2026 April Newsletter
From the Office of the President
March
was a month filled with both heartfelt remembrance and joyful
creativity for our Golden Spike
Decorative Painters family.
This
month we said goodbye to Tirzah Probasco, one of the founding members
of Golden Spike
Decorative Painters and truly a cornerstone of the Utah decorative
arts community. Her celebration
of life was held at the Ogden Eccles Art Center, where many of her
beautiful painted
pieces and award ribbons were displayed. It was a deeply fitting
tribute to someone who devoted her life not only to art, but to the
teaching of others. Many attendees traveled great distances to honor
Tirzah, and it was touching to hear how often she was described as
someone’s first art teacher. Tirzah was, without question, the face
of decorative painting in Utah for many years. As we reflect on her
legacy, we are reminded of the strong foundation she helped build for
our club and the responsibility we share to continue growing what she
began.
At
our regular paint-in, our club gathered for a much lighter and
delightful experience as we painted an adorable, whimsical bunny
piece just in time for Easter decorating. The happiness that this
playful project brought was truly contagious. Joy was evident
throughout the paint room, laughter, creativity, and camaraderie
filled the space. It was a wonderful reminder of how art can lift our
spirits and bring us together.
We
were also delighted to welcome a couple of special guests and to gain
a new member, Jane. Please be sure to introduce yourself and make her
feel at home at upcoming paint-ins. Growth in membership brings fresh
ideas, new friendships, and continued vitality to our club.
This
experience also sparked an important realization; we need more
whimsical pieces in our rotation. The lightness, delight, and sense
of fun they create adds balance to our more detailed or traditional
projects. Art should challenge us, but it should also bring us joy.
Many
of you also asked for the recipe I brought to share, so here it is!
Creamy
Sausage Tortellini Soup
Sauté chopped onion and Italian sausage with minced garlic
Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper
Add one can of diced tomatoes and shredded carrots
Pour in 6 cups of chicken broth
Add tortellini
Stir in fresh spinach and cream
Serve topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese
It’s
warm, comforting, and perfect for sharing on painting days.
As
we move forward this year, I hope we can continue to reflect on our
growth as a club and celebrate the diversity of projects and talents
among us. Each month I am genuinely excited to see what we will
create together. I am proud of every one of you and the unique gifts
you bring to our painting community.
As
we honor the painters who came before us, may we also embrace the
strong foundation they provided and continue to build, explore, and
grow together.
With
appreciation and excitement for what lies ahead,
LeeAnn
President, Golden Spike Decorative Painters
2026 Seminars and Paint-ins
April 18th (Saturday) – Terry Pulver – Owl
May 16th (Saturday) – Laura Clegg – Cardinals
June 4th-6th (Thur-Sat) – Lynne Andrews Zoom Seminar – Old Glory Santa Plate
July 18th (Saturday) – Rita Johnson – Watercolor Fans
August 15th (Saturday) – LeeAnn Washatka – Floral Bowl
September 19th (Saturday) – TBA
October 15th-17th (Thur-Sat) – Pat Lentine Seminar – TBD
November 21th (Saturday) – LeeAnn Washatka – Record Elf
December – Christmas Party
If you have suggestions for projects for 2026, please let the Board know
More Opportunities to Share
Bring
a completed Project to show off during our monthly Paint-in. You will receive a raffle ticket to be eligible to win a special prize at the
end of the year.
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.
Winston
Bruns 04/06
Marilyn
Healy 04/07
Lisa
Peck 04/18
Nancy
Litz 04/19
Karen Denning 04/19
Rosana Whetten 04/22
Rosina Lettre 04/25
Linda
Tobias 04/30
April
OwlTeacher: Terry Pulver
Cost: $7.50
Surface: $6.00 - Owl shaped surface or any large enough to accommodate the 9¼ “ by 4¾ “ pattern .
Date: April 18th 10am – 2:30pm
Palette: DecoArt Americana
Lamp Black Charcoal Gray
Espresso Traditional Burnt Umber
Burnt Sienna Honey Brown
Antique White Warm White
Antique Gold Blue Mist
Prep:
Lightly sand surface then base coat with Antique White mixed with sealer. When dry base coat again Antique White .If it does not totally cover, don't worry. Imperfections add to the interest to the feathers. When totally dry, lightly coat with glazing medium to seal and protect the background. Dry completely and then transfer the pattern.
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.
May
Cardinals
Teacher: Laura Clegg
Cost: $7.50
Surface: Whatever you want to paint on. The Surface needs to be large enough to accommodate a 8”x5” pattern
Date: May 16th 10am – 2:30pm
Palette: DecoArt Americana
Antique Rose Antique White
Black Forest Green Bleached Sand
Camel Deep Burgundy
Green Mist Hauser Dark Green
Khaki Tan Mississippi Mud
Pistachio Mint Raw Sienna
Salem Blue Sea Glass
Soft Black Soft Blue
Spice Pink Tangerine
Tomato Red
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 instruction 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:
Bring your favorite tape to use on the diamond boarders.
I have stencils I will share for diamonds and background dots. If you have your own, please bring them to class so we are not waiting to paint.
Prep:
Base the lid with Camel. Base band for diamonds in Antique rose. Background for the cardinals is Soft Blue. Dry. Transfer pattern for cardinals and greenery.
Paint male cardinal Spice pink. Paint female cardinal Antique White. Beaks are Tangerine.
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.
June Lynne Andrews Zoom Seminar
Teacher Lynne Andrews
Date: June 4th thru 6th
Due to logistical circumstances and the cost of travel (which have made the price of our seminar skyrocket), Lynne will not be providing an “in-person” seminar as scheduled. Instead she has offered to host a Zoom based seminar for GSDP.
The seminar will still be 3 days and 3 projects. It will include all the wood (14' plate, 8"x11" surface, and ornament), patterns, instructions and pictures. GSDP will be purchasing the wood for everyone who joins us for the seminar. We can get a discount if we do a group purchase. This will help reduce the cost for everyone. Lynne is also trying to get the paint for the seminar.
The seminar will be recorded, so if you are not able to paint on the scheduled dates, the recording will allow you to paint at your convenience.
Because of the change in format, the cost for the seminar will now be $200.
GSDP needs to know ASAP how many people are interested in Lynne's Zoom seminar so that we can arrange for the wood, patterns, etc. and set the final price for the seminar.
For more information about the seminar or Zoom contact LeeAnn at 801-3911-3556.
Schedule: The Santa plate will be taught on Thursday and Friday. Two smaller projects, Christmas tree and Santa ornament, will be taught on Saturday.
Seminar: There is a $50 non-refundable deposit. The deposit must be received by May 15th to hold you spot in the class. 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 in order to get your surfaces, pictures, patterns, project instructions, and instructions on how and when to join the zoom class. We will notify everyone when everything is available.
For those individuals who are out-of-state, we will e-mail and/or send everything as soon as we receive the balance of your seminar fee.
For those individuals who are local, you can make arrangements to get everything or pickup them up in-person once we receive the balance of your seminar fee.
July
Watercolor Fans
Teacher: Rita Johnson
Cost: $7.50
Surface: Rita has the fans for sale.
Date: July 18th 10am – 2:30pm
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.
More Painting Opportunities –
Contact LeeAnn (801 391-3556 ) if you have any questions about this seminar.
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.
