Carl Larsson Print~My Happy Thrifty Find

I have always loved the whimsical, colorful style of painting by Swedish artist Carl Larsson.
I stopped into a Goodwill that is not in my neighborhood, looked around a bit at the "way expensive" collectibles, then startled my 22 year old son by screeching " it's a Carl Larsson print!". I plucked it from the pile, saw the $6 tag and did a happy dance. To the counter I went to pay and stared at the sales lady like she was out of her mind when she told me that all the framed prints were 1/2 off. Three puny bucks for my first print by Carl Larsson. Crazy happy dance!
There was a plain light brown frame around it. I just bought a can of Strawflower spray paint and decided to use it for this frame redo. I took the print out of the frame and took the frame out side and sprayed it completely in no more than 2 mins. I left for an appointment and then came the storm. It rained and hailed and thundered with lightening.
When the storm ceased and the sun dried everything off, I check out my frame. It is accidentally perfect! The Strawflower paint chipped off in places and the frame is, indeed weathered. And I love it! By the way, this Strawflower spray paint from Home Depot is the perfect soft/wheaty yellow and I plan to find more things to hit with it.


Here are some of Carl's other work; pieces I hope to add to my collection.






CARL LARSSON

28 May 1853 - 22 January 1919
SHORT BIOGRAPHY

The Swedish artist Carl Larsson was born in 'Gamla stan', the old town in Stockholm, on May 28, 1853. His parents were extremely poor and his childhood sad and miserable. However, at the age of thirteen his teacher at the school for poor children urged him to seek entry into the 'principskola' of the Stockholm Academy of Fine Arts where he also got accepted. The first years at the 'principskola' he felt socially inferior, confused and shy. In 1869, sixteen years old, he got promoted to the 'antique school' of the same academy. There Carl Larsson became more sure of him self and he even became a central figure in student life. After several years as illustrator for books, magazines and newspapers Carl Larsson also spent several rather frustrating years in Paris as a hardworking artist without any success.

The turning point in Carl Larsson´s life came the year 1882 when he in Grez, a Scandinavian artist colony outside Paris, met Karin Bergöö (1859-1928), who soon should be his wife. One could almost call it a metamorphose in Carl Larsson´s life. In Grez Carl Larsson painted some of his most important works - now in water-colour and very different from the more pretentious oilpainting technique.

Carl and Karin Larsson reared eight children and Karin and the children became Carl Larsson´s favourite models and many of those watercolours are now loved and cherished all over the world.

.Don't forget to visit Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for all kinds of Thrifty Finds!