Inspired American folk art prints

Marie Fox's primitive prints convey a strong sense of place. It may be that turn in a coastal road where an antique Cape house nestles or the hill where a one-room schoolhouse stands. Each evokes a strong feeling of belonging and even longing. The artist is painting images in her American folk art prints that are meaningful to her; she shares her love for them with the viewer.

Marie feels that her attachment to place springs from her having grown up in an 18th century house in a seaside New England village. She couldn't help but feel the pull of the history. Ships that sailed around the world were once built in front of her house. In her bedroom hung a sampler stitched by a young girl who had lived there two centuries earlier. And Daniel Webster had lived just up the road.

As well as these special places from her Cape Cod childhood, the artist finds inspiration for her primitive folk art in memories, family stories and old photos. To read more about what excites her artistic imagination, go to Inspiration & Technique.

A folk artist is a storyteller who speaks from her heart and through her art to others. She paints what she remembers, knows, imagines, loves, finds amusing, joyful or important. Folk art is optimistic and playful. It's all about everyday life and personal experiences. As long as it's truthful, the art will touch others and remind them of special moments and places in their own lives.

When Marie Fox returned to New England to explore her roots through folk art, she looked to Grandma Moses for inspiration. "She's a wonderful storyteller and clearly has a sense of humor. She enthusiastically records the small events of everyday country living and makes me want to walk into her painting."

Marie's primitive prints wonderfully describe the spirit of home. They create a feeling of comfort and coziness. This art is not merely nostalgic – it inspires confidence in the ongoing values it portrays. Marie's American folk art paintings and prints remind us of a simple and beautiful world, centered around family.

Don't miss her depictions of life within the larger community as shown in the Nantucket Island and Historic Boston posters.

Marie sees her American folk art paintings as a country sampler of stories. For home decorating, it's easy and fun to group the prints made from original paintings by choosing a theme. You might pair night and day scenes of children at play. Each of these American folk art prints evokes a season. Buy two or three to create your own New England ‘calendar.' You'll find that like a patchwork quilt, these lovely folk art scenes gather together your own special memories.