Living the artful life...........
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So Honey and I are trying to take advantage of inexpensive, enjoyable, educational opportunities around our community. Yesterday, we had an art-filled lunch date.
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Then down the street to the art museum. At this moment, there is a show of the Decoys of the Illinois River Valley. Ok, history buffs........ here comes your lesson.
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Duck migration to the Illinois Valley was huge during the later part of the 19th century and the early 20th century. A large carving industry was developed along the river, its heyday being from about 1880-1940. These carvers lived in Princeton, Henry, Peoria and Bureau. Names like Ellison and my personal favorite, Charles Perdew.
And if you don't know this about me -- I am a huge fan of folk art. And decoys are some of the best. So I was drooling. And breaking the rules............. not once, but
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They don't want you to take pictures in a museum. Go figure!!! So enjoy these pics before they find me online and haul me off!!! Hey ......... more people should go see this show! Consider my blog my gift-in-kind to the museum. (Do you think they will buy that?????)
The next two are fascinating. Robert Ellison carved these two pintail ducks twenty years apart. The back one was carved around
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Honey was surprised at the pure simplicity of form ........ both in carving and painting. A lot of the detail of the paint was done with a grain painting comb. Beautiful!
And finally........ one of my favorites. A Canadian goose. Just screams "American Folk Art". Great paint, form and detail.
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