2026 August Newsletter
From the Office of the President
Our July paint-in was
a wonderful blend of creativity, learning, and laughter as Rita
Johnson introduced us to the beautiful art of painting watercolors on
fans. Many of us stepped outside our comfort zones and discovered
just how relaxing and addictive this technique can be!
Rita generously shared
not only her artistic talents but also a wealth of tips, tricks, and
resources that will help us continue exploring watercolor painting at
home. One of her favorite recommendations was Daiso, a treasure trove
of affordable art supplies and creative finds. If you have never
visited one, you may want to add it to your shopping list before your
next project!
Of course, a Golden
Spike Decorative Painters gathering wouldn’t be complete without
delicious food and great fellowship. A huge thank you goes to Laura
Clegg, who treated us to a wonderful lunch featuring chicken salad
sandwiches, chips, and delicious peanut butter bars. And for those
who earned a spot on Laura “nice list”... there may have even been
a few coveted Red Vines quietly making their way around the room!
Beyond the painting,
what made the day so special was the opportunity to spend time
together, encourage one another, and enjoy the friendships that make
our club such a welcoming place. Whether your fan was a masterpiece
or a work in progress, everyone left with new skills, inspiration,
and plenty of smiles.
As your president, I
want to take a moment to say how incredibly proud I am of our club
and the continued progress we make together as a collective. This
year has featured an outstanding lineup of paint-ins and educational
opportunities. It has been wonderful to watch our members challenge
themselves, try new techniques, and grow in confidence. We truly have
something special.
Looking ahead, the
excitement continues! Our 2027 calendar is already shaping up to be
just as amazing, with two nationally recognized seminar instructors
joining us in person. Trust me, you won't want to miss what we have
planned!
Our Fall Seminar is
Almost Here!
Speaking of seminars,
our 2026 Fall Seminar is right around the corner, and we're thrilled
to welcome Pat Lentine, who is traveling all the way from Florida to
teach us. This is an incredible opportunity to learn valuable
techniques in:
Faces
Fur
Colored pencils
Watercolors
The seminar cost is
$300 per person, and we really need to hear from everyone who plans
to attend as soon as possible so GSDP can order the colored pencils.
That's right, you'll
only need to bring your brushes and your own watercolors, which most
of us already have. If you don't own watercolors yet, I'm certain one
of our generous members would be happy to share.
Even better, the first
12 people who register will receive not one, but TWO special gifts!
One gift will come from me, and the other will be a special surprise
from our wonderful secretary, Lydia Gossett.
Our registration
deadline is August 15. While we will certainly accept late
registrations, if space allows, those registering after the deadline
may need to supply their own colored pencils since we have ordering
deadlines to ensure everything is ready for the seminar.
Thank you all for
making Golden Spike Decorative Painters such an inspiring, welcoming,
and creative community. We are so excited about everything still to
come this year and if our plans for 2027 are any indication, the best
is yet to come!
Thank you again, Rita,
for sharing your knowledge and passion and thank you, Laura, for
keeping us well-fed. We can't wait to see everyone at our next
paint-in and hopefully at our Fall Seminar!
Exciting things are
happening here at GSDP,
LeeAnn
President, Golden Spike Decorative Painters
2026 Seminars and Paint-ins
August 15th (Saturday) – LeeAnn Washatka – Floral Bowl
September 19th (Saturday) – Laura Clegg – Glass Block Snowman
October 15th-17th (Thur-Sat) – Pat Lentine Seminar – Colored Pencils/Watercolors
November 21th (Saturday) – LeeAnn Washatka – Record Elf
December 5th (Saturday) – Christmas Party at Wingers – 12:00-4:00
If you have suggestions for projects for 2026, please let the Board know,
Christmas Raffles
This year at our Christmas Party we will again be having a special raffle. It will be large wooden bucket filled with lots of goodies, including paper towels, graphite paper, tracing paper, JoSonja paint set, paint mediums, brushes, tools, several Christmas patterns, some with the wood included and more.
Tickets will be on sale from now until the drawing at the party. The cost is $1.00 per ticket. You do NOT have to be present to win.
More Opportunities to Share
Bring a completed Project to show off during our monthly Paint-in. You will receive a raffle ticket (1 per Paint-in) to be eligible to win a special prize at the end of the year. The project must have a completed date of 2026.
Even if you are not attending the regular class, bring any UFO (unfinished object) you might have and paint it during our regular Paint-in.
We would love to have you in our community and connected with creativity.
Wendy
Ouellette
Eileen
Barnard
If we have missed your birthday, please send your date of birth so we can acknowledging your special Day.
If you have changed your address, phone, or email in the last couple of years or so, please let us know that also so we can update our member information.
August
Floral BowlTeacher: LeeAnn Waskatka
Cost: $7.50
Surface: IKEA has the 11 inch bowl for sale for $25 or you may use any bowl.
Date: August 15th 10am – 2:30pm
Palette: DecoArt Americana
Grape Juice (Purple Iris) Antique Rose
Hauser Medium Green Black
Blue Harbor Matcha Green
Cadmium Yellow Purple Cow
Celery Green Raw Sienna
Coral Spice Pink (Tea Berry or Cactus Flower)
Country or Tomato Red Tangelo Orange
Deep Burgundy True Blue
Deep Midnight Blue Turquoise
Deep Ocher Warm White
Desert Turquoise
Some of the paints for this project are old/retired colors. If you do not have them, feel free to substitute with colors of your choice. Or you can click this link to DecoArt Color Conversion Charts. It will take you to DecoArt's site where you will find mixing instructions and color swatches on retired and hard to find colors. (This link is also available on our web site 'Links” page under Painting Tips and Tricks.)
Misc Supplies:
Transfer Paper Sealer
Identipen White Pen
Paint Adhesion (This is no longer available for retail purchase. LeeAnn has bottles available for $2.00 each).
Prep:
Sand your bowl, seal with sealer of your choice and use a fine grit sandpaper to go over bowl when dry. Be careful if your bowl is from IKEA then it is bamboo and the sealer will come up easier.
Add paint adhesion drops to Black paint, mix and paint the outside of your bowl. Paint the inside of the bowl 2 inches down in the inside. You can choose to have a feathery line or a straight line. Paint the rest of the inside of the bowl Celery Green and add the paint adhesion medium. Paint a second coat on the entire bowl with just paint. Transfer the pattern and note that the flowers have numbers, transfer the number on or just note the number.
Base coat the following:
Birds: Blue Harbor
Daisy Centers and Cherries: Raw Sienna
#1 Flowers: Turquoise
#2 Flowers: Deep Ochre
#3 Flowers: Tangelo
#4 Flowers: Warm white
#5 Flowers and Heart: Antique rose
#6 Flowers: Turquoise
#7 Flowers: Spice Pink
#8 Flowers: Purple Cow
Leaves: Base the large and medium leaves Hauser Medium Green
Strawberries and cherries: Base with Raw Sienna and when dry paint with Country Red.
The Paint-in will be held at the Westwood Village Clubhouse (1111 N. 2000 W., Farr West, UT).Take I-15 #346 and go north on 2000 W/UT-126 0.6 of mile. The Clubhouse is on the west side of the street with parking on the west side of the building.
Glass Block Snowman by Holly
Hanley
Teacher: Laura Clegg
Cost: $7.50 plus $4.00 for 2 Holly
Hanley patterns
Surface: Glass
block
7.5" x 7.5" available for $11.99 at Michael's
Date: September 19th 10am – 2:30pm
Palette:
Prep:
The Paint-in will be held at the Westwood Village Clubhouse (1111 N. 2000 W., Farr West, UT).Take I-15 #346 and go north on 2000 W/UT-126 0.6 of mile. The Clubhouse is on the west side of the street with parking on the west side of the building.
October Pat Lentine Seminar
Teacher: Pat Lentine Seminar
Cost: $300
Date: October 15th -17th 10am – 5:30pm
All the projects are in Colored Pencils/Watercolors.
This Seminar will give you a chance to learn these new mediums.
Supplies: for the projects including pictures, patterns, instructions and colored pencils will be provided. Bring your own water color paints if you have them. If not, we will have paint to share.
Schedule: 'Penny' will be taught on Thursday, 'Cally' on Friday, and 'My BFF' on Saturday.
Seminar: There is a $50 non-refundable deposit. The deposit must be received by August 15th to hold you spot in the class. We need time to order the color pencils for those who are attending. They will be yours to keep. The check should be made out to Golden Spike Decorative Painters and mailed to GSDP care of Pat Reeder at 470 W 4900 S, Washington Terrace, UT 84405.
Any remaining seminar balance must be paid when you pickup your surfaces, pictures, patterns and instructions.
Lunches are included in the seminar price. (Please note that we are unable to accommodate individual dietary needs.) Bottled water will also be provided.
Contact LeeAnn (801 391-3556 ) if you have any questions about the seminar.
The Seminar will be held in the classroom of Wimmers' Sewing and Vaccum (1077 E, Gentile Street, Layton, UT). Exit I-15 at Layton Parkway, exit #330. Use the left 2 lanes to turn left onto 425 S Fort Lane. Then turn right onto E Gentile Street and continue east 75' then turn right again. In 121' turn left and Wimmer's will be on the right. There is parking around the building.
GSDP 's mission is to educate the community on the traditions of decorative folk art painting and to preserve these cultural legacies for future generations. We are dedicated to creating an inclusive space to connect, create and inspire one another while fostering a vibrant community.
Christmas Raffles
Floral Bowl
