How to Become a Certified One Stroke Painting Teacher

Becoming a Certified One Stroke Painting teacher is fun, easy and interesting all at the same time. People of all ages, with or without painting experience have become certified through Donna Dewberry's FolkArt One Stroke certification classes. Donna Dewberry is internationally recognized as the creator of One Stoke painting and her classes are all taught by either herself or one of her elite painting instructors.

Years ago I became interested in One Stroke painting while watching Donna on PBS. Her methods looked very easy, like anyone could master them. After practicing and learning Donnas special strokes I decided that I would like to be able to teach this wonderful, inventive way of painting also. I then enrolled in a class called "Level 1, One Stroke Certified Instructor, Certification Program". This class is a 3 to 4 day course offered by Donna to teach you to be able to start your own business teaching painting classes.

During the class you are taught the One Stroke painting technique, how to instruct, promote and to start your own business using her methods of painting. Although I practiced a lot beforehand to build my confidence of passing the class, there were many first time painters in the class that did wonderfully and also passed.

They start the class out at square one with the loading of the brushes and learning the strokes, then moving on to different flowers, fruits and arrangements that will be needed to teach your own classes. The teacher, either Donna or one of her elite teachers, stands up front of the class and demonstrates each stroke, then comes around and helps everyone with their techniques, offering time for questions and discussion throughout the class time. The entire class is taught in a very relaxed, caring atmosphere that puts everyone at ease so that they are able to pick up the information and learn the techniques of the pros easily.

After learning the techniques and having time to practice them they give assignments or test projects that are then gone over on a one by one basis with the teacher when finished. She gives you advice on perfecting your stokes and helps you figure out what, if anything you are doing wrong.

During the class you are also given a few fun projects to complete and take home with you. All of the supplies, prepared surfaces and a great instuctional notebook are included in the cost of the class. A few of the projects were painted in the class that I attended were a platter that we did a beautiful sunflower design on and a white china vase that we were instructed how to paint a nice arrangement of roses on.

At the end of the class you will be instucted to use the techniques that you have been taught over the last few days and do two test paintings. Between the two paintings each of the different things you had practiced are demonstrated and then turned in at the end of the class to be gone over and judged as to whether you learned the proper methods of One Stroke painting. After turning your test projects in they will be looked over and returned to you in the mail with either a pass or fail grade in a few weeks. In this packet you are supplied with a lengthy, many page critic of your work so that you know what you need to do more work on and what you are doing right. You are given a certain amount of time to practice the points that you failed on and return a sample to the teacher for regrading to pass the class. When you pass the class you will also receive your name tag and other infomation to help you progress as a One Stroke teacher.

Taking the Level 1, One Stroke Certified Instructor class gives you the right to be able to teach, demonstrate or start a painting business of your own using the name of "One Stroke". It also entitles you to buy supplies at wholesale prices straight from the company and not have to pay the high retail prices for all of your paints, brushes and other supplies for the classes you will be teaching. You will also be put on a mailing list so that you will be among the first to find out about new products that they come out with.

All in all it is a fun, enjoyable class to become certified in, well worth the effort and money especially if you are interested in learning to paint the One Stoke technique and to have your own business. These classes are offered in Clermont, Florida and also nationwide now with the spread of interest in this wonderful, inventive way of painting.