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One of the most difficult hurdles to overcome for people who want to begin their lives in the art world or painting for pleasure is the problem of how to get involved in art and to learn painting for beginners. Home art projects are one and art clubs are extremely beneficial to the new artist.

Do-it-yourself

If you want to be acquainted with the arts, one of the best ways is to begin doing it yourself. Among anything else, art is a hands-on affair, and requires much participation. As many novice artists realize, it only by taking the crucial first step that the entry into the art world is best facilitated. In order to create art, however, there are tips to help you acquire the technical skills and basic know-how to help you. One is by joining art school, which will help you get the basic techniques in making art. Art schools are also best for those who still do not have an idea of which art craft to specialize in, because with art schools you are able to explore various fields. When you have found your specialization, you can begin with the next step to penetrating the art world.

Joining art clubs

Art clubs and art associations for painting for pleasure are an excellent way of exposing yourself to various other artists in your field as well as those who are creating artworks in other media. By joining art societies, you do not simply get the exposure to other talents, but will be better equipped in your own art medium through the constructive criticisms that art societies offer. Also, these organizations are excellent venues for you to share your home art project techniques as well as to learn the tricks which other painters have. With membership to art organizations, the novice artist can also sometimes get the chance to exhibit his or her works in due time, which is an essential part of any artist’s life, especially because art is an essentially a social activity that is done to be shown. Of course, it is essential to create art with your own satisfaction in mind first and foremost, instead of the opinion of the art judges.

Art online

Another way to get involved in home art projects especially for those art enthusiasts with little time to offer to full-blown organizations is the use of online art sites to interact with other artists who do painting for pleasure. Because of the global scope of the internet, it is also an excellent venue to meet online artists who live in foreign countries and who create artworks that reflect exotic cultures.

Some people might say that art is dying. Art has definitely been shaped by time. It is a rare breed to find a portrait artist that can survive through classical art. Portrait painting is just not as popular as it once was which means that is tougher to make money off of it. Others would argue that art is just as popular, but not in the same forms as the past. People have changed from making marble statues and sculptures to using computers to create art. Art can take many different forms. It is all just a matter of people’s opinion.

Technology has changed a lot over the course of art history. Certain things can only be as nice as the devices used to make them. Making a sculpture with outdated tools will make the piece look outdated. So in a world where many devices are so readily available, it is easier for those who do sculpt to change the classical look of their works. Another way in which technology has changed art is developing different types. Take a look at graphic design. Now in the modern world of computers, people can create images through different programs that are truly captivating. Some would argue that it is not really art because it really does not require physical ability. You do need to have that creative mind and eye to develop any type of art, whether it is by hand or computer.

Movies are a much debated form of art. Many movies can be classified as great works of art because of the different filming techniques and special effects that are used. The way that films can evoke such emotions makes them truly something special. If you or someone you know is skeptical of films as art, indie films or older movies could possibly change your mind. These are all about the true art of film making, quite the opposite of the major Hollywood movie companies. Sometimes you see how the whole public can appreciate the artistic nature of a movie. On special occasions an indie film will breakthrough and have popular success across the nation. These are the types of films that are truly artistic.

One thing that is hard to argue is that we cannot let art die. It speaks to the culture of an era Art shows not only how the human mind thinks and works, but how the world has had such an effect on the population. Art is full of feeling, whether it is the pain or happiness in a person’s heart. It is a way for future generations to get a feel of the people that had come before them. There would be something seriously wrong with humanity if we did not continue to make art.

Through an early start in the field of arts and crafts like painting for beginners, children are taught the primary and most important distinctions between the mundane, everyday objects of life, and those, which are created with larger motives in mind – art.

In art classes, it is not only the basic forms which are taught to the children, but the appreciation of various types of human expression and the uniqueness of aesthetic expression. This becomes especially important because aesthetics gives the child an early start in individuality and capacity for appreciating change and novelty, as developed by the child’s capacity to appreciate the various ways artists new and old alike can render a single given scene.

Basic skills

Art lessons like painting for pleasure are also a great way to integrate fun and enjoyment with other more important issues such as basic skills mastery. For pre-school children involved in art classes, it can be their defining edge when the time for actual technical schooling starts. This is especially true since the children of today are rated on the basis of their performance of basic sensori-motor skills as well, and since the skills such as hand dexterity and ability to manipulate objects at will and with skill is important in children’s endeavors such as the learning of how to write.

Social skills

Children’s art classes often constitute one of the first social interactions for the child outside of the context of the home and family. Because of this, learning the value of art also becomes a venue for young children to improve their skills in making social relationships. However, it is not only social skills developed for the sake of social skills that are occurring here. Instead, social skills are actually an important starting point for art because art is often the result of social development, aside from aesthetic development. In other words, art is the result of the child’s ability to express social realities and social facts discovered while in interaction with others – through the use of artistic terms and specific media.

Child psychology

Finally, fun art projects is not only a way for children to enjoy themselves while still in the carefree stages of youth, but is also an excellent way to develop the child’s own psychology since art lessons always involve the possibility of a greater sense of fulfillment at the end of the day. There are few things, after all, as encouraging and as emotionally and psychologically productive as a successful work of art to give children a sense of achievement, to help children recognize their potentials, and to give the children a sense of opportunity.

Miniature figurines, or minis, are often used in wargames like Mage Knight, Heroclix, Hordes, Spinespur, Warhammer and Warmachine.collectibles Players benefit from these miniatures by gaining an accurate visual representation of the battlefield and the characters on it. Some of these miniatures are intricately crafted and might be considered collector’s items in and of themselves.

The toy soldier hobby over time developed into the hobby of collecting, decorating, and gaming with miniature figures. The miniatures need to be painted and the toy soldiers are already painted and this has always been the tradition. This distinction is unclear with the recent inception of pre-painted platic figures like the ones used in Clix games.

Materials: Miniatures are usually made from white metal, an alloy of tin and lead to which is added a small quantity of antimony, which enhances the alloy’s ability to cast small details. Minis are sometimes referred to as lead figures because they have a high lead content.

New York almost passed a bill making lead in miniatures illegal because of public health way back in 1933. Many miniatures manufacturers, anticipating that other states would follow with more bans, immediately began making miniatures with lead-free alloys, which often resulted in price increases.

After nearly a year of debate, including protests by miniature manufacturers and enthusiasts, Governor Mario Cuomo signed a bill which exempted miniatures from the state’s Public Health Law. However, the majority of manufactures on the US still use alloys that are non-lead based.

Many manufacturers use primarily polyurethane minis, other use plastics, polyethylene, polystyrene, and some even offer resin.

Box miniatures are sometimes used in war games and they are simply made from card stock folded and called cuboids. Each side features artwork on the outside.

Painting: The process that allows wargamers to customize their own miniatures that help them differentiate those pieces from others.

Although many gamers are indifferent to the quality of the paint job, for some the skillful painting of minis is a hobby in itself, on a par with the “more serious” modeling of historical and military figures. The skill of mini painting is hard, tedious, and takes a lot of time, but can have quite amazing results.

Miniature painting competitions exist at wargaming conventions, however, more and more are becoming prevalent online.

Professional painting services exist for hobbyist and corporate customers.

So many products that we use in every day life are derived from petro chemicals. Look around you and see how many products include plastic. Even your clothes! But did you notice the paint on the walls? An acrylic emulsion, which is almost certainly what is on your walls, is made from petro chemicals and also contains many other noxious chemicals that are sourced from unsustainable resources. Refer to interior paints for further information.

The use of unsustainable resources has become a huge issue for everyone worldwide. It’s resulting in serious natural resource depletion, climate change and biodiversity depletion to name but a few consequences. In order to try and ensure a viable world for our children, it is beholden on us all to try and rely on more sustainable products and materials wherever we can.

Housing is increasingly seen as a major environmental issue. Much attention is being paid to the energy usage of our homes and the contribution that this is making to climate change. But perhaps less attention is being paid to the materials that our homes are made from.

Modern acrylic paints are derived from mineral oil and petro chemicals. Oil, as we all know, is a finite and therefore unsustainable resource. The world also happens to be starting to run rather short of it. Furthermore, these paints off gas poisonous fumes which contribute to low level atmospheric ozone and therefore to global warming.

The sustainable alternative is to use what are termed ‘natural’ paints…those made from plant oils and plentiful natural minerals rather tan mineral oil and synthetic chemicals.

Not only do these create far less pollution and waste in their manufacture, but many of the by products of manufacture are actually compostable! They also fit in with the natural ‘carbon cycle’ whereby carbon emitted in the course of production is reabsorbed by the next crop of plants. Go to paint for more information.

And it’s not just paint that we rarely think of when considering the sustainability of our homes. Making anything uses energy and resources. The energy component is termed ‘embodied energy’. This refers to amount of power required in the various manufacturing processes that result in the final product.

There’s a paradox here…we are all realising how important it is to insulate our homes better. And yet the embodied energy in, say, fibreglass insulation is very significant. Whilst it is still outweighed by the energy savings in using insulation in the first place, it is possible to get insulation that works even better and which contains a fraction of the embodied energy…it’s natural insulation made from wool or hemp.

This not only insulates as well or better but it has unique properties that cause it to absorb and desorb moisture from the air which help to proactively regulate the air temperature by as much as 6 degrees either way. It’s also blessed with an ability to absorb formaldehyde, given off by processed roof timbers, and other airborne pollutants.

To make anything, we inevitably cause pollution and use requires. But given that we can hardly stop making things, we can at least choose to use products which minimise waste and pollution in their production, rather than those which, as is increasingly apparent, are doing so much to harm the world and to jeopardise our children’s future.

Nature already offers us the benefits we need, work with her, not against her. Visit paint colors for more information.

Art Portfolio of Romsey celebrates the work of one of Britain’s most popular living artists, ‘The People’s Painter’, Jack Vettriano. The UK’s largest ever retrospective of Vettriano’s prints features an exceptional collection of five new signed limited editions taken from his latest series of paintings, three of which are based on a French Riviera theme. There will be many rare editions for sale including the hugely popular Along Came a Spider.

Jack Vettriano was born in Fife, Scotland in 1951 and left school at the age of 16 to become a mining engineer. Vettriano experimented with drawing figures in his teenage years, but was first encouraged to paint when a girlfriend bought him a set of paints at the age of 21. Vettriano spent the next 14 years teaching himself to paint, gaining inspiration from his local town of Kirkcaldy and in particular the local art gallery, The Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery.

The turning point in Vettriano‘s career came in 1989 when two paintings were accepted for the Royal Scottish Academy’s annual exhibition in Edinburgh. Both paintings were sold on the first day of the Exhibition and marked the beginning of Vettriano’s new career as a full time artist. The following year, an equally enthusiastic reaction greeted the three paintings which he entered for the prestigious Summer Exhibition at London’s Royal Academy.

His new life as an artist began. In November 1999, Vettriano’s work was shown for the first time in New York, when twenty paintings were displayed at The Fifth Armory, Park Lane. Fifty collectors from the UK flew out for the opening night of the Fair and all twenty paintings were sold out within an hour of the opening. Jack Vettriano’s most recognisable painting, The Singing Butler, which was originally rejected for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, sold at Sotheby’s in April 2004 for £744,500.

Vettriano has become a phenomena, and there has been a huge media interest in his life and work. In 2003 he was awarded an OBE for Services to the Visual Arts and was subject of a South Bank Show documentary, ‘Jack Vettriano: The People’s Painter’. He has also received an honorary degree from the University of St. Andrews.
In the last 25 years Jack Vettriano has had a number of sell out Exhibitions in Edinburgh, London, New York, Hong Kong and Johannesburg. His work is collected by the likes of Jack Nicholson, Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Tim Rice and Robbie Coltrane.
Loved by the public but often dismissed by the critics, major art galleries refuse to hang Vettriano’s paintings. Peter Howson, one of Scotland’s most respected living painters, attacks both art critics and curators for their scorn of Vettriano’s work. “If Tracey Emin, Martin Creed and Damien Hirst can get into the Tate, the Jack Vettriano deserves to be in national collections as well – I think the elite really have a fear of him.”
Vettriano has commented “I’m often dragged into the debate about whether my work should be shown in public collections and whilst I feel that this is for others to decide… I’m delighted that fans of my paintings will now be able to see a body of work of which I’m very proud”.
Vettriano’s discovery of painting has led him to become one of the most popular artists of our time, and an inspirational figure to many. His figurative oil paintings present a nostalgic commentary, often with an air of romance and sensuality that has an almost universal appeal. His figures describe an intense state of affairs, creating a narrative which is left for the viewer to ponder.
Jack Vettriano divides his time between his homes in Fife, London and Nice.
“Lovers, Strangers and Stories” gives the public the chance to have their very own signed limited edition Vettriano. This is one art exhibition certainly not to be missed.

An appropriately applied interior paints transforms the look of a piece of furniture or a room. No matter how plain, their outward appearance undergoes a notable transformation when paints coat them.

To the wiser, however, the final results can be even lovelier when considerations are taken way ahead of time. Selecting the right paint or color coat for the job definitely doesn’t start and end with shades that are “nice to look at.”

The first step is to make sure that good lighting is a given in your area of painting. Cover or remove all flooring and furniture, patch, fills, cracks and sand holes on the surface. Clean thoroughly and carefully all the surfaces to be painted. Plug covers, switches and other electrical materials should be removed. Take measurements of your room size, and count the windows and doors to determine the quantity of paint that you will need.

Indeed, it is utterly frustrating to spend your precious effort and time applying paint to something which has an underneath surface that is tattered with various imperfections. Neither is it clever to spend several hours painting and then spend as much number of hours or even more cleaning up.

There are several paints available that you can choose from, all of these guaranteeing superior results. An initial yet critical step is to select the correct paint for exterior and interior surfaces. Interior paint is quicker in drying, while the exterior paint dries at a slower pace. Interior paints also have “less offensive” smell than exterior paints do.

According to experts, finishes of an interior paint can be classified into five types. The gloss paint fits on areas that need to be cleaned frequently. These include bath walls and cabinets, and the kitchen. Meanwhile, the paint known as semi-gloss shines less, but is famed for its durability. There is also a satin paint that is of a distinctively low shine, but is much easier to clean. The eggshell kind of paint is suitable for walls of living room, bedroom and family room. The eggshell paint lets out a glossy effect that is barely discernable. The last kind is the flat paint that is almost not of reflective quality, hence is perfect for ceilings and walls that have certain surface irregularities. Go to paint for more information.

It is also significant to find color swatches that look good in lights, either night or day. Remember that the ideal blue can in fact be awkward and look unfit in a room when your lamps are turned on. To avoid ending up with the wrong shades, find the one that suits for the most time that you will be in your room. So if you are out working for the most part and home only during the evenings, choose the shade that best suits in artificial or electric light.

Mostly, cans of paint offer information regarding the paint’s expected coverage under usual circumstances. Under-buying is not recommended since you are sure to put in some touch-ups after the main paint work.

With these considerations at hand, you may already check home centers or paint stores. Choose chips of paint color that are sure to coordinate with what you like. It will also be helpful for you to talk with a salesperson about your project. Gather as much suggestions, tips and opinions as you can for the proper gloss level and the most suitable product for your paint job. Visit paint colors for more information.

Chilli hot red! Burnt orange! Aubergine! Pea green! Sky blue! Its time to put some colour back in our homes. Gone are the 1990s when interior design was all about neutrals and soothing pallets. Dreary safe schemes just don’t do it for us any more. So here’s a guide to putting some “va va voom” back in your room. For more information go to interior paints

First lets understand colour. Colours are primary, secondary and tertiary. The three primary colours are red, yellow and blue. Mix these in equal quantities and you get secondary colours – orange, green and purple. But mix the primaries in unequal quantities and you get a whole range of colours and different hues, for instance lighter or darker purple according to the mix of red and blue. And then tints are created by adding black or white.

A colour wheel is a useful tool that shows you the different colours in the visible spectrum. Colours that are next to each other are “family colours” and work well together (for instance blue is next to green). Colours that are opposite each other on the wheel are contrasting and can look very striking together, for example red and green.

When choosing colours for a room, whether you are going to use them in small or large quantities, you need to understand the mood and effect they will give.

Neutrals include off whites and pastels and can be useful, classic background colours. Although light and bright a completely neutral scheme can be bland and needs to be accented with contrasting or bright colours to give a room depth. Naturals are often stronger colours than neutrals, taken from nature, plant and earth colours and also natural materials such as wood and stone. These colours can be soothing and calming but should be used carefully; too much brown or olive green can look drab.

Red is an incredibly diverse colour. It can be deep and dark or bright and bold. Red is meant to be invigorating and many think it stimulates your appetite, so it is often used in dining rooms. It is a great accent colour to use on one wall or for accessories, surrounded by more cooling colours such as neutrals.

Blue is cool and calming and is a popular colour for bathrooms and bedrooms. Dark and light shades can be teamed together very effectively to create a harmonious effect. Go to paint for more information.

Yellow reminds us of sunshine and happiness. It ranges from acid, citrus tones through to deeper autumnal shades. Yellow can work well in darker, north facing rooms. It partners well with many colours, according to the shade, it can look great with browns, greys, greens and of course black and white.

Green is a very popular decorative colour. It is warmer than blue, and is associated with nature, having a calming effect. Some greens are very strong or acidic and should be used carefully, others are passive and relaxing and can easily be used on all walls in a room.

So how do you choose which of these colours will work for you? Finding the starting point can be the most difficult part when redecorating.

If a room is to have a dominant piece of furniture or painting then that can be a good place to start. Decide what will complement or highlight that item and go from there. Similarly if you travel you may have rugs, pottery or other items that you can use to set the tone. Alternatively you could use the style of your home as inspiration. Many paint manufacturers now offer traditional colours from the Victorian or Georgian eras that can help restore period homes.

If you need to touch and feel a scheme then furniture stores have room displays that can help you imagine what a scheme would look like in your own home. Similarly interiors magazines can be a great source of ideas, you can create a scrap book or mood board to capture ideas that appeal.

Just be wary of being too radical. If you enjoyed your holiday in Morroco, creating a “souk” in your living room may be tempting but its probably worth paring down, to suit the light and style of your home. Otherwise it could end up looking incongruous.

Colour allows you to stamp your individuality on your home and set it apart from the rest. So take time to work out a scheme that reflects the way you want to live and that works well in your home. Visit paint colors for more information.

How to choose between oils, acrylics, watercolours and pastels

One of the very first decisions you must make when you start painting is what sort of paint (also called medium) to use. The following information is intended to be informative and help you decide between the most commonly used paints.

What is paint and what is the difference between each type of paint?

The brief technical bit!

Paint is a dispersion of pigments, resins and fillers in a liquid carrier. By varying the basic ingredients the different types of paint can be created.Refer to interior paints for more information.

Oil Paints

Oil paints as the name suggests contain oil. This is usually a natural vegetable oil such as linseed or a synthetic hydrocarbon made from oil.

The oil is the carrier used for the pigment and resins (alkyd). The pigments provide the colour which can be in the form of a soluble dye or an insoluble powder finely dispersed in the liquid. The various colours are produced from one or several pigments mixed together. By varying the different amounts, not only the different colours, but different shades and hues can be produced.

The resin is dissolved in the oil and acts as a binder for the different ingredients and to, and also binds the paint to the surface that it is applied to.

When the liquid evaporates after application, the resin and the pigments remain and form a skin which sticks to the painting surface.

Acrylic Paints

Acrylic paints are similar in make-up to oil paints, i.e. they are similar in appearance and contain a liquid carrier, pigments and resin. However, the liquid used is water.

The resin is not the same type as in oil paints, because it has to combine with water. The acrylic resin does not dissolve in the water but forms an emulsion (forms globules). When the water evaporates the globules of resin stick together to form a skin. The pigments used must also combine with water and so are chemically different than oil pigments.

Watercolours

Watercolours consist of pigments, filler and water if they are in liquid form, or just pigment and filler in they are solid. As they have no resin component to bind the pigments and form a skin, they rely on the surface they are applied to, to be absorbent. A filler is a fine powder which can be used as a carrier for the pigment and provides texture/body.

Pastels

Pastels are a solid paste form of water-colour. Far less water is used in their manufacture (when compared with liquid paints), and water soluble binders are used to maintain their solid paste form. Oil based pastels are similar with far less oil used than used in making oil paints.

What are the practical differences between the different types of paints?

Oils:

• dry slowly allowing time to work and to blend colours. The temperature of the air you are working in, and the proportion of thinner used dictates the drying time
• can be used to produce texture by building layers
• once dried sufficiently, can be over-painted without disturbing underlying layers
• rich, deep colours which maintain their intensity when dry, so can be left unfinished and returned to later without a change of colour
• can be used thickly or in thin, smooth washes increasing the scope for different painting techniques
• colours are resistant to bleaching by sunlight and surfaces can be cleaned of dirt with methylated spirits
• completely water proof and resistant to the elements
• require brush cleaner/white spirits to clean brushes
• usually applied to non absorbent surfaces including board, wood, coated paper and canvas

Acrylics:

• dry fast but still allows time to work and to blend colours. Can be a disadvantage when working with thick applications in hot environment
• less viscous than oils so easier to mix but tend to produce less texture and brush strokes
• can be mixed with water or other mediums/gels which are compatible with water
• can be used thickly (impasto) like oils, or in thin washes, like waterclours, so can be used on both absorbent and non absorbent surfaces
• once dried can be over-painted without disturbing underlying layers
• water resistant when dry
• colours dry darker than when applied so can give problems with colour matching if left
• less resistant to sunlight that oils, surfaces can be cleaned of dirt with methylated spirits
• requires water to clean brushes, but can give difficulty if brushes dry prior to washing. Go to paint for more information.

Watercolours:

• mixed with water giving transparent colour
• dries fast and requires pre-wetting of the surface in hot environment
• strong tendency to bleed so good for general wash techniques but can be difficult for fine definition
• transparency makes it hard to rectify or hide mistakes
• colours dry lighter than when applied so can give problems with colour matching if left
• no white in watercolour painting, the white comes from the paper you are working on. So can be difficult to produce prominent white high-lights without preplanning or masking
• paint can be lifted off by rewetting so can be useful in some techniques, but can be difficult to use in wet conditions or in hot/dry conditions where rewetting is necessary
• brushes are cleaned easily with water and paint is reusable when dry by adding water
• colour intensity is less when compared with other media and tends to bleach in direct sunlight. Problems with dis-colouration to the support and the media can occur in damp conditions
• very difficult to clean the surface without damage so has to be protected from the elements under glass or other suitable material

Pastels:

• colours are mixed on the paper/support by over-laying or blending so no drying time
• easily used and require no brushes
• oil based pastels can be thinned and blended with turpentine, or scrapped off to reveal colours underneath, known as sgraffito
• a wide range of colour are available, however, usually a greater range of colours are required to create a picture when compared with other media
• different brands and pigments tend to vary in softness so difficulties can arise when obtaining supplies from varying suppliers
• soft pastel works tend to be liable to smudging and the colour coming off the support unless precautions such as fixatives or mounts are used to keep the surface away from frame glass

Other considerations:

Cost:

• Watercolours are the cheapest to set yourself up with and most budding artists start this way. However, watercolour requires different techniques to other media and can restrict development
• acrylics are not as expensive to buy as oils and can bridge the gap between oil and watercolour
• oils are more expensive to buy initially; however a little goes a long way when painting thinly. Several paintings can be produced from a single tube of each of the base colours

Hazards:

Oil Paints:

Some people are put off by oil paints because of the solvents involved; they may be allergic to the solvents or may not want solvents lying around when young children are about. However, oil paints themselves usually contain linseed oil as the carrier which has low odour and is essentially non toxic. The pigments themselves are bound by the oil and are not available to cause hazards. White spirits and turpentine used as thinners or brush cleaners are flammable and should be used sparingly. However the volume used is very small and the hazards are many times less when compared with the use of domestic household paints. Saying this, low odour versions of paints are available.

Acrylics:

Acrylics are the least hazardous as there are no solvents used and the pigments remain bound in the paint.

Watercolours:

Can be hazardous if traditional pigments are used because they are not bound by resin and dry to a fine powder. However the quantities used are so small that hazards are very minimal.

Pastels:

Similar to watercolours, however soft pastels can produce a lot of dust so care should be take to minimise the amount you inhale. For example, do not blow on your work to remove loose pastel.

Your choice of paint

Choose whatever paint suits you. Try them out and you will soon discover whether you enjoy working with it and the results you get or not. If you like certain properties of different paints, you can try working with a mixture of paints (known as mixed media) in one painting. The variation is both challenging and rewarding.

The advice and information above is meant as guidance to the properties of the different paints. The only way you will know if you like a particular paint is to try it.
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My dabble into landscape painting showed me how fun it can be to be creative. For more information refer to interior paints

When I was a small child, I would rise at the first sign of dawn. I would not sleep past six, even when my parents begged and pleaded with me to just sleep a little longer. After they came to the conclusion that my internal clock was on its own time schedule, they decided that I could go ahead and get up as long as I quietly watched television. This sounded good, but in reality, there was really nothing on at six on a Sunday morning. One morning, though, I came across a show with a strange French guy who was painting landscapes with oil paints.

I began watching this show, simply because it was a little more interesting than watching church programming or infomercials. Eventually, though, I began to find that I was enjoying watching this man paint his beautiful landscape paintings. His smooth voice and strokes would quickly create trees and streams, simply by moving his brush across the canvas. He made it look so simple and easy, so I thought that I could create some landscape paintings myself. My paintings would have to be in crayon, however, since that was the only art tool that I had access to. Refer to paint for more information.

Thus began my habit. Each Sunday morning, I would wake at six and begin watching the landscape painting show. I would try to replicate what he was painting on the screen, while sitting on our couch. My crayons and drawing paper created some attractive pictures, but there were nothing compared to the landscape painters work. I came to the conclusion that I needed oil paints to make my paintings as beautiful as his.

I could not buy oil paints myself, since I was only seven years old, and my parents wouldn’t purchase them for me either. That is when I decided that I would just have to be creative. The only place that I could think of where I could locate some painting tools was in my mom’s makeup case. I used an old box as my pallet and then used the creamy makeup to make my paint by mixing them together. I used lipstick, blush, eyeshadow, and anything else that I could find to create my palette of colors. A blush brush was my paintbrush, an eyelash separator my tool for shading effects, and construction paper was my canvas. I was ready to create my masterpiece.

As I am sure that you guessed, my landscape painting using makeup only lasted that one Sunday. After my mom saw the mess I had made of her makeup, I was told that I couldn’t paint anymore. This put an end to my idea of using food the next time to create my palette. After a while, I quit watching the French painter. It had become too difficult to simply watch him when I was unable to create my own masterpiece. That was my dabble into landscape painting. Visit paint colors for more information.