PAINTING...& other stuff.....

Since starting my blog in 2008, I haven’t really mentioned anything about Salsa dancing, which is my favorite form of dancing. Salsa was something I always wanted to learn, but never got the chance to. But I finally joined salsa classes & realized that I truly love it. 

After that class, I was a regular student for the classes. I don't know what made me go for the Wednesday's class but I'm really glad I did. Learning salsa has been the most interesting and most fun thing I've ever learnt. In fact I became so hooked that at 1 point I was wondering why I didn’t get a degree in salsa.

People who love dancing should definitely try out salsa, it’s totally awesome. I know they won’t have any regrets.

Dogs are called "man's best friend" and for good reason. They are loyal companions, they're friendly, affectionate and always by your side.

How many people are there in this world who care about you and only you??

How many people are there who love you just the way you are, without caring about money or power or looks or huge mansions??

How many are there in the world who would always be with you & not leave if you were to lose your job??

If there are such people, then they are very few. Truth is even if a person loves you, he/she will care atleast a little bit, or a lot about looks and money and power. It's only dogs (and maybe other animals too) who love you for who you are and only that.

Dogs are more than just a friendly animal presence at home that barks when it wants attention. They aren't just there for playing with people, running to fetch sticks or frisbees. They help relieve stress, tension, they ensure that you get exercise while taking them for walks, they have a keen sense of danger & are wonderful guard dogs.

All in all, they make wonderful pets but more than that they remain your loyal & faithful companion. 

Something so yummy, so divine & so gorgeous...

I can't understand what it is about the stuff that makes us love it so much. It doesn't help that, everyday there are more & more varieties of it. Just a few years back I was watching this channel dedicated to desserts. I couldn't believe the ideas people came up with using chocolate.

There were chocolate fountains as big as buildings (ok i'm exaggerating a lot but still they were huge.......and yum). There were pianos made of chocolate, shoes, bags, chess sets, houses with all the furniture and lotta other stuff too. All of it was so wonderfully made with every single detail, you just don't feel like eating any of it.

There's also an award for the best chocolate art. There were such wonderful ideas and the entries looked so beautiful but after the show they were given to kids who just destroyed them.....they just shoveled the entire thing into their mouths. Poor chocolates :( I just hated seeing them get ruined. But I guess I would have done the same thing too, maybe not so uncontrolled.

Chocolate is the food of the gods. And if people come up with such awesome delights, then there's gonna be no hope for chocoholics :)

0ne of my favorite forms of painting, its simple n doesn't involve a lot of hard work. Perfect for lazy ppl like me. Plus I've always liked learning an art form that does not involve a lot of materials. 

• Just get a nice glass piece with smooth edges. Wipe it with a dry cloth & use a glass liner (pref black) to trace your design very carefully on the glass.(you can get glass paints & liners from any art store or stationary shop). Leave the liner to harden (for a day) & you can color the design using the paints. Water-soluble paints spread easily so you have to be quite careful while using them. Thick paints with min water can be used freely cuz they don't drip a lot.
• You can also use other colored liners to brighten the design. Instead of using normal glass, you can use textured glass to give a different look. There's loads of stuff you can do using glass paints.You can try decorating glass bowls, plates, trays etc....they make good gifts. 

Here's an idea....you can use OHP sheets instead of glass. Draw your design on it, color it n when its dry, peel out the liner carefully so that the entire design comes out & stick it on your window or any cupboards that have a glass door.....when the sunlight falls on it, the entire design will gleam. I've done the same with the picture on the right. Try it out, it's quite interesting plus kids will love it. 

Pot painting is fun (and messy but some people find that fun too) but it involves a lot of patience. I started it b'cuz I was bored & free for a few weeks, with nothing to do so thought I'd start with this. Just consider the pot as a blank canvas on which you can do a lot of doodling  :D

You'll need a pot, brushes, colors, primer, sand paper.

Method:

1. First ,you have to rub the sand paper on the pot vigorously to remove out any loose bits of sand & smooth the roughness.
2. Soak the pot in some water for atleast 2 hrs, then let it dry. After it's completely dry paint the entire pot using a primer coat. (You can buy primers of different colors but white is prefered coz the paints show out well).
3. After painting the pot using the primer, soak the brush in turpentine to prevent it from becoming hard.
4. Using a pencil, draw a rough outline of your design on the pot.
5. Use your paints to fill I the design. Just be careful while painting so that you don't accidently splash some paint anywhere else on the pot.
6. Once the painting is done, leave it to completely dry (maybe an hour or so).
7. You cab either leave the pot that way, or if you want a glazed finish to your pot, paint a layer of clear varnish (you'll get this in any hardware shop). Leave the pot to dry for a day.

This is a long process but it will help to beautify some of your boring, dull, plain flower pots lying around. 

You can also do more decorating on your pots by sticking some sequins or beads or similar stuff using really strong glue. I've done some stuff like that on pots you can just go through the link below.

http://picasaweb.google.com/gogoreensrish

Learn Fabric Painting 

Materials Needed:
1. A 1 meter cloth (for practice)
2. A design to paint on the cloth
3. Acrylic colors for fabric/art painting
4. Tracing paper & Carbon paper
5. Paintbrushes of a thin size (1,2,3) & thick size(6,7,8)

Method : 

• First, wash & iron the cloth, before starting. The reason for washing is to remove any sizing added during manufacture of the cloth which prevents the paint from adhering to the cloth. Ironing is to mainly ensure that the cloth is smooth so that the design comes out well.
• Once the cloth is ironed, copy the design on a tracing paper & place the tracing paper over a sheet of carbon paper ( a lighter color carbon is preferred). Place the inked surface of the carbon paper on the cloth & place the tracing paper over it. Slowly trace the design outline from the tracing paper. After the entire design has been traced remove out the carbon & tracing paper. The design will be printed onto the cloth.
• Once the design is on the cloth, start painting using a normal paintbrush & any color of your choice (acrylic colors are preferable).
• Avoid using a lot of water with the paint as the paint spreads quickly across the cloth.
• Mixing colors is quite easy on fabric, it just involves blending. As you practice you will get it.
  
  To watch a video of the same you can check out the following link:
  
  http://video.webindia123.com/crafts/fabricpainting/index.htm

Tips for Fabric Painting :

• Cotton, with a tight weave is mostly preferable as it holds the color firmly. Even silks & synthetics can be used but minimal water should be added to the paint as the paint spreads rapidly, especially on silk.
• The reason for pre-washing fabric before painting on it is to remove any sizing added during manufacture which could prevent the paint from adhering to the cloth. It also gives it a chance to shrink, if it's going to.
• The easiest way to set fabric paints is to iron it for a few minutes. If you iron on the wrong side of the fabric, the paint will still set fine and you don't have to worry about the colors blending into each other. Ironing also helps remove wrinkles from the cloth.
• Ironing after finishing the entire design, gives the design a better look. But don't iron until the design is completely dry.
• Keep the paint bottles in the inverted position to keep them from drying & store them in a dry place. Make sure the lids of the bottles are tightly closed.
• Do not keep the bottles open for long, the paints will dry up. Pour a small amount of the paint on a palette for use.
  
  Hope this information has helped you. To find more designs you can click the following link:
  http://www.fabricpainting.com/

          You can also go through some of my stuff below 

          http://picasaweb.google.com/gogoreensrish