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Learn Oil Pastels! Beautiful color, easy to use and fun to do!

Have a look at my website:

www.http://free-online-art-classes.com

Choose from over twelve different art subjects and email me.  I’ll send you the link and you are on your way learning: drawing, collage, printmaking, water color, acrylic painting, oil painting, colored pencils or finding the artist within you.

And, once you’ve started, you can email me at any time with comments and questions and pictures of your artwork in progress.

I will proved professional advice, support and guidance, helping you learn the techniques and skills.  Creativity enriches your life and the lives of those around you.  Start now, go to the website and click on the subject you want to take.  The lessons are information-rich, simply and clearly written.  In a short period of time, you will be amazed at what you can imagine and create!

On one side–I see that if we shore up the big corporation with tons of bucks, they will keep there work force together so less lay offs.  Then they can work for building greener products, become competitive with outsourced producers and bolster our economy from within.  But, we must make them accountable for their expenditures–our are they just going to party their CEO’s?

On the other side–Leave them.  Let them quietly fail.  Do not give big corporations any more money.  Plow it back into the lower income economy by creating jobs for lower income workers.

As I see it, President Obama has promised everything.– money to the big corporations and money to the working classes.   I guess we have that much money, hello?  In my head I dice around with–and as a Democrat I can do this,  Is there enough going to the people?  Are we judicious in our dole to our fading corporations?

Am I alone in this quandary?  What do you think?

I did this oil painting last year (2008.) I'd taken several photos of the dunes at the beach at Fort Fisher--over a period of time the light changed their shapes and colors. Want to learn oil painting? Go to my website-Free Online Art Classes!

Oil Painting done July 2008. The late summer sun spilled like hot honey over the purple-shadowed dunes.

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The setting sun's slanted rays pooled shadows of blue and violet on the gentle slopes of the dunes. The sand turned pink!

As a lighting consultant, I answer many client questions about how they can enhance their home environment with lighting.  Over the years, I have seen a pattern of general questions always being asked.  Here are five of those main questions with my solutions.  Perhaps these will help you improve the lighting in your home.

Q.   How can I improve the lighting in my kitchen?  It seems like I’m always preparing meals in the dark!

A.    Many people think that a big central fixture in the kitchen ceiling will provide all the light they need to cook, have meals and clean up. The truth is that a central overhead lighting fixture is only adequate for ambient (overall ) lighting because the beam weakens as it spreads out over the room.  Preparing a meal under this kind of light, one will always work in weak light and in their shadow.  Undercabinet lighting is a great solution for food preparation on counters because it efficiently illuminates the work surface.  There are many plug in varieties of two, three and four lights in xenon and halogen units that work well for this kind of task illumination.   For island counters,  where food is prepared or served, I recommend pendants hung to illuminate the entire work surface.  Pendants are hanging lights, either on little downrods (stems), cords or chain.  They can be positioned singly or in groups, just above the task area and light up the surface to make the tasks at hand well lit and enjoyable.  Some pendants come in brightly colored glass shades for a contemporary look, or more traditional with faux alabaster glass shades and wrought iron, pewter or bronze finishes.

 Q.    We have a family room that is lit by a couple of table lamps and an overhead fixture in the center.  Somehow, this lighting is not enough for the kids doing their homework at the table or me, reading or knitting on the sofa.  What can you suggest?

A.  First of all, check to see if you are using the correct wattage in your lamps and update your lampshades if they are darkened and clouded with age ( over the years this can happen so slowly you don’t notice that the shade is emitting less light because of deterioration).  Again, an overhead fixture is limited in the light it can provide for tasking.  A good alternative is track lights installed on the ceiling which will provide good directional downlight to specific areas in the room. Using little flood or spot lights, track heads can beam lighting down on areas where work is done.  There are many floor lamp models that have multiple “goosenecks” or adjustable lights that can be directed towards many working areas: the floor, a table or a chair, to adequately handle reading and other activities in a multiple areas.  Wall sconces placed in work areas provide a pleasant, semi-direct light and enhance ambient lighting.

Q.   I’d like to have better light around my house when I come home at night.

 A.  Low voltage light kits provide good light along driveways and walkways.  They come with a various number of  lamps and styles with transformers to match.  It’s easy to install low voltage lighting–these kits usually consist of a several lights which are on spikes that can be set in the ground and linked with wire which can be placed above ground, covered with mulch or behind shrubbery.  Low voltage (12 volts of current) is safe for children and pets–the voltage is so low it does not present a shock hazard if touched.  The transformer, which converts the standard 120 household volts to 12, is plugged into a regular house exterior or interior outlet.

  Higher voltage (120) provides the most powerful light for your driveway, walkway and landscape lighting.  Although there is no transformer, wires to the light sources have to be buried at a safe depth because of safety standards.  This kind of lighting is usually used for showcasing trees, the house, and landscape lighting.  Placed well, the effects are dramatic and provide all the illumination you require.

Q. Can you do anything about my electric bill?  It’s just getting higher and higher!

A.   Lighting-wise, replacing all of your present incandescent bulbs inside and outside your house with compact flourescent bulbs would definitely make a difference in your electric bill.  CFL’s (compact flourescent lights) come in wattages of 15, 25, 40., 60 and 120, these days.  There are many styles to choose from, including the globe type bulbs (round bulbs usually used for vanity bars), reflector bulbs for spotlights and floodlights, 3-ways for lamps, bug lights in yellow, little dimmable 15 watt chandelier bulbs  and the basic spirals in 40, 60 watts and in a variety of spectrums from warm white( yellower color) to bright white( bluer color). 

Q.  My husband and I share a bathroom with double sinks.  I like alot of light for putting on make up in the morning.  My husband likes to shave in the dark.  He says bright light is only good after a cup of coffee.  Right now we have a standard vanity fixture with six bulbs that are too dim for me an too bright for him.  Please advise. 

A.  A dimmer will solve the light adjustability problem, but only if you use the bathroom separately.  If you use the double sinks at the same time, you might want to consider separate lighting above each sink (that would require installing separate receptacles and wiring).  That way, you could have the correct wattage for applying make-up, etc. and your husband could have his preferred lighting for shaving, etc.

 check out my lighting blog:  http://lightenuptoday.blogspot.com/