Golden Spike Decorative Painters

 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 – Shara Reiner Bowl

September 19th (Saturday)             – Pat Reeder – Copper Pumpkin

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

Rosina Wetten     04/22

Linda Tobias         04/30

April

Owl

Teacher:             Terry Pulver

Cost:                  $7.50

Surface:             $6.00 - Owl shaped surface or any large enough to accommodate the 9¼ “ by 4¾ “ pattern .

Date:                  April 18^th 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 16^th 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 4^th thru 6^th

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 15^th 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 18^th 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.