Rosemaling began during a period when Rococo was popular - vines decorated ornate mirrors and carvings in wealthy homes. Paint, however, was more affordable. The rosemaling scrolls and vines were the reason I started decorative painting back in the early 70's when it seemed that all of my friends were Tole Painting and I was at home with my first babe.
I wasn't fond of painting the mushrooms, apples and such that my friends made in class, and being a new mom and a student's wife, the budget allowed for either classes or books I bought books. I hunted down wooden plates and plaques to decorate with scrolls, dots, and swirls in wonderfully smooth strokes of oil paint in traditional rosemaling. Before that, I spent hours practicing mixing paint and brushing stokes, swirls and comas on paper before I attempted my first strokes on an old piece of board. It wasn't long before I was painting on anything that didn't move - and my old bicycle's fenders that, when I traded it in for something with more than one speed, I got quite a bit more than I thought it was worth - just because of my stroke-work! I wish I had photos! I always wanted to cover my kitchen cupboards but that hasn't happened.
Eventually, my older two were in school and a friend was willing to trade babysitting - she watched my younger two and I started taking lessons. I wanted to learn new things! The problem was that in a room full of women painting with oils, turps and other thinners in a not-well-ventilated room was much different than just me painting at home and I developed severe headaches. I had to find other paint, as did most decorative painters. Acrylic craft paint was being introduced, pre-mixed in lots of little bottles. Instructions no longer told you how to mix the right color - you had to buy a bottle of each color indicated. Brushes were developed out of synthetic fibers that were inexpensive and tossed after a few months because the much coarser paint destroyed fine bristles. My Kolinsky sable and other good brushes were put away until many years later, I began painting with watercolors.
I later took calligraphy lessons and learned several hands - styles - and was once again fascinated with those viney acanthus leaves that often wound around decorated pages. A few days ago, I came across a few resources for drawing acanthus and other ornamentals. You can buy various publications of it, but my preference was to download the free PDF of the Guide for drawing the acanthus, and every description of ornamental foliage.
The SCA - Society for Creative Anachronism- has the Gutenberg School of Scribes (GSS) which is a series of on-line instruction for making your own illuminated manuscripts.
However, the site that made me get out some graph paper and pencil was The Calligraphy Pen's Drawing Acanthus Leaves.
All of this led to getting out my calligraphy and fountain pens. Unfortunately, some were put away without a good cleaning so my hands are looking like a calligrapher's - stained with unmovable inks that reconstituted in my efforts. It is fun to see what I can still remember after a few years of absence!
