Gwen Johnson’s latest quilt starts with an eight-point star in brown, slate blue and a neutral pastel. Triangles come next and to finish, she surrounds the block with a frame of blue and brown.

“Barn quilts” is a somewhat deceptive term. They are not something that could keep someone or an animal warm on cold nights spent in a barn. Instead, it refers to boards painted to look like elaborate ...

As late-winter brown gives way to spring green, a drive through north-central Minnesota offers some surprising and unexpected flashes of color on barns, businesses and other buildings. The oversized ...

Last year, Sweetums and I were on one of our road trips through rural Alabama when we spotted a See Rock City barn and stopped to take a photo. The barn next to it was picturesque also: It featured a ...

A few winters ago, a case of cabin fever set in. We yearned for the warmth and color of spring, but it was still weeks away. With no better plans, we jumped in the car and went on a day trip on small ...

My first experiences with quilts were sketchy. When we’d make a winter visit to the farm, Grandma pulled out suspect specimens from the darker recesses of closets. Faded and moth-bitten, the quilts ...

The geometric designs fanning out across the board are crisp and sharp. Vicki Howarth wants every point, every line and every shape to be precise. Her background in technical graphics demanded it, and ...

Want to read more good news about Alabama? Sign up for the This is Alabama newsletter here. A rustic barn is a picturesque reminder of Alabama’s agricultural roots. Add a “barn quilt” – a hand-painted ...

Elsie Bennett knew the feed business wasn’t going to sustain her 100-plus-year-old general store. Looking for a way to rejuvenate the Bear Poplar shop, Elsie Bennett found an answer in art. When ...

Take a road trip in the Midwest to see a homegrown art form that creatively combines aspects of Americana. Credit...Kevin Miyazaki for The New York Times Supported by By Jackie Snow Jim Leuenberger ...