Matilda's Online Artwork Out of Town Shows

Matilda's Artwork in HGTV's Dream Home 06'

"Cornbread", as he is known to family and friends, was raised on a farm in Lumpkin county, Georgia. He had no interest in painting until 1995, when he started painting his life experiences on pieces of wood and cardboard. He is a spiritual Southern gentleman, who "can't reckon why anyone would want his paintings." Well, collectors and dealers all over the country snap his work up, so I reckon his work is pretty good.
He paints animals from the farm he works and the woods he hunts. Each painting has a story, sometimes written on the back. Using bright acrylic colors and preferably large pieces of wood, He captures what is fast being pushed out due to the fact that "Atlanta is practically here."
John "Cornbread" Anderson has made his way to the folk art world, and is wildly successful at the Atlanta Folk Fest. A true self-taught artist, he is now considered an artist to watch.

John is also a beekeeper, who packages and sells honey.

Sandy Erickson Wright
I was born in Michigan with a paint brush in my hand and the two of us have never since been separated. My life's journey to folk art has been full of adventure. In my early 20s, I flew for Pan American. That job allowed me to experience varied cultures -specifically art from Africa to Australia, Argentina to Austria and more! During my last three years with Pan Am, I created and ran my own art gallery in Tiburon, just north of San Francisco. After 7 years with Pan Am, I moved to Berlin, Germany. While there I discovered and became particularly fond of the joy and innocence in Bavarian folk art. Seven years in Europe was followed by a move to Santa Fe, NM. Three years of clear light and wide horizons, plus the bonus of meeting painters, potters, weavers and more, resulted in new visions for creative expression. Sea level, Boca Raton, FL was my next stop. Turquoise waters, lime green landscapes, and pink flamingos provide more than enough color to keep any artist excited, but I had two small boys who demanded most of my creative energy then.

It thus, wasn't until I moved to Roswell, GA, that the fullness of time had arrived and I was able to answer the call to paint full time. Then just like in the movies - the flight attendant married the pilot. My new husband and I moved to Berlin, Germany. During our seven years there I explored a very different culture. I was particularly enriched by meeting two Austrian artists who opened my eyes to new ways of seeing.

The Scene
Matilda's is a magical complex of wildly decorated little cottages that look like they sprang from the imagination of McKenzie-Childs. There are yellow flower boxes, polka dot shutters, checkerboard eaves and twig arbors sprinkled with sparkling lights. Indoors, the effect is no less enchanting, as every surface is cluttered with brightly painted pottery, furniture, fabrics and artwork. First-time visitors walk around with their jaws dropped, while devoted patrons join in the spirit. You might bump into a group of women lunching in the "Hen House," one of the outbuildings, wearing silly party hats.

The Goods
Perhaps it's because owner Mary Jane Potter sticks mostly to local craftspeople and regional up-and-comers rather than nationally recognized artists, but this gift shop/art gallery bears none of the pretension of some intown dealers whose "folk art" has become too rarified for regular folk. This doesn't mean the art is amateurish. To the contrary, artist showings, which change monthly in the two outbuildings, can be very powerful. Potter has a great eye for work that is witty, colorful and fresh.

Betsy Riley
atlanta.citysearch.com

Cornbread
Sandy Erickson Wright
Jennifer Freidman
Jenni Horne
Kathleen Taylor
Wei
Joyce Connel
Barbara Olsen

Luon St Pierre
Susan Easton Burns
Jane Berke
Jennifer Ferris
Susan Friedland
Diane Hogan
Allison Strine
Mark Levasseur
Mike Ham

Robert Birdsong
Jill Lusky
Bailey Jack
Frank Norton
Mike Darris
Jenny Schultz
Kathleen Whittle
Terry Cannon
Sherry Cook