Rainbows - a symbol of hope during lockdown

From a scientific perspective, the rainbow is the product of light hitting water droplets at just the right angle, of refraction and reflection.  Their full beauty, their entire form (a full circle) can only be admired by flyers as the horizon obstructs our view on the ground.  These facts do not detract from their beauty and each time we see a rainbow, whether young or old, we are reminded of the beauty of nature as we often stop and announce to anyone who will listen that we can see a rainbow in the sky.  

Despite our knowledge of rainbow formation, regardless of the logic, since the beginning of time, there has been magic in rainbows.  They are seen as a symbol of hope, of better times after a storm and encouragement to endure through the dark times we may face.

There have been many myths and stories written about the rainbow and told through the generations. For some Aboriginal communities, the rainbow is often thought of and depicted as a serpent arriving to halt the rain sent by their enemies.  In Norse mythology, the rainbow (Bïfrost - rainbow bridge) appeared to connect Earth with the Gods and allows them to travel to Earth.   For Native American cultures, the rainbow is a sign that we are all one big family and that one day, Warriors of the Rainbow will show the way to heal the Earth and bring people together once again.

Whatever myth, story or idea is attached to it, for many cultures, it symbolises new beginnings, of transition and unity.  In these uncertain times of lockdown, the rainbow has lifted the spirits of so many.  From showing our support for the NHS and other key workers to bringing a smile to the faces of children (and adults) as they search for rainbows in windows during their daily exercise, it has become a daily sign of better things to come.

So...to lift our spirits throughout May, as we look forward to a time after lockdown, our #funwithfolkit painting challenge is revisiting the rainbow theme.  After April's Monochrome challenge, we certainly welcome a splash of colour.  The more shades of the rainbow we use, the better! We'd love for you to join us, just use the hashtag #funwithfolkit in your rainbow creations.

Stay home, stay safe, stay creative xx

How to blend colours with DecoArt Drying Time Extender

We've been having a great time playing with ocean inspired colour palettes this month as part of our #funwithfolkit "Under the Sea" painting challenge but that doesn't mean the fun has to stop there! We also wanted to spread our wings and create a tutorial that would help you get to know DecoArt's Drying Time Extender a little better and take your decorative painting skills a little further.  

Materials required: 

Luxe Basecoating Brush 

DecoArt Drying Time Extender 

DecoArt Americana in: Sand, Desert Turquoise and True Blue.  

Picture Frame (ours was from Ikea)

Step 1: Use the back of the frame to mark out and cut your mountboard to size (if required).

Step 2: Basecoat the entire area of the board with DecoArt Americana in Sand. 

Step 3: Keeping your board horizontal, mark out the middle point on both of the shortest sides.  

Step 4: Using the two marks as a guide, apply Drying Time Extender to one half of the board.  

Step 5: Using the Desert Turquoise, dip the corner of your brush into the paint.  With the Drying Time Extender to the centre line, create a band of blended colour approximately 1.5 inches wide.  The Drying Time Extender will keep the paint wet and allow you to keep blending until you are happy with it.  

When you are working with Drying Time Extender, remember it is better to build the colour slowly using layers. 

Step 6: Next, pick up the True Blue on the same corner of the brush.  Blend the True Blue slightly over the top of the Dessert Turquoise (the clean side of your brush will be towards the clean edge of your board)  slowly blend the Blue out towards the edge of the board.

Step 7: Keep picking up more of the True Blue to blend a darker band down towards the edge of the mountboard.  

Step 8: Once you have painted one half of the board, step back and look at the colour. If you feel it requires more blending, wash and dry the brush before drawing the brush over the blue and blending the colours further.  Keep working with it until you are happy with it. 

Here are the boards I created during this tutorial.  You can see that I attempted this project several times before I was happy, these are the good ones as I painted on both sides of the boards! 

Once you have picked up the skills, you can play with technique and colours. 

I experimented with using tape to help me create a darker line but when I removed it, it removed some of the paint.  It was one of those happy accidents where it created a nice effect though so I wasn't too upset.  I also tried leaving out the turquoise and just blending the True Blue.  

I obviously chose this palette for a little ocean inspired #funwithfolkit this month but this can be used to create ombre effects with so many other gorgeous colours - the effects look good Don't be afraid to play and have fun with this technique! 

Happy Folking x 

  

Mandalas are back for some #funwithfolkit!

'Mandalas' was undeniably the most inspiring theme for a lot of our Folkers last year so this year, it's back but with a little twist.  Throughout August, we are incorporating it with silhouettes.  What on earth do we mean by that? Well, there are (at least) two ways you can interpret this theme...

1. You can create a Mandala using a single paint colour, creating a 'silhouette' of a mandala.  If you would like to work with our mandala from last year, you can find it here.  So experiment with black on colour, metallics on black or add tone on tone, it doesn't matter.  Just relax, let go of the outcome and enjoy the process. 

2. This is our personal favourite for this month...find a silhouette of something you wish to paint and fill it with dots and doodles.  So whether its a letter of the alphabet, an animal or word, this project can be as simple or as challenging as you like. 

Not sure where to start? Don't worry, we have created a few silhouettes (including the one we used above) for you to try and popped them on to the 'Silhouettes' section to our Folk it Patterns Pinterest board.  Of course, if you fancy something different, there are lots of shapes to try out there and we will be adding extras throughout the month that catches our eye.

We hope you feel inspired by the theme this August. Remember, this painting challenge is so flexible so if you feel inspired to create a project in the month or one a week, it's entirely up to you.  All we ask is that you tag us in your creations on social media or email photos to toni@folkit.co because we love to see what you've all been creating.

Happy Folking xx 

Have #funwithfolkit and go tropical!

This July it is all about those tropical vibes.  As the sun is a little sporadic up here in Yorkshire, we are creating our own sunshine this month.  We are ready to bring a few tropical vibes to our painting this month!

Every month, as well as challenging our Folkers, we also challenge ourselves to get involved with our themes at Folky HQ - often creating a cheeky tutorial and inspirational project along the way. 

That does not mean that it is always easy and to be honest, some themes including this one is probably as much of a challenge for us as it is for the new folkers out there, if not more. Read on to find out more about how Carol got on with this challenge...

When I first saw this theme, my mind freaked out a little.  My background is in decorative painting, traditional designs and colours - all the things that don't scream 'tropical'.  My first step was to sit down and think about what tropical colours were for me.  In my personal life alone I'm not drawn to bright colours so my first stop was good old Google.  Looking for colour palettes that appealed to me, I began to feel inspired and choose some DecoArt colours that matched.

DecoArt Banana Cream, Bright Blue, Desert Turquiose, Orange Flame, Bright Green, Razzle Berry and Indian Turquoise. I used these to mix a brown for the finer details.  

I knew I wanted to try to create something with brushstrokes, they are my favourite go to when I want to relax and switch off.  All I had to do now was try and work out how to create a suitable design using a few brush strokes! 

I soon realised that the hardest part of this challenge was sitting down and committing to painting.  Once I started painting, ideas started popping into my head.  My first idea was bananas and tropical plants and leaves.  This was a great project to use the different sized round brushes in our brand new luxe label brush collection.  Creating a mix of brushstroke leaves and layered ones created a wild jungle feel and a few (lazy) comma strokes were perfect for the bananas! The bonus of this design and traditional Folk Art painting is that it doesn't have to be perfect. In fact, this art form became so popular in the past because it is imperfect and achievable.  When I had finished it, I had really surprised myself as I really loved the final effect this created. What do you think? 

Isn't it funny how our minds discourage us from starting something worthwhile before we have even begun?  Here I was, convincing myself that it was a waste of time and yet I really enjoyed painting and fell in love with the colours as I painted with them.  

Next, I wanted to add more colour so I adapted the techniques from our Oriental Blossom kit to paint a very loose version that to me resembled a more tropical flower.  Just knowing that I was painting on a greetings card and nothing more important took away the worry of failure as I wasn't going to ruin anything 'important'.   Here, I experimented with my liner brush too, adding a few loose outlines to help the delicate yellow flowers stand out.  I can say with complete confidence that this is something I would never have created on my own without the nudge of our #funwithfolkit theme.   So, with that in mind, I'm going to continue to challenge myself to create projects using some bright tropical colours and see what I can come up with that appeals to me, because I'd have never, ever chosen such bright colours without the challenge.

Whether you share just one project or many (or none at all) I do hope you will be inspired to create something new and have fun with Folk It.  Our painting kits are just the beginning of your creative journey and whether you just paint a familiar design in new colours or create something completely unique with the techniques you've learnt from the lessons, you may just surprise yourself. 

If you do have a go and create something tropical you would love to show off, please tag us on social media and include the hashtag #funwithfolkit