Darla Foreman  Oklahoma City, OK

1983 was a year for new adventures.  Moving from Oklahoma City to the Tulsa area, with husband and 3 little girls was exciting and full of new experiences.  I began to paint and study with Tulsan, Carol Mays.  After a few months of study I began to teach like many others at the time, around the kitchen table, and Turtle Hollow was born.  Then I was introduced to the Society of Decorative Painters.  Being involved with SDP has brought lots of new friends from around the world.  With Priscilla Hauser’s encouragement, I became very involved with the Society in many areas and today, I have completed a term on the SDP Board of Directors and a term as VP/President/Past President and Turtle Hollow has grown from home classes, a home studio to Exhibit booths and now a beautiful website.

Several of my friends have joined me on this journey.  We hope you enjoy your trip through our site and find lots of goodies that will help you experience the world of decorative painting. 

By the way, those three little girls are grown and one is married with two little boys.  My husband and I are still experiencing lots of new adventures, that is common when you are in education.  May painting always brighten your life with color.

After graduating from the university, I promptly started my professional career as a school librarian.  In 1969, the P.E. teacher and I both became pregnant.  She decided we needed a hobby so we could get out of the house after the babies were born.  We considered various activities.  She suggested tole painting.  I wasn’t sure what it was, but I always made great bulletin boards for the library, so why not.  She signed us up, bought the supplies and off we went to class.  She took 3 classes and quit, whereas 38 years later, I find myself still painting.

I fell in love with all aspects of the painting industry.  I’ve taught in shops, adult education programs and operated a home studio for 20 + years.  I attended my first SDP Convention in Albuquerque, NM.  At the time I told my husband that our daughter (who was mama’s girl) better have a good time while I was gone, because I just might want to go again sometime.  It turns out I have not missed a single SDP Convention since; in fact I have taught at most and exhibited at many.  I travel teach around the country, and teach and exhibit at many of the regional conventions.  Allison, my daughter, paints and attends the conventions with me, what fun!  I have contributed to several books and magazines.  I also have an extensive line of pattern packet.

I served on the SDP Board of Directors as Board Member at Large for two years.  I was elected Vice President/President Elect in 2002.  I served as President in 2003-04.  I finished my service on the Board of Directors in 2004-05 as Past President.  I remain quite active as a member of SDP.  I urge all of you to check out the Society of Decorative Painters.

Cindy Forsythe MDA -- Humble, TX

When we moved from Seattle, WA area, in the late 1960’s, I learned to paint and play golf.  Both have proven to be very rewarding experiences.  I joined the Society of Decorative Painters in 1975.  At that time it was called the National Society of Tole and Decorative Painters.

The Society offers a once a year certification program, where a member’s art work is judged at the National Convention.  I passed all 4 pieces to qualify as a Master Decorative Artist.

As a teacher I have taught classes in every state in which we lived, as my husband’s career moved us from place to place in the 70’s and 80’s.  It has been my privilege to teach at National Conventions, mini conventions, and to local chapters in Texas and other states.

My work has appeared in various painting magazines such as: The Decorative Painter, Paint Works, The Best of Decorative Painting and 4 pieces are being exhibited in Japan.  There is one piece displayed in the Decorative Arts Collection.

It was my honor to have been elected to the Nominating Committee and to serve as a judge for the Certification Program.  Also serving the Society of Decorative Painters I have served as chairperson of the Awards Committee and been a member of the Teachers Committee, Certification Committee and a Teller for the Annual meeting.  The exciting part of all this is the opportunity the Society has provided me to be able to attend 32 National Conventions.

Locally I have served 2 terms as President of the Decorative Painting Pals of Texas.  Today I am a member of four local chapters in the Houston area.

Doxie Keller TDA -- Hutchinson,KS

I have been painting and teaching Decorative Painting since 1964.  I love teaching beginners and enjoy showing them the pleasures of creating and having lots of fun, doing both the simple and the more advanced techniques of decorative painting.

I have served the Society of Decorative Painters since it’s beginnings in various positions.  I am the only member to have served twice as President and currently severing as Board member at Large on the Board of Directors.  Conventions are the most fun, 2008 will be my 36th attended Convention.  Creative Director, teacher and booth manager for Deco Art, Inc of Kentucky are among my jobs responsiblities.  Visit the Society of Decorative Painters on their website, www.decorativepainters.org

Linda C.McDonald  Frisco, TX

Painting has been in my life from more than 30 years and I’ve been teaching around the country for 20 years.  I am a pastel artist that works to capture the essence of an animal whether a pet portrait or animal in the wild.  When I moved from Minnesota to Texas seven years ago I refocused on portraits in oil by studying at the Liliedahl School of Classical Art.  With renewed inspiration in my painting I have taken on a new vibrancy of color and understanding of design.  I will continue to design and teach in all mediums.  My pattern packets include life size line drawing, photo supply list and detailed instructions on how to paint the design.

With my painting activities I have been an active member of the Society of Decorative Painters.  Serving on the Teachers, Chapters, Awards, and Nominating committees have been very rewarding and I felt it an honor to serve as Nominating Chairperson.  In 1997 I served the Society as co-chair for the planning of the Minneapolis Convention.  I have taught at many conventions and exhibited at the National Convention and many mini conventions.  In 2001 I was awarded the honor of being presented with the Dedicated Service Award.

Maureen McNaughton CDA, TDA has been teaching internationally and publishing her style of strokework for over 30 years. She became a Certified Decorative Artist in 1988 and passed the Master Decorative Artist stroke category in 1991. She was appointed to the SDP Teacher
Development Program Task Force. The Best Cover of the Year for 2003 was Maureen’s Strokework Pansies. This cover was made into a limited edition pin available from SDP. Maureen’s artwork is featured on the 2005 SDP membership card and the corner designs in every issue of the DP.

• 2006 Breast Cancer Rose pin designer
• 2007 Presidents Commendation Award
• 2006 and 2008 Home to the Heartland presenter
• Maureen’s last book is the Brushstroke Handbook, won" best new product
  of the year" at the SDP convention.

I’ve always been a crafter, not a painter.  In fact, I never dreamed I would ever consider myself a Decorative Painter.  Since my favorite hobby has always been crafting, I’m always shopping at Hobby Lobby. It was there that I met my first decorative painting teacher. With some very strong encouragement from her, I decided to take my first painting class. With even more encouragement, I attended a meeting of the Sooner Decorative Artists (SDA), formed by Gail Bonifay from the Society of Decorative Painters (SDP).  I felt it couldn’t hurt to attend, as one never knows; some of their expertise might just rub off on me. I joined SDA and SDP that day and have been excited about decorative painting ever since.     

I have eight grandchildren, ages 2 – 25 and two great granddaughters, ages 1 and 5, who I’m always painting with.  In fact, my five year old great granddaughter has been painting with me since she was three.  If you can hold a brush you can learn to paint, is my way of thinking.

I’m very involved in two decorative painting chapters - SDA in Norman Oklahoma, and the Central Oklahoma Society of Tole and Decorative Painters in Oklahoma City.  I have held multiple positions in each of these chapters; most recently I was the immediate past director of Tole Country, an Oklahoma decorative painting convention.

Thanks to all my friends and teachers and their encouragement, I can now claim that I, the crafter, am a Decorative Painter.  Someday I may even be a CDA, TDA, or even a MDA, but I realize it will take much more practice and lessons to accomplish this goal.  So pick up that brush, and let’s all get together and paint.

Barbara Jenkins CDA

Fell in love with decorative painting twenty two years ago when my younger sister took a class with JoSonja Jansen MDA.  I thought if she could do it, so could I.  So I signed up for my first class in acrylics and was hooked.

Then I found the Society of Decorative Painters and through them, found MaryJo Leisure MDA and wanted to learn how to paint her stroke roses so I started painting in oils with the goal of one day taking a class from her.  In 1992 I took my first class with MaryJo and love painting her stroke roses.

I paint in oils full time and study with Cheri Rol MDA, Michael Fulton MDA, Peggy Stogdill MDA to name a few.

Currently I am a sitting board member with the Society of Decorative Painters.

I passed my CDA in 1997, Master Still Life in 2005, Master Floral in 2006 and Master Stroke in 2008.  There is nothing more exciting than to put paint on a surface and watching it bloom into a beautiful creation.