Monday, February 04, 2008

Tidbits: Acrylic recommendations, car-naming, and hot water

First, Melissa mentioned that her daughter is teaching herself painting with acrylics. I promised her a couple of book recommendations.

The first book I will recommend is Acrylic Revolution (AR) by Nancy Reyner.

The second book is a DK book titled Acrylic Workshop. (AW)

These are both technique books, both of them useful. They both go over basic techniques, covering everything from simple differences in brush strokes, to using gels and mediums to add texture and depth to your painting. One of the best and most simple things I got from AR is that it covers the set-up of your painting area, so that you learn how to effectively use your paint, and make as little mess as possible. If forced to choose between the two, I would probably choose AR, but I do get a lot of information from AW, so would highly recommend both of them.

As for the car naming, I haven't got very far. Sometimes it takes a little while to get to know the car first.

And we have a functioning water heater! The water isn't nearly as hot as it was on our dying heater, but that's ok. It took the Dude and the Girl until midnight to get it installed, and apparently everything that could have gone wrong did, but they were triumphant, and we now have hot water again. Bless them. I did, as I had just my nose sticking out from a nice bath yesterday morning.

I am coping with a migraine that started yesterday, but am trying my best to ignore it. The house is really in disarray- laundry and dishes from Monday night, sigh. The Boy had his last state-qualifying tournament yesterday. I drove and took kids with me, and chaperoned at the tourney. He and several of his teammates did qualify for state, and are all very excited. The Boy leaves for Stanford on Friday night, for a college-level tournament he will be competing in. I am curious how that will go. He is growing up so fast, sigh.

Okay, back to the house. I do have a lot of work to do. I also want to finish my Valentines. I cot the collage finished and put several coats of gel medium over it yesterday, so today it is ready for a photograph and to be cut into smaller cards.

Have a great one, and I hope to post some photos soon. But first on to the dishes. Or maybe a nap on the couch. No. Dishes. Nap. Dishes. Maybe both.
LB

3 comments:

melissa said...

LB,
I just can't thank you enough for the book recomendations. I am totally clueless about this stuff. I feel so sorry for my daughter who is so incredibly artistic and sensitive to have to be stuck with such a shallow, uncreative mom! Gah! If we lived closer....you'd have yerself a student, fer sure!!
Hope the headache goes away quick.

Needleroozer said...

Thanks, Melissa, but if we did that, it would have to be more of a group study, as I am just learning too!
LB

Anonymous said...

Great book recommendations LB. I love it when you share.

You baby is heading to STANFORD? How cool is that? My grandparents had a beautiful picture from their honeymoon trip, standing on one of the lawns at Stanford. They always spoke lovingly of their visit. I look for ward to hearing FYM's remembrances soon.

~ and, how about that PG? Helping fix a water heater? What a gal. Multi talented!

Toodles,

P