Tulips and Hearts House Blessing Sampler Outline

This is an outline that I created for a new sampler folk art painting I am working on 12 of these types of outlines at the moment. I hope to finish them this week so that I can get onto painting them.

"Tulips and Hearts House Blessing Sampler" by Cheryl Bartley

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My samplers are for the most part on acid free watercolor paper that is treated with a special technique to look like an old linen sampler. Then I apply the watercolor and sometimes acrylic paint. I do all lettering and additional outlines by hand once watercolor dries. I also incorporate letters of the alphabet, numbers, geometric designs, and verses into the designs.

The inspiration for these sampler paintings comes from historic antique embroidered schoolgirl samplers. Each motif that I add to the sampler holds symbolic meanings as did the antique school girl samplers. Many of the motifs that I incorporate are similar in meaning to those used in traditional Samplers. I think that the reason that I was drawn to creating these types of paintings stems from my early childhood. During those years I spoke French so when I started school I use to draw pictures…motifs… to communicate.

I call my sampler paintings "Folk Art Spirit Samplers". Each one of the motifs that I incorporate into one of my designs holds a deep spiritual meaning that I want to express to the world. I also incorporate some of the motifs because I like their shape and colors. These motifs do not hold any deeper meaning except for the fact that I like them! In the folk art spirit sampler painting that I created below you will see both the motifs with deeper meanings and those that I like just for shape and color.

Birds in tree= Love of nature
Cat = Rest
Rooster = Watchfulness
Dove with olive branch = Charity, mercy, peace, love, humility, simplicity and meekness
Flowers = Family unity
Fruit Tree = 15 Apples.. symbol of love and fertility, temptation and evil
Tulip = Perfect love, a declaration of love
Star and Flag = Patriotism and Bravery
5 Pointed Star = birth of Jesus
Sheep = Gentleness and charity
Cow = Naïve
House = Childhood memories Grandmothers farm house
Red Barn for animals = virtues and vices
Two Tall Green Teardrop Shaped Trees = Enduring faith

PRIMITIVE STAR BIRD FARMHOUSE