behind the scenes

Push, Wiggle & Lift.

These three simple words are opening a world of creative painting for people like you all over the country-and the world. Donna Dewberry, who pioneered the One Stroke painting technique, knows firsthand how it is to start from scratch.

"Well, it's kind of funny now. I've always been creative but never thought I could paint," says this self-taught artist. "Of course, I'd really never tried. Finally, I looked around at my family, my husband Marc and six mostly grown kids, and decided it was time to give it a shot. I was so naïve that I just assumed you had to have all the colors in a painting on your brush at the same time. So that's what I did and, with a bit of practice, discovered this fast, easy and really effective technique. I called it One Stroke because that's what it's really all about. One stroke is the basis for it all-from a simple leaf to elaborate landscapes. Soon I was addicted and doing all sorts of one stroke home décor projects-from custom signs and mailboxes to pretty paintings and holiday gifts."

A native Floridian and mother of seven, Donna Dewberry has been involved with arts and crafts for more than 25 years. She began decorative painting, she says, because she wanted to, not necessarily because she had talent. She started with what she calls "dot painting," which uses the end of the brush handle, but she eventually got up the courage to use the bristle end of the brush. After many evenings at her dining room table teaching herself to paint, Donna developed One Stroke, a technique for stress-free decorative painting.

One Stroke concentrates on loading the brush rather than the theory of light and dark, shading and highlighting. This technique takes the complexity out of painting, since shading, highlighting and defining are done in one stroke. Once your brush is loaded, it's time to push, wiggle and lift. Repeat this mantra as you do it.push, wiggle and lift.push, wiggle and lift. It may take a few tries to master the wiggle part, but you should get push and lift the first time. After a bit of pushing, wiggling and lifting, you're painting.

Donna and One Stroke soon gained a strong following. People around the world love One Stroke because of its simple, methodical approach to painting. Even people who have never before picked up a brush feel comfortable trying and mastering Donna's step-by-step painting method. It's a technique for the masses. You no longer have to feel intimidated by wanting to paint but fearing you can't. Flowers, always a popular subject, are considered one of the most difficult to paint. But with One Stroke, creating beautiful flowers is all a matter of how you load the brush.

"Soon my One Stroke creations were getting so many compliments from friends and neighbors that I started selling them. I was soon swamped-but felt so blessed to be doing something I loved and something loved by others, as well. Fortunately, people wanted to learn my method and I was happy to teach them. Once again, demand was overwhelming so I started certifying my very best students as One Stroke Certified Instructors. Of course, you don't need to be an OSCI to enjoy this fun and fulfilling hobby. That's the beauty of it. Anyone can do it!"