Chapter Banner   Rhode Island "Ocean State" Decorative Painters 2010 Officers President:   Natalie Coull-White   ncoull@mohegansun.com First Vice President:  Maureen Van Herpe  sales@wooditemsandmore.com 2nd Vice President: Jan Fuller Joeljan@comcast.net Secretary: Marieanne Willis   mwillis@lifespan.org Treasurer:   Elizabeth Clarke balinamor@aol.com LRR NEWSLETTER CONTACT: Joeljan@comcast.net LRR SUNSHINE CONTACT: ddipetrillo@cox.net We have been in existence since May of 2001.  Our membership is growing monthly with anywhere from 75 to 90 plus members.  Our goal is to promote and preserve decorative painting. LRR members meet 10 times per year, usually on the 2nd Sunday of the month excluding July and August.   Anyone may be a guest once per calendar year then the pre-requisite for joining LRR would be to join the National Society of Decorative Painters, 393 N. McLean Blvd., Wichita, KS 67203.   At 10:00 we hold a general meeting of officers and members to cover chapter business and events.  During this meeting we have special Ways and Means presentations and our Show, Tell and Share presentations which highlight three presentations from the Show & Tell table. There is usually a 45 minute break to eat your brown bag lunch before our Afternoon programs.  Those programs often run up to 3:30.   Decorative Painting, as defined by the Society of Decorative Painters, is a diverse art form that utilizes a variety of techniques and media to decorate functional and non-functional surfaces. Contemporary decorative painting is a teachable art form because of the systematic method that is employed. The use of either patterns or freehand designs allows a high degree of success without academic training or inherent drawing ability. Approached with creativity, discipline and craftsmanship, contemporary decorative painting offers numerous opportunities for artistic self expression and creative satisfaction. The scope of contemporary decorative painting is boundless, incorporating styles and techniques of the past, adapting these to the trends and materials of the present, while at the same time developing the decorative art heritage of the future. Tole painting is the term that has been used historically for decorative painting on tin surfaces, especially in New England and by the Pennsylvania Germans. Today, in addition to tole painting and folk art styles of many countries such as Norway, Sweden, Germany, Russia, England and Mexico, contemporary decorative painting includes facets of Early American Decorative Painting such as stenciling, bronzing, gold leafing, country painting, theorem and graining. Whatever their methods, techniques or media, all decorative artists have a place in the Society of Decorative Painters Membership Application  Form Directions From Rt. 95 North or South: Take exit 14 to Rt. 37 West.  Take Exit 2A onto Rt. 2 south to Oaklawn.  At the split in the road, follow the sign for Rt. 5.  At the end of the road, at the light, take a left onto Oaklawn Ave. and the first right onto Old Bald Hill Road.  Vasa Hall is on the right side of the road.   From Rt. 295 North or south: Take Rt. 37 east toward T. F. Green Airport (Exit 3A).  Take exit 2A South toward Oaklawn Ave.  Follow until the split in the road; follow Rt. 5 to the light on Oaklawn.  Go left and take first right onto Old Bald Hill Road.  Hall is on the right. LRR has an extensive Library collection. To view click on the Word Document LRR LIBRARY Other Web Site Connections: www.decorativepainters.org             The National Society of Decorative Painters www.newenglandtraditions.org      October Convention in RI www.yankeeheritagetolechapter.com  Massachusetts sister chapter in New England Web Mistress:  Laurie MacKenzie, TDA, l.mackenzie@cox.net