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Decorative painting, or folk art, has always been around to make our lives more beautiful and reflective of who we are. It encompasses a broad variety of painting styles and techniques passed down, and in some cases, forgotten and refound. It can be a response to a new technology too, as in the case of the original tole painting, which was painting on tin.

Local artist and art teacher Marlene Leeson is enthusiastic about decorative painting’s power to inspire and enrich the lives of people who don’t consider themselves artists, but who go on to do amazing things anyway. (I saw a motif painted on a primitive bow at the Heritage Festival in Crow Lake School House recently, painted by a certain C.J. Very nice!)

Marlene’s been teaching, sharing, and working teaching folk art techniques for some years now up in Plevna. (She will be doing a free Country Know-how mini-workshop on March 27th – details below.)

Marlene feels that the way to understand decorative painting is to do it, rather than talk about it. Accordingly folks who come to learn start right away putting paint on canvas, learning a half-dozen techniques, working with different size brushes and getting a feel for them – each brush has its purpose. Those who come to her mini-workshop will walk away with something in hand they’ve done!

Decorative painting can be a source of household pride, and carry a value that store-bought stuff doesn’t – I remember being inordinately proud of a certain lamp shade with simple house and sun on it. Outside things can be painted too, sap buckets and wheelbarrows, making them one of a kind. Wall painting with sponges and stencils is also decorative painting, though not what Marlene teaches.

It’s cheap to get into. Twenty-five dollars will buy acrylic paints (cheaper and quicker than oil), and basic brushes and with those you’re away. Like a lot of things, learning, practicing, and hanging out with others makes actually doing the work and continuing more likely. Marlene will lend what you need at her mini-workshop. You don’t have to be able to draw to do decorative painting, or do detailed work like painting from a photograph would entail. More women than men come to her workshops, but men do too, and have a good time.

To attend the mini-workshop with Marlene and learn about, or actually create something for your place, contact Marlene at (613) 479-0297.