Lucy Tokheim Folk Art Design Collection
Functioning within limits of Scandinavian Folk art is what helped me learn to think like a designer.
Functioning within limits of Scandinavian Folk art is what helped me learn to think like a designer.
The rooster Gullinkambe perches on top of the world tree Yggdrasil to wake up the gods.
Birds transcend all boundaries! They travel effortlessly into traditional, contemporary and abstract art.
We were honored to be included in some of these important Vesterheim folk art exhibits: they gave us an audience and a larger vision for new work.
Birds were a favorite of 1950's Scandinavian designers with their simple, light-hearted forms.
By the mid 1990's I started to push beyond just Norwegian woodcarving designs. Textile elements and layers of wax resist added more color and original designs to the pots: I was especially inspired by Danish ceramic designers from the 1950's.
My designs travel between fine art images to pottery to graphics. This integrated method of working seems to keep creative energy moving among them all.
"They have no more wine" reported the wine steward in the gospel account of Jesus' first miracle. This young man falling off his horse possibly drank too much of it. Bible stories and illustrations were imaginatively interpreted by wood carver and weavers.
I began to apply traditional textile motifs to clay: Jesus' popular parable of women needing oil for wedding lamps gave us all a chance to portray all women in costumes.
One of my first exposures to Scandinavian Folk Art was watching fellow art students Sue and Greta Jacobsen concentrate on their Danish counted cross stitch projects.
When I studied textiles at Raulands Academy I did a special project with Setesdal embroidery that inspired this design.
Since most of Gene's pots are wheel thrown they work well geometric designs, like linen embroidery from Baltic region.
I experimented with combining combinations of red, yellow and blue glazes with an incised design.
I saw lichen in designs like this on rocks in Lac qui Parle State Park
Stripes are beloved to all Scandinavian weavers
I am keenly interested in the Primstav calendars used widely in medieval Norway to accommodate religious and agricultural traditions. The Primstav symbols are like runes only with more imaginative scope. for me.
At first I inscribed both sides of the Primstav year on platters. The symbols were the source of my first folk art paintings. They also serve as a spiritual practice that attends closely to seasonal changes.
Marion Nelson selected this Primstav platter as for the Vesterheim traveling exhibit. When I first became interested in the Primstav I would put the entire year of symbols on one of Gene's big platters.
Runes fascinate me, but I can't really get any imaginative traction like I do with the pictographs on the Primstav, ancient Norwegian calendar stick
The tree of life is a common folk art motif across many cultures.
I transformed the haying sickle symbol of this day into a spiral of grass in honor of the Irish Princess who was forced to flee her country. She and her companions settled in Selje, Ytre Nordford in the 11th century and after her martyrdom became the patron saint of west Norway.
The story goes that when people came to make Martin a bishop he hid among a flock of geese.
Church feast for purification of Mary after birth of Jesus, symbol is a lily or candle. Important day for prophesying weather and harvest
Important holy days in Norway.
Symbol: a grill. Important prophecying day
Also St. Catherine's feast, reminding people it was time to bring out the spinning tools.
Marks the beginning of autumn. Harvesting should be complete. Field gates removed so farm animals returned from summer pastures may gaze freely over cultivated land.(paraphrased from the Gausdal Church Primstav Calendar)
Spring tree, Midsummer bonfire and September 1 millstone
