The last time I was home, my grandmother had set aside some artwork, fabric and other random things that she thought I might enjoy. One of these things was Rosemåling artwork that she had learned to do back in the 70’s. Now I didn’t know alot about rosemåling other than I know it when I see it!
Rosemåling is a very distinct Norwegian style of decorative painting that originated in the 1700s with florals and flourishes usually painted on plates or other wooden objects. It consists of C and S curves and many of the brush strokes remind me of calligraphy. It is quite folksy and beautiful. Some modern day rosemåling is produced with stencils and double loaded brushes while others still do freehand designs with layers of paint creating depth and outline.
So this morning I did some research on rosemåling. There is a very talented lady by the name of Jean Honl from Roseau, Minnesota that creates some BEAUTIFUL rosemåling pieces. Plates, clocks, even a full hutch; it’s wonderful to see how much beauty and detail she has in her designs. She has a video below that shows how she creates these highly detailed pieces. You can learn more about her on her website.
Then I found a video of Sigmund Aarseth that freehands rosemåling on a huge canvas. It is worth it to watch the full 9 minutes! Amazing strokes.
Here are some more examples of rosemåling that I’ve found while researching the styles.
