Theorem Painting is an Early American stenciling craft that was taught during the early 1800's to the young girls in New England finishing schools. The name theorem is derived from the dividing of a design into sections for painting. The painting is traditionlly done on velveteen. Tea is used to achieve the soft tan aged look while oil paint is used to fill in each section of the design. The Key to achieving the soft colors on the fruits and flowers is the shading. The shading is controlled by applying the paint from a soft cloth wrapped around a finger. A paint brush is used to add in the small details only after the stenciling is complete.
