Museums and the Marathon Man

The Washington Post article by Christopher Ingraham (June 13th, 2014) says it all "There are more museums in the U.S. than there are Starbucks and McDonald's - combined." Quite accurately we think of museums as important cultural and educational institutions; however, they are also quiet superstars of the entertainment industry. According to The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), with over 800 million live visits annually, their attendance exceeds that of all theme parks and major sporting events combined. But America's museums are much more than popular and numerous; they are cultural and educational gems that play a vital role. They are community elders that tell the stories of our American neighborhoods. Mamie Bittner with The Institute of Museum and Library Studies (IMLS) stated in the Washington Post article: "Many of these institutions, particularly in small towns and rural areas, are historical societies and history museums. We are in love with our history - at a very grassroots level we care for the histories of our towns, villages and counties," The story of how I came to visit and admire so many small museums begins nearly eight years ago when I faced a scary scenario.

Diagnosed with prostate cancer my doctor's instructions were clear and blunt. "We caught this thing very early; lose some weight but by year's end take care of this." Taking care of this meant either an operation or radiation. He was confident that either procedure would be sufficient; nevertheless, I was scared as hell. When you hear that diagnosis, "you have cancer", a thousand things race through your mind all at once, yet somehow the whole world stops at the same time. What are the treatment options... I have to research each treatment... I have to research the surgeons... what if I don't make it... what happens to my wife... what happens to my family... I want this thing out of me... how do you research this stuff... I want this done before the end of the year... why me... why not me. My mind was racing, racing, racing. Who do I tell? When do I tell them? Should I tell them? My mind was just racing, racing, racing. It was June 2010. I was 54 years old, a professor, husband and father. Earlier that year my wife had been hospitalized for 34 days. Should I tell my wife? Would this aggravate her condition? She was already worried about being unemployed.

Do I tell her? Our three sons were all in high school and doing reasonably well; the oldest would start college in the fall. Out of worry would my oldest boy forgo his athletic scholarship to stay home with his ailing parents? Even if he did go to college, if he knew I was battling cancer how would this affect him academically? Who should I tell? Do I tell my boys? Do I tell everyone? Do I tell no one? I once heard somewhere that "we grow up and become our parents." How true that is. Although it didn't occur to me at the time, I'd seen this situation play out before in 1969; I was 12. One day my dad asked me to come with him to his doctor. This was strange; he had never asked me to go to a doctor with him before. We went to St. Nicholas Park, Mount Morris Park, Central Park, baseball games, museums and grocery stores. On Sundays we walked to newsstands to buy the New York Times and Daily News.

Afterwards we'd come back home and eat big southern style Sunday breakfasts - smothered chicken, smothered pork chops, grits, gravy and biscuits, never rolls - always biscuits. We did a lot, but he had never asked me to go to a doctor with him. I should have known that something was up, but I didn't. The doctor's appointment took place on an early evening. The office was located on the first floor of an apartment building and it was dark outside. I sat in the waiting area while my dad met privately with the doctor. That day his doctor told him he had six months to live. My dad a tall, quiet, dignified WWII vet said nothing. We went home and he acted as if nothing had happened. He kept it all to himself. Yet twenty one years later, and long after his doctor had died, my dad was still alive. He told no one this frightening secret for all of those years. Finally, in 1990 he spoke with me about what had happened on that day way back in 1969. When I asked him why he hadn't said anything he had a classic answer, "Hell, I wasn't gonna die to just to make the doctor look good." To this day I still don't know if he ever told anyone else. In 2010, 41 years after my dad was told he had six months to live and said nothing to the family, I became my dad - absent the courage and dignity of the WWII vet. Initially I told no one.

I did however listen to my doctor's advice and began power-walking aggressively to lose the weight. I weighed 308 pounds. This was the beginning of a journey. Little did I know it would transform my health, my body and to a great degree my soul. I elected for a robotic prostatectomy as treatment. Recognizing that I would be hospitalized for several days I was forced to say something to my wife. Every married man knows that disappearing for several days without telling your wife is a guaranteed death sentence; cancer is only potentially lethal. We sat down on the living room sofa on a Sunday around 7pm. It was the evening before I'd be admitted to the hospital. This scenario gave her very little time to dwell on the matter; I had to be at the hospital early the next day. As I had feared, she broke down and began to cry and as soon I uttered the word cancer. We agreed not to tell our sons; we both thought it might cause them to worry. Fortunately the operation was a success. Neither chemotherapy nor radiation was required.

Several months later I resumed my power-walking. Over time a routine evolved. I prefer walking outdoors in parks (no matter the temperature) to treadmills and tracks, mornings are better than evenings, warmups last 5 - 7 minutes, weekday walks last 45 - 50 minutes, weekend sessions last a minimum of 90 minutes and finally, almost all sessions end with 7- 8 minutes of stretching. I walk 4 times per week during cold months and 4 - 5 times per week during warm months, I also found a very reliable partner, music from the 70s, 80s and 90s. My partner also gets along fabulously with an ancient Sony Walkman. Who knows, perhaps this partner is my subconscious whispering to remind me of long lost youth. While I do not claim to be a very religious person, being outdoors in parks (which are after all tiny forests) sweating, breathing and among the general splendor of God's nature is often a spiritual event. The cancer has now been gone for nearly eight years. Over that time 70 pounds have melted away and my diabetes seems to have disappeared, or at the very least be well controlled. Along the way I began to enter races; I power-walk but compete against runners.

Half marathons (13.1 miles) and 10Ks (6.2 miles) are my favorites. Being somewhat vain, before entering my first race I checked the times of the runners to make sure I would not finish last. At first I entered local races. Later a colleague, who is a runner, told me about the Philadelphia "Love Marathon" which I competed in. This lead me to research races in other locations. Now, I travel to participate I races. However, journeying to different cities only to participate in a single race seemed hardly to be an efficient use of time and travel. I needed another activity to compliment the racing. This is how I developed an interest in small museums. I had some experience with researching museums. Years ago I had begun exploring museums as field trip venues for high school students. At the time I supervised a college program that provided various activities for at-risk high school students.

The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) provided a great deal of information for our program. Later, as I began to look for museums in the cities and towns I would be racing in, AAM and several other museum related organizations such as The Institute of Museum and Library Service (IMLS) and Museums of the World (MOW) have become valuable resources. One fact that immediately became clear is that America is the undisputed museum capitol of the world. According to MOW there were an estimated 55,000 museums located in 202 countries in 2014. IMLS, (a U.S. agency) states there are 35,144 active museums in the United States alone. Assuming these data are accurate, over 63% of the world's museums are located in America. The IMLS 2012-16 Strategic Plan points out "There are more than 4.5 billion objects held in public trust by museums, libraries, archives and other institutions in the U.S." My articles will attempt to capture some of the fascinating stories, color, history, myths and life that are the marrow of America's small museums. I hope you will join me. Coming soon wax, warships and a poet named Wadsworth.

Being A Human Whisperer

We have the Ghost Whisperer, Dog Whisperer, Cat Whisperer, Horse Whisperer, but have we thought about being the Mother of all whisperers? The Human Whisperer? I know this sounds funny but it is the most basic life skill set we all must strive to possess. And we think that as humans, we know how to do this? Nope. The number ONE challenge that almost all of my clients have is to be able to communicate effectively. Whether it is with their family, loved ones, colleagues, clients or subordinates, this is ONE BIG CHALLENGE. Over the course of the last two to three weeks, it made me realise that most of the work that I have been doing is really about teaching people how to communicate effectively. It is not about speaking well or having good diction. It is about communicating with each individual or group in such a way that they get what I am saying. Sometimes, I am required to be tough/stern, others times I am required to be soft and loving, and other times, it is important to be humorous.

TIMING to do what and when is really the key. Some of the key challenges that most people face include: communicating with self? Is there effective self talk that one has clarity in the direction they are heading? communicating with others - Are your needs understood? Are you being heard? is using voice better than touch? Or vice versa? how to communicate effectively with a crowd so that you are rallying them towards something positive does being a leader automatically make you an effective communicator? Or is it the other way around? If our communication skills are effective, then we will certainly have less of a challenge in our relationship with others. It is a fundamental skill that we must have. However, it is also one of the most challenging to learn, and a skillset that is challenging to impart. To effectively learn this skill, attending a workshop for the masses on tactics, techniques etc is not sufficient. Simply because we are all different. One must learn to adapt these skills to different life situations and with different people.

I have found that certain communication skills I have coached one client on, will not work on another as effectively. As the facilitator, I am required to adapt to each of the needs of my clients. Now, keep in mind that as a coach, it is necessary for me to have this skill set. But the reality is, everyone should have these skill sets too. We need one another, that goes without saying, so our need for one another requires us to communicate. If this skill is missing, not only are our own needs not being met, you will not be able to meet the needs of others as well, whether it is in an intimate relationship, social relationship or work relationship. I just googled "how to communicate your sexual needs to your partner". And there are over 7 million results. This just goes to show that even the most basic human need is not being met. Couples are having real difficulties communicating their basic needs to their partners. If this is a challenge, what about other needs?

Mind Mapping for Creating Characters

Whether you consider it using flow charts, whiteboards or even just free association, Mind Mapping has been around for some time now. People have used it for taking notes, brainstorming, and problem-solving. A Mind Map is a tool used to visually organize information or ideas. As a writer, it can be used for solving writer's block or creating a workable outline. Today I am going to show you how to create a character sketch. Character sketches can be very basic or incredibly detailed. It can include eye and hair color or blood type and your heroes first kiss. Many writers go online and look for pre-made character sketches that include hundreds of questions that may not apply to your work. This is where the idea of a mind map comes in handy. For those who are not familiar with the process, don't worry creating a mind map is not complicated. It can be done on a piece of paper, a whiteboard or using software programs. It doesn't have to be expensive. There are several FREE programs that will do an excellent job, including xmind.net, mindmaple.com, and freemind.sourceforge.net.

Some of these programs have paid versions, but as a writer, the free versions will do everything you need. To create a mind map on any subject there are 4 basic steps. Step 1 - Start by writing a single concept in the middle of a blank page. Step 2 - Add related ideas to this concept and use lines to connect them. Step 3 - Branch off each of these ideas to expand and create new thoughts. Step 4 - Use different colors, symbols, and images to make each branch unique. To help visualize this process I will use one of my own characters as an example. Every character you create will be different, but if you use these points as a starting place, it will be much easier. My starting point is always very specific. I use my character's name and a photo of what I think he or she will look like. Why do I add a photo? Because as the saying goes, "a picture IS worth a thousand words." Personally, I put the name and photo inside a red circle at the center of the page, like a bullseye. I add new ideas to focus on around my character.

Each idea is placed in its own circle and connected by a wavy line. Why a wavy line? Because straight lines are boring and analytical, I am trying to tap into the creative side of my brain. I will also use a different color for each circle and the line that connects it, for the same reason. I focus on six main points with each character. These include Family, Friends, Work, Skills, Physical and Secrets. At this point, it might be hard to come up with a photograph for each category, but you can use symbols like a question mark for the section that says Secrets. This is where the fun begins. Under each main point listed, I include 5 additional sub-ideas. For example, under Family, I would list Mother, Father, Siblings, Other and History. Each of these would also have their own circle, and I would color that circle the same as the primary idea Family.

I can already hear someone saying this won't work for me, my character's parents are dead, or my character is an orphan. So? This is only to spark ideas. If the mother is dead, this will remind you of that and be a memory for your character to ponder about. If she's not, you can describe what he liked or disliked about her the most. The same idea applies to Siblings, if he has them he can tell stories of when his brother did this, or his sister did that. If he never had one, did he ever wonder what it would be like to have a brother or sister? You might wonder why I included the word Other. Whether your character's parents are living or not at some point someone else had a major impact on his life. That could be a babysitter, a scout leader or a teacher. All of us are created by those we have interacted with. History would include things like who was the black sheep of the family, are all the women in this family short, have there always been anger issues? These are the things the character himself may not even realize affect his (or her) way of thinking.

I could write an entire article on how your character's family affects the way they act or think or believe. That's kind of the point of a mind map, you can go as deep as you want. By keeping it simple, (one word at a time) it allows your mind to keep filling in the blanks. Don't believe me? Just say the word Mother out loud and see what images and thoughts pop into your head. Most of the categories I listed are obvious, but I do want to take a moment to talk about Secrets. Every person on the planet has them and if you think you can create a character without them, you are sadly mistaken. It could be as simple as they never learned to swim, or as dramatic as they killed their own sister. This is also a good place to include habits. For example, if you wrote Taps, it could remind you when he gets nervous he always taps his fingers. If you wrote the word Ring, you would know she twists her ring when upset. You don't have to write the whole reason why she twists her ring just write the word to keep your imagination going.

Key points to remember: 1st point - Keep is simple. One word at a time. You are not writing the story you are capturing ideas to include in the story. 2nd point - Use color. Bright, vibrant colors stimulate the mind. The more stimulated the mind, the easier it is to be creative. 3rd point - Use curved lines to connect thoughts. Why? Because if you just use straight lines, the brain gets bored quickly. 4th point - Add images whenever possible. Why? Because if a picture is worth a thousand words, then 10 pictures are worth ten thousand words. By using a word AND an image you engage both sides of the brain without limiting your potential. Once you start using mind mapping to write, ideas will flow one after another. It's actually very hard to have writer's block if ideas come so fast you can't keep up. It may not solve all your writing problems, but it will make things easier.

American Teen Sensation or American Patriot?

Try to imagine a time when life was much more difficult, and kicking back in the recliner, watching TV, surrounded by all the comforts of home after a long day, was not even a fanciful notion. Rather, vigilance and invasion by a foreign entity of your town or home without notice was what was on the mind of freedom seeking people in this country. Even your own home was not a safe space. Sixteen year old Sybil, another young American patriot would have been a strong voice for Liberty in organizations like Turning Point or the Tea Party today, but it was not to be her time. What made her such an asset to the freedom and reform movement anyway? Well Sybil's father was a ranking Colonel who, in a battle situation needed to muster reinforcements to counter an enemy attack while simultaneously planning his defense. His troops were scattered over a 30-mile loop of country side and he had no mechanized transportation or radio to help facilitate contact.

Left with no one to call upon for help, Sybil, the only capable person available to get out a desperate call for help, decided to respond to what she considered to be her call to duty. Without hesitation, Sybil volunteered, in the middle of the night, and in the pouring rain, to get on her horse, `Star`, and ride, and ride she did! In her selfless act of courage, she rode for what seemed an eternity to notify as many as 400 troops who were ready to do battle to defend a lifestyle only dreamed of by true freedom seeking Americans. Modern day Americans have no experience or even a vision of what it would be like to have a foreign influence coming to our shores to battle us, challenging our constitutional rights and freedoms. We live free in part because of the bravery of men and women like Sybil. None of us will ever know the kind of person Sybil was, or what passions she possessed inside that would allow her ride 30 miles, alone, and risk life and limb to warn others of an invading enemy. She indeed did help to thwart Americans being slaughtered. This time on American soil where there was no safe space for anyone to hide.

You see, Sybil Ludington`s time was during the time of another Tea Party and revolution, some 240 years ago. In the night attack, the British did burn Danbury, Connecticut, an important supply depot for the Continental Army, but because of Sybil, many people were ready and escaped death. Sybil`s gutsy ride, and the message she carried is not widely known, but on April 26, 1777, calling out, in the cold of night, with rain blowing in her face, `Muster at Ludington`s! ` was indeed significant. It was not at all unlike Paul Revere`s ride. Today, Sybil`s heroism is memorialized with only a poem written by American poet Berton Braley, commemorating her historic ride, and a bronze statue, that stands honoring her bravery and passion for freedom, in Carmel, New York.

The Reality of Reality Shows

The concept of reality shows Reality television is a television programming genre that displays usually unscripted overdramatic or hilarious situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of trained actors, sometimes in a competition or other circumstances where a prize is awarded. Shows in the Reality TV are called as reality shows that are often produced as series. The people are either engaged in competition with each other or in an awkward situation or spied on in their daily lives. Reality TV is a buzzword of the day. Watching reality shows have become our favourite past time and a source of fun and enjoyment. It is a real program cast with real people not with actors. Though the term reality television is chiefly used to categories shows that have arisen since the year 2000, the history of reality TV shows goes back farther than we can think. Television has been depicting the lives of people through dating shows, contests and pranks for a very long time. It has a great history which most people didn't know considering modern reality television and its boom in popularity in recent years. The reality TV show started in the year 1948, Producer-host Allen Funt's Candid Camera, in which unsuspecting people were drops into funny and unusual situations gets filmed with hidden cameras, was first aired in the year 1948. The show is seen as a prototype of reality television programming.

Different kind of reality shows There are various types of reality shows that are running on TV. These shows broke the boredom of the traditional scripted shows and started showing the real-life situations. Reality shows cater to different age groups and tastes because of the availability of the wide range of themes. In many reality shows, participants are often placed in exotic locations or in abnormal situations. Some of the reality shows cover a person or a group of people improving their lives. They represent a modified and highly influenced form of reality to attract its viewers. Documentaries and nonfictional shows for example news and sports are not categorized under reality shows. Some types of reality shows are as written below: • Documentaries or Documentary Series Out of all the subgenres of reality TV, the documentary subgenre is possibly the most general one. The core difference between documentaries and a documentary series is that while documentaries are every so often constrained to one episode, documentary series span a series in its entireness, following a series of arc-like scripted television.

The subgenre would also cover most social experiment shows, where different kinds of interactions are observed just for the sake of a new experiment. • Competition or Elimination Reality programs that are based on a elimination or competition format are just about getting eliminated by the annoying housemate or having the best participant become the winner. They are all about winning something important overcoming your competitors. The competition may be among all the other participants, or against time/money. • Makeover or Renovation Same as the name itself says this type of shows either about Makeover of a person's appearance or make a renovation of your old house. • Dating This one is the most significant subgenre of reality TV where the boy meets girl and the audience stick to know 'will they or won't they' aspect of the story. • Hidden Camera Starting with Candid Camera, this is possibly the longest-running reality subgenre. It is all about capturing the reactions of innocent people placed in unexpected situations. This subgenre also covers shows which rely on amateur submitted content. • Supernatural The most common types of the show in this subgenre are programs that investigate paranormal occurrences. The subgenre also encompasses shows which focus on hunting down famous mythical creatures.

Travel or Aspirational Since most audiences can't afford to travel to the faraway lands for a vacation, many of us settle on enjoying these destinations through this type of travel shows where a person, couple or group goes to a trip and film all of their experiences for the viewers. Besides all these shows celebrity talk shows or competitions like talent hunt, adventure, game shows or fear-based shows are also mentionable. Reality Shows in India The very first reality show of any kind on Indian TV was a quiz contest Titled- Bournvita Quiz Contest. It was hosted by the famous Derek O'Brien in the year 1972. But first, it featured a live show in various cities initially, then went on air as a radio show. In the year 1992, it became the first reality show to be featured on ZEE TV and Indian Television. Then came "Sansui Antakshari" in the year 1993 which was hosted by Annu Kapoor on ZEE TV and It became the first Indian singing reality show that ran till 2006. Came in different versions of Star One and SAB TV with the same host after 2006. ZEE TV made its name to bring about home-grown reality shows rather adapting international reality shows on Indian TV. Singing reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa came in the year 1995 hosted by the famous singer of Bollywood Sonu Nigam and the dancing reality show that changed the whole scenario of dancing shows Dance India Dance came in the year 2009.

Sony Entertainment Television launched India's first dance reality show titled- Boogie Woogie it was created by Naved Jaffrey in the year 1996 and hosted and judged by Javed Jaffrey. It was as an immediate hit for the channel. In the year 2000, Star Plus aired "Kaun Banega Crorepati" with Amitabh Bachchan (an adaptation of "Who wants to become a millionaire") which went on to become India's favourite and most watched reality show. To give competition ZEE TV launched another game show titled- Sawal Dus Crore Ka and Sony TV launched Jeeto Chappar Phhad Ke but KBC's popularity didn't deter; making it the most successful reality show in Indian television. Sony India came up with Indian Idol in 2004 which was an adaptation to the popular international reality show "American Idol". After its success with grown-ups, they came with kids participants in the show which helped the show to gain love by all. The production team of Endemol India came up with popular reality show Big Brother's Indian version of Bigg Boss and Fear Factor on Sony TV in 2006. It became India's most popular international adapted show after KBC.

It was moved to Colors TV making it India's most watched Hindi Television due to its backing on Bigg Boss, Fear Factor competing with the likes of Star Plus and ZEE TV. Next revolution reality shows in India came with an adaptation of other famous international shows like The Voice India and So You Think You Can Dance on &TV. These shows changed the concept of singing and dance shows on Indian Television. Other popular reality shows based on foreign shows are like MTV Roadies, India's Got Talent etc. The actual reality of reality shows It's generally accepted that reality TV is really kind of terrible. What was once considered innovative in the entertainment world, has devolved into unintentional comedies starring the most horrible and awkward people imaginable. Nowadays real is the last thing that strikes you about reality shows. Whether it is a dance show where lesser-known faces of telly world vie for the best dancer tag or the Bigg Boss's house in which racial slurs and catfights are a part of the process to decide winners, much goes into presenting a reality show as real.

There is a vast majority of reality television shows that are not 100 percent real, as there is a high degree of manipulation in order to achieve sustained audience attention. Results are in reality shows mostly controlled by producers/directors. They want to keep audience believe it is random and unpredictable, to convey this most of the time some candidate is told what to do, how to do. They are even told to behave in certain ways. And in the end nobody will show you all things, things will get edited and aired show may be far from actual reality. Reality Television is a genre more of an exact description of the shows themselves. Producer's fake shots and even re-stage dramatic moments that happened when the cameras weren't rolling- pretty much everything is actually plotted and planned out like the normal scripted show. Most of the reality shows still hold a basic level of truth, however, portraying events that really did happen, even if they're acted again for the cameras.

These shows feature people living their lives and doing their jobs, even if a lot has been smoothed out of their day-to-day routine in order to edit out the boring bits. Most of the talent hunt, singing, dancing even in shows based on general knowledge like "Kaun Banega Crorepati" participants has to go through a long struggle. Most of the time voting is absolutely rigged and the winner gets decided as per his or her capability of keeping TRP's high. Most of the contestants of the reality shows, especially the winners, might get disappointed soon after their win, the attention shifts to the winner of the next season. The limelight being taken away from them doesn't agree with many young people. Some contestants might get frustrated as they harbour false hopes that once they win the contest, their future is set for good. Impact of reality shows on society New boys & girls who are becoming reality TV celebrity stars does not succeed on talent but use melodrama to always remain in the news. One of the worst effects of their action is on teens who try to emulate their behaviour.

All the stunts that are done on these TV shows under organized conditions are copied by the people in reality and resulting in death. Some of the shows where contestants participate to win prizes show them in poor light as they use meanness and greed to outdo each other. The negative traits can manifest themselves in the audiences and create behavioural problems. Liberal doses of abuses are hurled on the shows because the directors think that more and more people will watch them. It is a huge mistake because bad words are caught by teens and kids affecting their personality as well as behaviour. Although kids' reality shows like Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil Champs, Sabse Bada Kalakaar, Junior Masterchef India and many other shows attract the audiences and gains good ratings, it is not advisable to put children under stressful situations in the early years of their lives! Small children have been forced to participate in reality shows, they have wrenched away from all normal activities and thrown into a single-minded devotion to lending their voices to these reality shows.

They are compelled to shoot for long hours, sometimes in scorching hot non-air conditioned rooms. Even Parents also pressurise their children to excel on reality shows, small children become victims of a system that fosters and encourages unrealistic ambitions. Some reality shows show participants taking extreme risks and putting themselves in bizarre or dangerous situations. Since younger children mostly learn through imitation, watching such programmes may put them at risk of physical injury. A study published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology indicated that children who viewed high-risk TV programmes increased their self-reported risk-taking behaviour significantly more than children who were exposed to low-risk TV or watched less TV. Reality shows that are focussed on some people and their day-to-day lives are a big nuisance and parents need to draw a line when it comes to children watching such shows. They portray everything in an exaggerated manner which is not at all a reflection of real life.

This should be made clear to our children. Reality talent shows, on the other hand, make parents feel that their own children are inadequate. Prevention from the bad effects of reality shows First, establish that watching reality shows is not a priority in the family. According to the age and understanding of your child, explain what your family belief systems and values are and that they do not match what is shown on reality TV. Help the child understand the impact such programmes can have and that real life is different from what is projected in a reality show. Have discussions about this in a friendly and non-threatening manner. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9937465

Coloring Books for For Adults

Do you like to color? If you haven't done so you may wish to try your coloring techniques on a new hobby called coloring for adults. Its popularity started out as means of occupying your idle time while traveling or waiting your turn for an appointment at the doctor's or dentist's office. This new craze has gone beyond its use for doodling or a form of activity for relaxation, or an activity for the elderly. Hobbyists are finding this to be a fun activity and are using their finished art pieces in craft projects. People who are considering art or find that they have a potential or interest in learning how to draw and color find that this new hobby interest is helping and building their confidence to advance their art training.

The first book we purchased had 39 pictures of mandala drawings. A small box of basic coloring pencils started our adventure. We worked with the primary colors of red, orange, blue, green, violet. black, white, and a few other tints which were in the small box. The initial starting stage began with the techniques of our elementary school years. The instructions included the color wheel which we started paying attention to after getting bored with the basic colors. The simple act of coloring is the beginning of gaining tinting knowledge with personal experiences of school day memories and trial and error. As you follow suggestions for cool and warm colors one begins to understand how colors offer contrast or compliment each other. The emotional side benefits of tranquility and immediate rewards encourage learning.

The mandala drawings, which are circles filled with geometric patterns, change their appearance with selected colors. There may be three of you coloring and each of you will have a different kaleidoscopic view because of the color choices made by each individual. If you are anything like me, I started downloading free examples offered by artists located Online.

Selecting landscaping, animals, people, and objects allowed me to experiment and gain a better understanding of colors. The benefit of working with colored pencils: Economical Clean and dry Purchase coloring books Download from the Internet Make your own drawings or sketches No added equipment or accessories There are different sizes of boxed colored pencils available. We started with a small box and learned how to mix colors to increase tint variety. Later we purchased larger boxes for more variety, but still found that we like mixing colors to get the hue that is just right for the project. Coloring is a fun hobby; try it, you may like it.

What Is The Salt Technique?

What is this technique used for? This technique is used to give paintings a rough texture and to create special colour effects. What the salt does is it absorbs the water in the paint and causes the pigment in the paint to spread out. What you're left with is a lighter area that provides a contrast with the darker paint you applied. Using this technique in a particular part of a painting can help give that prominence to make it stand out and grab the viewer's attention. Can it be used with any type of paint? The only type of paint this technique is suitable for is watercolour because of the fact that the salt absorbs the water; the salt wouldn't have any water to absorb if you were painting with acrylics or oils, so the technique won't work with acrylics or oils. Can it be used with any type of salt? You can use any type of salt for this technique. However different types of salt will produce different effects and some types will work better than others. For the best effects, it's suggested that you use coarse salt. The bigger the piece of salt, the more it's going to absorb.

This technique will still work with fine salt, but the effect won't be as pronounced as when using coarse salt. How do I do it? Using this technique is very simple. First get your watercolour paints and your support and paint the area you'd like to add the salt to. Once you've finished painting, lightly sprinkle some salt over the area you want to be affected, though of course the paint has to still be wet, preferably shiny and quite damp. If the paint has dried, this technique won't work; if the paint's too wet and there are puddles of liquid everywhere, the salt will absorb all the paint and you won't get the same effects. Get rid of any puddles by gently using a paper towel. Once the salted area is completely dry, then you should gently brush away the granules of salt - don't leave the salt on the painting. Is there a knack to it? It may take you a few tries before you get this technique right because you have to know exactly how much salt to use to get your desired effects.

If you use too little salt, you're not going to get as many effects; use too much and you could end up seeing too much of the colour absorbed. There is a knack to judging how much salt you should use - the wetness of the watercolour paint also makes a difference, so bear that in mind when experimenting with this technique. Try to use this technique in a room that isn't too warm or cold: if it's too warm, the paint can dry too quickly, not giving the salt enough time to be effective; it it's too cold, you could find yourself waiting for ages for the paint to dry. Joanne Perkins is a Berkshire-based artist with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art. She specialises in painting Berkshire landscapes and loves capturing the natural beauty of her local countryside. She is happy to accept all queries and questions.