Helen Kuster was born and educated in England, emigrating to Australia in 1969. She was introduced to folk art when she went to live in Switzerland for a year with her Swiss German husband Albert. Helen first tried folk art for herself in 1981 while living in the Sultanate of Brunei, using materials and designs from Switzerland. Returning to Australia, it was back to work as a cartographic draftsperson and technical graphic artist. In 1990 she rediscovered the joys of folk art and began to paint at home, practising on the furniture. None of the classes available in Adelaide at the time offered traditional folk art, so Helen worked alone until a trip back to Switzerland in 1991 offered the dual opportunities of visiting her husband's family and working with local folk artists, researching design in museums and old homes.
This book offers fifteen projects in traditional styles influenced by the folk art of the Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo periods. Using both traditional strokework and Kleister wood-graining techniques, Helen has created an exciting collection of decorative pieces.
