The greats of the greats of the greats have repeated the refrain in our ears — art doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It stands on the art of those that went before us.
I’m fascinated by The Reading-Berks Guild and resonating with the people I’ve met so far. The common thread—artists at work preserving the old ways of doing their craft and educating others so the methods can be passed on. I recommend this group and the shows they host as an invitation to learn from art and craft history. We would be wise not to forget.
This doesn’t mean that we, as artists, don’t lean into modern iterations of our craft, but I guarantee that time was spent in its history first. I copied much Norwegian Rosemaling over the decades before ever attempting my own version and designs.
If you come to this Holiday show, stop in and say hi. There’s a history to why I paint an old Norwegian folk art. I’d love to tell you about it.
