DATE: Thursday, April 24, 1997              TAG: 9704230167

SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN             PAGE: 12   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY PHYLLIS SPEIDELL, STAFF WRITER

                                            LENGTH:   38 lines

ARTISTS MAKE SITTING IN HOSPITAL LESS BORING A PAINTING PF OBICI HOUSE GRACES A WALL.

Artists from all over Hampton Roads worked together at Obici Hospital recently to create a new view for folks biding their time in the outpatient surgery waiting room.

Nine artists from the Tidewater Decorative Painters, a chapter of the National Decorative Painters, stenciled a border around the room and on one wall painted a vignette of the Obici House, the Italian styled mansion that Amadeo Obici built for his bride in 1924 near Driver. The small mural, a cameo of the mansion, blooms with spring colors and lush greenery surrounding the Obici home.

The project was the third in a series of volunteer creations that the Tidewater Decorative Painters have given to local health care facilities. In 1995 the group met at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters in Norfolk to paint a 60 foot ceiling-scape that included hot air balloons, airplanes, and birds flying amid puffy clouds. Earlier this year a nursing home in Virginia Beach was decorated with a very realistic 30 foot mural replicating a country lane dotted with birdhouses and flowers.

The 70 members of the Tidewater Decorative Painters are focused on enhancing their surroundings with art and never confine themselves to traditional painting on canvas. ``We paint to enhance and do both fine art and decorative art,'' Donna Harmon, a Virginia Beach and the chapter president, said.

``We will paint on anything,'' she added. ``If it stands still long enough, we will paint it.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER

Donna Harmon, left, and Carol Pittman of the Tidewater Painters work

on the mural in the waiting room.

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