Are you a decorative painter/teacher or a want-a-be?
Have you ever heard of HOOT - Heart of Ohio Tole Show in Columbus, Ohio?
Always wanted to attend and have not yet been able to?
Plaid attended the 2015 HOOT show just last week! Come .... I'll share with you a few of our experiences while working and having a good time at the show ....
Our booth featured a wonderful display of gorgeous painted samples featuring FolkArt Acrylics, FolkArt Home Decor Chalk and Delta Ceramcoat.
Here is a quick pic of my teammates working the show right alongside me ... Andy Jones, Paint Brand Manager and Priscilla Hauser, the First Lady of Tole and Decorative Painting! Andy and I have known Priscilla since we were both teenagers and once again it was a joy to work beside Priscilla; she is such a pro!
Here we are waiting for the show floor doors to open so we can "get the show on the road!"
Heart of Ohio Tole Chapter, who sponsors the show and painting conference, always chooses a theme and this years' was "Painting is Snow Much Fun!" For those who attended as a 5-day registered guest, the consumer show floor was open early as a preview. The lines waiting to get inside were a flurry of excitement!
Once inside, everyone thoroughly enjoyed walking the aisles visiting more than 60 exhibitor's booths. As a consumer show, most booths were set up for retail sales. You could find everything a decorative painter would LOVE to own from painting surfaces, paints, brushes, pattern packets and how-to instruction books.
At the Plaid booth, Andy and I were busy visiting with attendees about FolkArt Acrylics, FolkArt Home Decor Chalk and Delta Ceramcoat paints manufactured by Plaid. Attendees filled out a quick survey and in turn received a bag full of paint products to take home and "play with!"
The other half of our booth was constantly a ball of excitement! Priscilla Hauser demonstrated non-stop .... painting daisies, leaves and tons and tons of roses on cardstock featuring FolkArt Acrylics and FolkArt Blending Gel.
Priscilla is constantly teaching as she demonstrates step-by-step every stroke!
I wish I had a dime for every rose petal she painted!
Everyone enjoyed watching and asking questions and a few even tried to paint the same stroke right along with Priscilla!
She is a master and can definitely draw the crowds. There were many opportunities for photos too!
One day at the show, Andrej Suskavcevic, President and CEO of Craft & Hobby Association wandered into the Plaid booth to visit and soon after ... Priscilla was demonstrating a two-minute rose on his hand!
He loved every minute of it ....
.... and promised her he would not wash his hand until after the banquet that night!
Plaid had assembled three WONDERFUL door prizes for each day of the show. And when it is door prize drawing time ... the crowds gathered ...
everyone anxiously waiting to hear their name being called! This pic is only the beginning of the crowd, the closer it came to door prize drawing time, the crowds grew!
Our prizes were colorful square, paintable canvas totes chalked full of product ... one FolkArt Acrylics .... one Delta Ceramcoat ... and one FolkArt Home Decor Chalk! All three winners squealed with delight ... I think the entire floor heard the commotion in the Plaid booth ... it was so much fun!
But wait .... there were more door prizes ... Priscilla had painted four Plaid canvas tote bags adorned with daisies and a bird nest, roses, a zebra, and a sunflower ... each one given to a VERY lucky attendee!
Throughout the show, all three of us were able to visit with so many old-time friends while also creating new friendships to last many years to come! That's how it is with decorative painters ...
2015 Heart of Ohio Tole Show is now a wrap, literally!
If you assemble a group of decorative painters ... no matter how many ... we always will find something to laugh about, painting techniques to share, and make plans for future get togethers! And speaking of future get togethers ...
2016 HOOT Convention is scheduled for August 8 - 13, start making your plans now to attend!
Thank you HOOT Chapter for welcoming Plaid.
Andy, Priscilla and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves while sharing our love of FolkArt Acrylics, FolkArt Home Decor Chalk and Delta Ceramcoat!