I read a book all about the great American Folk Artist, Howard Finster, and in it they had a picture of an old antique iron that he had painted in a bright, folkart style, and that was my inspiration for this piece.

I wanted to paint something unusual, and this certainly is. It can be displayed on a shelf, as a relic or reminder of the days of old, when ladies had to physically work very hard to iron all the shirts/clothing in the households, in their "role" as caregivers to the family.

You see, those ladies didn't have access to any of the modern conveniences we use today. They had to virtually slave over a hot iron (or hot stove) to provide for their family. Today we can have a hot meal at the push of a button, and today we probably simply take the clothes to the dry cleaners to have them pressed.

So, of what use are these old irons now? Well, now, they make excellent decorations for the home, as a remembrance of all the hard labor of days gone by...and a gentle reminder that things weren't always as "easy" as they are right now.

The colors I used are: black for the outlines, and a bright cobalt blue, burnt sienna, and yellow. Also, I had to coat the iron in gesso, first, and when I did that I added sand to the gesso mix, which had the effect of looking like the iron was covered in cement before I painted it. (A very rustic, and rough-hewn look).

It measures 6.5x4.5" (at widest) and weighs approx. 6.5 lbs. (very heavy).

Any questions, please email me.