Portrait of a boy

Living with American Folk Art 

Charles Wm. Poor 

My very first large painting 

Let's face it, in life you end up with some stuff that you want to keep but don't know where you want to keep it.  You keep shifting it around…This painting is an example of that!   I happened to have a real love for American Folk Art.  I got it honestly, too.  My mother was an avid collector of New England Antiques.  

Back to this portrait~the story goes like this.  In my attempt to make this look really authentic, I distressed the canvas to achieve a 'stretcher mark.'  Well, the customer that had ordered it didn't want the stretcher mark, so I had to paint another.  This was back in the late 80s, early 90s.  This painting is about 25 years old.   

My customer had great taste and had been influenced by a lady that many antiques people still remember today--Nina Fletcher Little.  This portrait (the real deal) was in her collection.  Back then it sold for like $250,000 (that's a guess, maybe it was half that, but it was still a lot of money).  That is why folk art that is reproduction is appealing.  If you want that look, you can have it and for a fraction of the money.  

As I said, this portrait over the years has been moved all over my house.  I never thought to hang it over my bed until just recently when I decided to pick up some new Flannel bedding.  Now I have some new nail holes to add to my others :(  

To me, this just 'works'. 

I really love how the golds pick up the golds in the painting.  To get the photo colors correct, I had to sort of add red which turned my wall cover more purple.  But, you get the idea.  

I think antiques will always go with today's styles.  You just have to be determined to give it a try~you have to be willing to 'live with them.' 

On the left side of the bedroom, I have these two pictures below.  The wall is a little bare, to tell you the truth, but I like how it all looks and goes together. 

Blue Birds (with more of that gold)
I have already blogged about this one. 

This painting was one that was sold to Nantuckeet Country

I like how this looks, especially, in front of the old dresser with the ivory key holes.   The flow blue dishes were bought years ago.  If you look around, you can find them today very underpriced.   Love the stone fruit!  Live with what you love, love what you have (dust it), and give what you can (to the needy).  That way, we all have some cool stuff.  That's my motto!  

Enjoy!

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