Page 13 - The Decorative Painter Summer 2017

Life Happens! Don’t Quit!
MARIAN JACKSON mda
It took me a long time to get my Master Decorative Artist (MDA). Why? Well,
life happens.
I passed my Certified Decorative Artist (CDA) in 1981. I was working part-time
and teaching six classes a week. I tried the Master Floral and did not pass. Time crept by and before I knew it, it was 1989.
I had always enjoyed learning and realized I was not stretching myself, so I took a year and painted only strokework pieces, entering the Master Stroke Tray. I passed the first time. Sadly, later that year, my husband died and life came to a screeching halt
as I struggled to survive with no family in this country. My painting family/friends stepped in to help.
Fast forward seven years! I’m married to a wonderful man with two small children. We moved. Oh my, moving sure does bring to light the hidden stashes. John patiently packed and unpacked all my stuff, then wondered why I was NOT painting. So I plunged into the Master Floral again, and passed this time. Just one to go!
I ordered the designs every year and even started a still life one year. I didn’t finish it because I got shingles in my shoulder and right arm and couldn’t hold a brush. There were other reasons/excuses I didn’t enter. Some years I didn’t like the design. What foolishness! Looking back, there was always something. A dear friend pointed that out to me and I realized how very true it was.
Losing momentum often leads to quitting, but that need to learn and challenge myself was still strong, so I buckled down, put in some serious study time and deter- mined to put myself at the top of the list instead of the bottom. I was getting older, but time was going to pass whether I entered or not so I vowed to enter every year, whether I liked the design or not (after all, it’s just shapes when you break it down!) and no matter what life threw at me, I was going to send in a board.
That meant allowing more time for a start. I planned during the summer and by December had my color scheme and center of interest worked out. I knew exactly where I was going to go. (A bit like a road map on a journey.) I painted three years in a row getting a 65%, 70% and finally, passing with 80% in 2005.
The really interesting thing was that with the guidance of the critiques and maps, each year it was easier. I hadn’t realized the importance of not losing momentum and building skills by study and practice. I was never a quitter but I lost sight of the goal now and again. The learning process was exciting and the Certification Program pushed me far beyond my comfort level but I could see growth after each entry. We paint what we like, and we take seminars to learn and grow but it must be used and practiced to maintain growth. So if I can convey anything, it’s don’t wait. Start now and just do it. We have a series of videos for you to study, numerous eZines containing lots of articles, and photos of boards to study with helpful comments to help you see.
There’s still time and I can’t begin to tell you the feeling of satisfaction and accom- plishment when your name is announced. So, what are you waiting for? Stop by the Certification booth at Conference and we will be happy to answer any questions you have about our program.
❝Never too late! Frieda Lefeber, now 101, got her first-ever solo art exhibit at 100. Frieda began taking art classes at age 76 and earned a degree from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts at age 83. ‘I had no idea I could paint,’ she says.❞
— Growing Bolder
Join the Quest
for Excellence
2017 Certification
Call for Entries
The Certification Committee invites all SDP members
to explore their artistic potential and their passion for decorative painting, while developing and learning the skills needed to enhance the art form.
MASAMI YAMADA mda — MDA Floral 2015
LEVELS CERTIFICATION
ACCREDITED DECORATIVE PAINTER
designation is the first step.
CERTIFIED DECORATIVE ARTIST
designation is the second step.
MASTER DECORATIVE ARTIST is the third step. After an applicant has received a CDA designation, he or she may submit artwork for an MDA.
Call (316) 269-9300 for more information on the Certification program.
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The Decorative Painter • SUMMER 2017 11
Certification Corner