Gladys J. Shelley 918 South Dellwood Street Cambridge MN 55008-2123 (612) 689-3038 Work Samples Images: (select to enlarge)

Gladys J. Shelley Northern European decorative painting I am a European and American folk art painter who specializes in several styles of decorative folk painting: Austrian, Bavarian, German, Swiss Baurnmalerie (farmer painting), Norwegian rosemaling in six or more types, Swedish Dalarna painting, Netherlands Hinderloopen and Assendelfter styles, English Narrow Boat painting and others on request. I also enjoy placing birds carved of wood in my paintings. I have painted on walls of homes, churches, nursing homes, and restaurants, as well as on small and large items of wood, canvas and tin. I enjoy teaching young children to paint on paper plates and showing and explaining the artwork. I have studied in Switzerland, the Netherlands, and in American with artists from Norway and Sweden. Among my achievements, I have been asked to exhibit in four museums, and have won ribbons in three county fairs. Available: Most days of the week; usually no mileage restrictions, but appreciate compensation if more than 50 miles Space: Need two 4 by 8 ft. tables and an ample space with good light Fee: Negotiable

Additional Information:
Gladys hails from Paxton township near Redwood Falls. She graduated from Morton High School in 1947, and then studied for a year at the University of Minnesota school of Agriculture, where she met her husband Ervey Shelley. While studying at the University of Minnesota, Gladys took art courses under a Mrs. Walter, learning different weaving and painting techniques, and learning about children's book design, and furniture styles. From the individualistic and virtuosic Northern Minnesota wood carver, Herman Melheim, Gladys learned to appreciate clock making and decorating.

The breadth of her artistic interests presaged her later career as a decorative painter capable of working within several styles. Gladys attempted her first folk art painting after seeing an exhibition of the work of Minneapolis painter Vera Petrie at the Minnesota State Fair. Gladys believes that Vera studied with Per Lisne, one of the major figures in the United States rosemaling revival. Vera's style was not rosemaling, but rosemaling-influenced, and Gladys' early work in 1954 was derivative of Vera's. Gladys was encouraged by the sales she received.

While Gladys' interests in folk art traditions have remained constant over the years, her broad interests in art led to the desire to study realism at a Minneapolis art school. However, because of her age at the time (49), the school was not interested in her. So she continued studying folk painting, learning the Swedish Dalecarlian style at the Swedish Institute in Minneapolis, and advanced rosemaling from painters in Minnesota and at the Norwegian American Museum in Decorah, Iowa. She took a course in Switzerland to learn the German decorative painting style, bauernmaleri because she wanted to improve on her self taught skills.

Because there is so much contact between European-based cultural groups in Minnesota, many folk artists work in more than one form. Such is the case with Gladys. While some have claimed that Gladys' greatest speciality is Telemark-style rosemaling, she is like many other folk painters who enjoy learning more than one style. She works with several rosemaling styles, Dutch Hindeloopen painting, Danish decorative painting, and English Narrow Boat painting, among others. She says that she is interested in people, globally, and that they all have folk art, and folk art and music are means of understanding people representing a variety of cultures.

Among Gladys' special achievements are painting the Viking room at Kahler Hotel in Rochester, painting two walls of moose and scenery in Braham Moose Lodge. She painted the rosemaling designs on 3 x 4-1/2 feet panels for Beverly's Travel Agency (Cambridge), as well as the rosemaling around the Grandview Nursing Home dining area. Gladys has painted the interiors of three restaurants, as well as walls of Norwegian scenery in a private home, and rosemaling on furniture on commission.