For more photos of artists and their work, see our slide show.

Figures dance from Woodie Long's brush. Curving like eighth notes across the painting, a line of jazz players appears in quick, sure strokes, leaning into the rhythms that play in Woodie's mind.

Like many self-taught Southern folk artists, Woodie Long has never studied perspective or practiced drawing perfect pears for a still life. His paintings, instead, come from memory, enriched with images from the past. They range from his years growing up in the small-town South to recent trips to New York and New Orleans. In one of his paintings, children float in midair, caught in a high-spirited moment bouncing on their grandmother's bed. In another, flowers explode in a symphony of extravagant colors. Woodie's paintings are spontaneous, heartfelt, and deeply personal--the kind of art that some people might find too unpolished or somehow outlandish. But his pieces--and those by artists like him--represent one of today's most popular genres of visual art.

Accessible and Affordable
Many of the best-known folk artists in the country hail from the South. They create art with an astounding array of materials--everything from canvas to cardboard, from clay to wood. Their works are shaped by experience and filled with a passion that sometimes steps over into spirituality--and in some cases even into eccentricity.

Eccentric or not, plenty of those works have found homes in chic New York galleries, in museum shops, and on the walls of celebrity hangouts. The truth is, though, neither the artists nor their art is out of reach for everyday collectors. In many cases you can buy straight from the artists. Another plus: Folk art, despite its growing popularity, remains surprisingly affordable.

Sure, gallery prices can be steep for works by famous folk artists no longer living. Prices can even climb into the four- and five-figure range for early works by today's most celebrated folk artists, such as Thornton Dial, Jimmie Lee Sudduth, and Mose Tolliver. Still, their recent works go for far less.

Depending on the size, the medium, and the artist, you can purchase truly good folk art at bargain prices. For instance, Alabama artist Chris Clark sells his small painted quilts for as little as $100. Wood carvings by Dallas artist Isaac Smith can be had for $50 and up. Paintings by Bernice Sims start at $150. The small florals by Woodie Long go for $175. Paintings by emerging artist Michael Banks sell for less than $1,000. Works by painter and carver Billy Roper begin at $150, and large pottery roosters by artist Charlie West begin around $300. Other artists offer a variety of pieces for equally reasonable sums. It's just a matter of finding the ones that speak to your heart.

Stories To Tell
Many folk artists spent much of their lives doing something else. Their stories are often as fascinating as their art. Woodie Long, for instance, spent 25 years painting houses. When his health no longer allowed him to do that, he picked up his wife's art brushes and found a whole new life.

Woodie counts artists Jimmie Lee Sudduth, Mose Tolliver, and Bernice Sims among his best friends. He and his wife are especially close to Bernice, an amazing lady who began painting after rearing six children.