Painting on Wood (1).Sign Painting of Niko Pirosmani

My art belongs to a long tradition of untrained painters who work on wood,often considered "naive" because of the style.Examples are on the wooden coffin underlid of the Fayoum Portraits,icons,canal boat art,circus caravan art,painted wooden Romany caravans and sign painting.Maybe that,more than anything else, is what I am then, a sign painter...

My favourite naive artist is the sign painter, Niko from Georgia.He worked on dark backgrounds,usually wood but also tin or cardboard.His paint is illuminated by contrast on these dark backgrounds.He travelled from village to town,painting shop or business signs, and often portraits,making a little money but dying a beggar, anonymous with no grave to mark his story. His paintings were the fortune of art dealers who discovered him posthumously.

Wood painting is the tradition I respect and recognise.


Sign for a Wineshop




The Grape-pickers




Bear in Moonlight




The Beauty of Ortatchal




Deer Family



Yellow Lion Sitting