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 |  | Report by Christiaan van Lierop
Stuck for ideas for what to do with your living room? Fancy giving your kitchen a make-over, but don’t know where to begin? Want something original but at a price you can afford?
Then throw your home decorating books in the bin, and jump on the next plane to Poland.
Ìý| Ìý |  | The reputation for Poles' vodka love certainly did not originate from Zalipie
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Just one look at the painted houses of Zalipie and you’ll see that if you want a look that is both timeless and fresh – just say it with flowers.
Nestling amidst acres of farmland in a forgotten corner of Poland, it has to be said that Zalipie is not everybody’s cup of tea. Smallsville Poland at its best, asleep by nine in the evening, nobody could accuse this village of being a hot bed of excitement.
Yet for one weekend in the year this unassuming backwater springs to life, playing host to an event attracting visitors from the whole of Poland. And while the villagers may lead a quiet life, it is certainly not colourless.
ÌýPainted House Competition
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| Ìý |  | Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen could learn a thing or two
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The Painted House Competition held each year at Corpus Christi showcases the traditional painting of the villagers’ women, work that is often so detailed as to leave you gasping with admiration.
Almost exclusively the domain of the village’s womenfolk, wall painting in Zalipie dates back to the mid-nineteenth century.
Originally an interior feature only, with time the women began decorating the outside walls of their houses with flowers, giving the village the characteristic look for which it is known today.
A lot has changed since the early days when only chalk, clay and soot were used as for painting. Yet although modern materials have allowed the artists a much wider choice of colours, the basic style of the murals has remained the same.
This is also true of the painting technique used by the village’s women, who still paint straight onto the walls, without drawing any pencil outlines on the wall for guidance.
Although seemingly identical, each mural is unique as every artist has her own individual style, carefully developed under the watchful eye of her mother or grandmother.
Ìý| Ìý |  | Some European buildings have a tradition of frescoes like this one by by Filippo Lippi
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When the villagers began pulling down their traditional wooden cottages in the 1960s and 1970s, there were fears that as the old housing disappeared, so would the tradition of wall painting.
Yet the women painters managed to breathe new life into this tradition by including the wall paintings as an integral part of the décor of their new homes. Indeed, it is not unusual to find items of furniture, even computers, specially chosen to match the colors of the flowers on the walls.
ÌýLet your imagination run wild
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| Ìý |  | Artist John Thornhill from Coventry uses church imagery for inspiration
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More than anything, the work of the villagers shows that there is a place for folk art in the modern home. Not to mention the fact that you really do need a good eye and a steady hand to be able to paint with the detail of the Zalipie women.
But don’t let that put you off. You don’t have to paint a whole wall straight away. Just a subtle motif under the window or on the ceiling can make all the difference. And if you feel uncomfortable as an artist, then why not use a stencil? Anything goes, just so long as you are ready to let your imagination run wild.
A final word for any gentlemen who may be reading this article. If your better half wants to repaint your front room in flowers, and all that just sounds like too much like hard work, then don’t let it worry you.
The example of Zalipie show that when it comes to painting flowers, it’s best to leave it to the experts. The women, that is.
At least that’s the excuse I used when my Polish wife enthused about recreating the wonders of the Zalipie murals on the walls of our flat. And believe me, I’m sticking to it.
ÌýPolish connections in Coventry
| | Ìý Read about the Polish community in Coventry by following the link on the left to our Coventry Polish history page.
Coventry Poles are also celebrated every Sunday on Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú WM in the Poles Apart programme. You can hear Poles Apart on Sundays at 7-8pm on 94.8, 104 and 103.7 FM.
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