesting book that has great step by steps to create several different paintings. I really like how there are some to reflect the different seasons and holidays as well. Never thought much about the movement, as basically just enjoyed Grandma Moses and others works. There are some details on the history, but not a lot, so if that is what you are looking for this book is not for you. If you want a brief introduction, and then step by step ways to create your own, than I would highly recommend this book. Great for inspiring you to be creative.

This book will lead you step by step to produce your own Americana folk art. Its brilliant how with great simplicity you can do your own paintings that are just as beautiful as what they illustrate. This well put together and some hard work must have gone into making this look so simple and effortless. I would recommend this for anyone who is either a starting painting or has enjoyed painting for many years.

A charming little book for beginners, or those who wish to paint folk art style. It gives brief information on materials, then has lots of step-by-step paintings to copy. The pictures included are typical folk-art house scenes, charming florals, and birds. The painting style is quite simplistic, but then that is expected in folk art. The author uses gouache, which is ideal for beginners. This book, together with a paint set, would make a lovely gift for those wanting to try their hand at folk art painting.
Thanks to the publisher for a digital review copy.

Nice little book and well explained, this book adds a new look at folk art - it is cute and modern and easy to do.
Not a big book, but certainly not lacking in style, I'm generally not a fan of folk art, but this book does a good job with it, especially with the little more modern twist.

What we did not notice when we requested this book for review, was that it was an instructional book. Disappointed for a second, we pondered the possibilities. Then, we liked the idea.

When we got into the book, we liked the idea even more.

It's not that we were not born into an artist-inducing family, because we were. However, we discovered after taking an eight-grade art class that, unless we worked on this talent, as have the other McDonald's, we would never be as good as them. This tired us. Hence, we never pursued it.

Laforme actually shows you how to create Folk Art creations! This is a beautiful book. Aesthetic in every manner.

Received this book from NetGalley; all opinions are my own.

I could look at these paintings all day long and learn something new about them with every look. From an inspiration standpoint, _Folk Art Fusion_ is fantastic. The artist/author is amazingly talented, and the info at the beginning of the book about the origins of this style is very helpful, as well.

In my own art practice, I'm a little bit beyond tutorials that are step-by-step in nature. Use this paint color with this brush in this order. That kind of thing. For me, that part isn't as helpful, but for a new painter, I can see this book being EXACTLY what they need to get over that fear of starting, and to build a body of experience to use as a jumping-off point. If someone were to follow the instructions as written from the beginning of the book to the end, I feel as if they'd have a fairly comprehensive education into the folk art style, which is pretty impressive for a single book.

The inspiration gallery at the end, too -- pure eye candy for those of us who like this style. I just love Laforme's work!

This was a great art book about painting as a hobby, perfect for Sunday painters or anyone who wants to draw more but needs some guidance. It's a charming book that features step by step paintings perfect for adults or even children.

The subjects are typical folk - starting from simple things like still life with flowers, but some of them have more complicated details for when the reader feels ready to try more. Every step is simply explained for everyone to understand. Every painting follows the same steps, but that is perfect for beginners and there is enough spark and creativity involved to not bore you.

I really enjoyed it and I think I might try a few of the paintings in this book.

This is a great book for anyone who is new to painting or drawing, there are very easy to follow instruction and simple designs to build confidence in your painting skills