Tole Painting Garden Nursery Landscaping Guide

Tole Painting To Improve The Visual Art Around Your Home

By Suzzie T Franklin

Tole painting is a rather popular craft hobby. You can go to a local arts and craft market and you will see a number of household objects with tole painting.

You can increase the visual art in the landscape around your home using the decorative art of tole painting. For example, you can decorate sides of walls, unfinished furniture, lawn swings and any other structure around your home.

Tole painting is a style of painting that uses ordinary household objects as potential art. Decorative designs are commonly painted on wood, tin and other metals.

Unfinished furniture such as chairs, tables, and chests and toy boxes are favored tole painting objects and often become family heirlooms, when well done. Smaller items, such as coffeepots and jewelry boxes are good candidates for the art of tole painting.

Tole Painting Since The 1700’s

Tole painting was first practiced in the United States in the 1700’s, principally in the New England states and in Pennsylvania by German and Scandinavian immigrants.

Tole painting evolved from a similar craft practiced throughout Scandinavia and parts of Germany in the same time period, known as rosemaling.

Interestingly, immigrants from Germany favored tin and metal as their tole painting medium, while Scandinavians more often chose wood and furniture items.

Similar To Calligraphy

The art of tole painting bears some similarities to calligraphy and Japanese brush strokes, where a very precise shape is executed in a single brush stroke.

The variations in designs seen in tole painted objects are attained through the arrangement of the strokes.

There are only five major brush strokes in this craft. Their names well describe their shapes: the comma, teardrop, ’S’, ’C’ and half-circle strokes.

The proper technique requires that the strokes be completed in a single move or stroke of the brush, without lifting the brush from the object.

Many Use Acrylic Paints As It Dries Faster

Although traditional tole painting purists insist on the use of oil paints, in popular practice, many people today use acrylic paints for a variety of reasons. Acrylics dry faster and the layering of colors can produce interesting effects.

Mastering oil paints requires more knowledge and experience than acrylics. Acrylic paints are also much easier to clean up when a project is finished.

The brush strokes lend themselves well to floral designs, which is perhaps one reason flowers are one of the most popular designs with tole crafters today.

Tole Painting For Beginners

When you’re first starting out, it’s a good idea to practice your strokes on hardboard or some other inexpensive practice piece. Beginners often like using purchased patterns from craft stores to get the hang of tole painting techniques.

Sooner or later, you’ll want to try your hand at your first original piece. You’ll probably feel very excited to complete this first original.

In fact, much like knitting and crochet, you won’t be able to stop! This is a therapeutic craft which gives pleasure, relaxation and a sense of artistic accomplishment.

You’ll soon be painting an extensive number of items as gifts, and inviting friends for a painting party. Spread the word! This craft is a lot of fun.

Your friends and family will see these gifts as something unique and rare. They will appreciate your effort and marvel at your artistic abilities.

If you find out you are getting the hang of tole painting, you could try and sell some of your work. These items would be quite rare, so you may get a good price.

You may try at selling your items at local arts and crafts markets or online. You can either have your own dedicated website, or try selling them on Ebay and see if you can get some good bids.

If you are successful, tole painting may be your new career. Better than sitting in a dull office all day.

About the Author:
Suzzie T Franklin has written a number of articles on gardening and landscaping including Cherry Blossom, Fruit Trees, White Flowers, Lady Slipper Flower, Plastic Flower Pot, Bamboo Plants, Zen Garden, Wire Topiary Frames, Window Bird Feeders, Planting Guide, Flower Seeds, Gardening Vegetable, Garden Furniture, The Japanese Garden, Bonsai Trees, Bonsai Plants, Outdoor Bonsai Trees, Indoor Bonsai Trees.
Keep a lookout for more of his articles on this website.

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