Hello, painting friends!  In my blog from July 31, I talked about the HOOT show in Columbus, Ohio.  HOOT stands for “Heart of Ohio Tole” and it’s the largest regional painting show in the country, held every August at the Columbus Convention Center.

I made my annual pilgrimage to the show a couple of weeks ago and am happy to report that creative painting is alive and well. The aisles were crowded with shoppers spending money on project books, pattern packets, brushes, paints, surfaces and supplies. Classes were full, people were lined up for the free demos and booths were selling out of products. It was fun and exciting to be in the midst of it all!

Crafters and quilters would feel right at home, as decorative painters are broadening their horizons to create handcrafted items that are embellished with painted designs. Every year, HOOT raffles off a handmade quilt that represents the theme of that year’s convention.  This year, the theme was “Painting is My Cup of Tea” and the quilters created and painted a gorgeous sampler of teacups and teapots, while another artist hand-painted a beautiful china tea set.

If this type of gathering sounds like your cup of tea, make plans to visit the HOOT convention next year, August 10-15, 2009.  If June is a better time for you, the national convention of the Society of Decorative Painters (SDP) takes place in Peoria, Illinois, in mid-June of 2009.

Conventions like these are a goldmine of ideas and products by and for painters and crafters, so don’t miss out!  Websites are fine, but there’s nothing like talking face to face with real live artists who make a living from their art and who are willing and eager to share what they know and love.

Until next time…happy painting!

—MC Kathy