Page 3 - The Decorative Painter Summer 2014

Official publication of the Society of Decorative Painters
SDP BOARD OF DIRECTORS ExECuTIvE COmmITTEE
Donna Frost
President
Pat marler
Vice President/President-Elect
Allison m. Leeds
Recording Secretary
marjorie Thompson
Treasurer
Linda Neilson Biedermann tda Past President
BOARD mEmBERS-AT-LARGE
Karen Allen
Toni Hoffer
Linda L. Sharp cda
Kathy Swigon cda
Wendy m. Watson
See page 5 for board member contact information.
SDP PuBLICATIONS STAFF
EDITOR/PuBLICATIONS DIRECTOR
Jay Staten (ext. 112) jay@decorativepainters.org
ART DIRECTOR/GRAPHIC DESIGN
Sheryl Born (ext. 119) sheryl@decorativepainters.org
mARKETING/ COmmuNICATIONS COORDINATOR Anthony Pafford (ext. 115) anthony@decorativepainters.org
EDITOR ASSISTANT
Maria Frevert maria@decorativepainters.org
DP EDITOR EmERITuS
Mary Jo Leisure mda, tda
SDP STAFF
CERTIFICATION COORDINATOR/ FINANCE ASSISTANT
Cristy Keeton (ext. 114) cristy@decorativepainters.org
CONFERENCE DIRECTOR/ CHAPTERS COORDINATOR Becky Gray (ext. 107) becky@decorativepainters.org
CONFERENCE ASSISTANT/ muSEum COORDINATOR/ JAPANESE RELATIONS Miho Shimizu (ext. 121) miho@decorativepainters.org
EDuCATION COORDINATOR
Lisa Curry (ext. 104) lisa@decorativepainters.org
mEmBERSHIP COORDINATOR/ SPANISH RELATIONS
Sony Sacks (ext. 105) sony@decorativepainters.org
THE DECORATIvE PAINTER
Issue Date: May 2014
Volume XLIII/Number 2
The Decorative Painter is published quarterly. Printed in the USA
PuBLISHER
Society of Decorative Painters 393 N. McLean Blvd. Wichita, KS 67203-5968 (316) 269-9300 / fax (316) 269-9191 sdp@decorativepainters.org decorativepainters.org
PRINTING
Publishers Press, Shepherdsville, KY USA
ON THE COvER
Skyscapes: The Sky’s the Limit
Keith Sluder Photo/Steve Gerig
dEcOratIvEpaINtErS.Org
President’s letter
President’s letter
Dear SDP Friends,
“The most valiant thing you can do as an artist is inspire someone else to be creative.” —Joseph Gordon-Levitt (b. 1981)
The above quote came from Cre8time,
a newsletter from the Craft and Hobby Association. Gordon-Levitt probably wasn’t referring to the Society of Decorative Painters and its chapters, but I find the quote appropriate. “The purpose of the Society shall be to stimulate interest in and appreciation for decorative painting; to raise the quality of the art form; and to serve as a central dissemination point for information concerning decorative painting.”
Unfortunately, we seem to have a public image as a group of people who paint bow ties on wooden geese. I know some of us, yours truly included, painted bow ties on geese to pay for trips to Conference and to buy more
painting supplies. But there is so much more to decorative painting, and over the years we have raised the quality of the art form greatly.
On the other hand, some members believe Certification judging has gotten too tough. The Certification Committee keeps detailed records of standards for every year since 1985 to guarantee that is not the case. In May, the SDP Board of Directors will meet with the Certification chair and judges to review the submitted boards that represent the scores of 55, 65, and 75 in each category for the year. The Certification judges explain why each board represents the score it was given. The purpose of this process is to ensure the standards do not escalate over time.
I believe Certification is a very important program of the Society, and I would like to see more members participate. The Certification Committee has created a series of videos to explain the judging process, using actual boards from the CDA stroke and still life categories. They understand it’s not easy to pass the program. It took Dianne Crowther mda, committee chair, fifteen tries to get her Master Decorative Artist designation. For those of you unfamiliar with Certification, it requires a minimum of four boards/tests to achieve your MDA—one in your choice of CDA categories and one each on the Master’s level categories of stroke, still life, and floral.
Perhaps you have seen the Certification display if you attended Conference or studied the passing boards shown in The Decorative Painter and thought you could never paint that well. Or, you have looked at non passing entries and wondered why they didn’t pass.
Even if you think Certification isn’t for you, the videos provide useful insight into painting. They talk about why some colors are difficult to work with, what makes a good center of interest, what is considered a good stroke, why a painting looks flat, etc. The video links are available at www.decorativepainters.org/certification.php. We hope these videos take the mystery out of the judging process and inspire you to begin your own Certification journey. It helps to understand the judging process, but for the best evaluation of your skills as a painter, you need to submit a board and receive a personal critique.
When you improve your skills, you find more joy in painting. You will understand why certain colors work better together, whether you are painting a Certification board or decorating your home. If you are teaching or designing, others benefit from your knowledge. I encourage you to take part in the “Quest for Excellence.”
Donna Frost
President, Society of Decorative Painters
mISSION
To stimulate worldwide interest in and appreciation for decorative painting; to recognize the diversity of and excellence in the art form; and to serve as the educational resource center for all aspects of decorative painting.
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