What is tole and decorative painting?
I teach what I like to lovingly call “funky folk art,” which is taken from the old. Tole means painting on tin in French. We call it decorative painting now because we decorate furniture and various pieces. It’s a method-type of painting, so anybody can do it; no talent needed. I give you a pattern. You apply the pattern to your wood piece. I hate the paint by numbers analogy because it’s not paint by number. There are techniques. I teach the techniques that go to fill in your pattern to give you a finished piece. Besides teaching people how to paint, what else do you do? I do a huge wholesale business, also. I do my own patterns. I do my own books. I travel and I do shows and sell my own products – all of my stitchery patterns and fabric patterns. I have my own column in the Quick and Easy Painting magazine. How many classes per week do you teach? I teach four regular classes a week and at least two Saturday classes per month, either at my shop or out of town. Do the people who like t
