Looking for recruits to an old broad's hobby

I just returned from an Old Broads Convention.

In reality, it was the 16th annual New England Traditions Convention for decorative painters, held in Marlborough, Massachusetts.

I said it was an Old Broads Convention because I swear, out of the almost 300 attendees, most were women, and one transvestite, with 90 percent of them over the age of 60. Half of them were probably over 70. Some walked with canes, others with walkers and there were even a couple with their Jazzy.

Arlee Jenkins, one of the teachers, is 82. She lives in Georgia and drove all the way by herself. Not only is she a very talented artist in various mediums, traveling all over the United States to teach, she's also a very funny lady. At the Mask-erade party, she made a very creative turkey mask that had us all laughing. When she didn't win for her category, my friends and I told her she was robbed. But she took it all in stride and said it didn't matter because she had a good time making it.

Age was one of the topics discussed in almost every one of the six classes I took. It seems we painters are a dying breed, an aging group. It raises some alarm in the world of decorative art because we don't want to see it become a lost art.

Young people today are very involved in their children's activities. Soccer, football, cheerleading, softball, Scouting, dance and music lessons leave little time for women to find any time to focus on themselves. It isn't until they become empty-nesters that they find time to pursue their own outside interests.

While at NET, we learned that three of our favorite magazines, Paint Works, Create & Decorate and Paint it Today, have all folded due to the drop in subscriptions and, we can only assume, because there is a drop in interest. (Yes, I was a subscriber to all three and have lost money on them, but I will miss the magazines more than the money.) Perhaps the biggest reason is today you can access patterns online. Being an Old Broad, I'm old-fashioned. I'm going to miss the excitement of getting a new issue in the mail and drooling over the projects I put on my to-do list. We were told we can now go online to Pixelated Palette. It just isn't the same.

I remember over 30 years ago when I was an avid craft show shopper, I'd hear about a craft show someplace, and I was there. I was always drawn to the painted items. I yearned to be able to paint my own decorations for my home. One day I was at the Pleasant Valley High School craft show and was admiring the beautiful painted items of Arlene DeCoster. When I told her I would love to be able to paint like her, she assured me I could. I laughed. But she invited me to come to one of her classes and I took her up on it.

I only painted three projects with Arlene when I began working full-time. Since her classes were held during the day, I had to stop. Sadly, Arlene passed away some years ago. In 1990, I began painting with the talented Sandy DeAngelo, and still take classes with her today.

I remember Arlene telling me that anyone could become a decorative painter. She was right. Decorative painting is a learned skill, just like any other hobby or craft. If you can paint within the lines, you can be a decorative painter.

But there is a difference between a decorative painter and a decorative artist. I am a decorative painter. I have no artistic talent. I couldn't paint a stick figure unless I traced it on with a pattern first. Does it stop me? Not at all! I have reproduced some pretty amazing artwork that decorates my home, giving it a very personal, homey touch.

October is Decorative Arts Month. I belong to Pocono Painters, a chapter of the Society of Decorative Artists. We meet the fourth Friday of every month at the Chestnuthill Township Park building in Brodheadsville at 10 a.m. Every month we paint a project. To learn more, go to www.poconopainters.org. We're looking for new members.

There is a new trend today called paint it and take it classes. Geared to first-timers and people not quite sure they might like painting, this is a fun activity to do with friends. There's The Next Picasso in Drums, Love for Art in Lehighton and Canvas Concoctions in Palmerton, to name a few.

If you've ever had a tiny seed of curiosity or desire about painting, try it. You could open a whole new world. And maybe someday, you too could be an old broad (or an old coot if you're a guy) who loves to decorative paint. Help us keep it alive and well.