There Was An Old Woman, original upcycled vintage painting

“There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.
She had so many children, she didn’t know what to do.
She gave them some broth without any bread;
Then whipped them all soundly and put them to bed.”

—Old English Nursery rhyme 
(Oldest dated publication of the poem is from “Infant Institutes” c1797)

The Red Rose Tea Wade figurines were being made between 1971-1979. So when I was a little girl in the 80’s, they were a commonplace nicknack on the windowsill! I remember playing with them (gently so not to chip them), rearranging them, and hoping Mum didn’t notice! It always bothered me that the old woman was almost the same size as the shoe... how could she possibly fit in there? 

Even just in Ontario, I feel like I’ve seen dozens of paintings just like this… because even in the 70’s, they were importing mass produced artwork. This over production is what leads to a style getting a bit tired and undesirable… so I enjoy the challenge of adding in elements of whimsy to give the old painting a second life. 

I found this vintage painting locally in Ontario.  It had been removed from its frame, which I always think that’s sad considering more time was spent painting the art than making the frame.  After giving it a good clean, and altering the painting, I gave it a new reclaimed frame.  

Mixed media on vintage painting on canvas. The vintage frame is made of wood, is in excellent condition and light.

“There Was An Old Woman"
original altered vintage painting on canvas

8x10 inch canvas
29 x 33 cm wood frame
(I'm Canadian, I hope you enjoy my switching between metric systems :)