I found a great way to draw on the canvas or board prior to painting with acrylic. Draw with any water soluble ink. I’ve been using Tombow aquarelle brush pens. They are easy to erase by wetting, then blotting with a towel. You can use various colors, if desired, that mimic the color of the object/area you are outlining. Tombow Pink #723 leaves some stain so is harder to erase. You might want to test different inks first. Most lift quickly. Â
Walnut (brand) ink is watersoluble and works beautifully, as well.
Happy Painting!
November 29th, 2006
An article from the Fall 2006 U of Michigan alumni paper contains some powerful facts gleaned by grad students working with Rachel and Stphen Kaplan, the first academics to study the psychological benefits of nature. They found that: Residents of housing projects who live near trees showed measuarable benefits such as “more civility, less agression, and girls were more likely to study”. Also, “the single most important factor for avoiding stress-related burnout for AIDS caregivers was “locomotion in nature”. The quickest route to burnout was watching TV”, though many of us gravitate toward television to decompress. However, television does not allow mental rest because the stimuli are loud, bright and commanding, what the Kaplans call “hard fascination”. “Soft fascination” does not overwhelm the attention, and the beauty of nature provides gentle stimulation that allows the mind to wander, reflect and recuperate.  To read the article in full, click on http://www.umich.edu/news/MT/06/Fal06/story.html?awalk
Often we read scientific statements that actually seem to be based on common sense or common experience as much as double blind studies, yet we don’t necessarily applly the wisdom therein. Nature does not have to be a place we drive to.  Anne Frank wrote about a beautiful horsechestnut tree that grew outside her window. Though in hiding she could not walk outside and engage directly with the tree, the view alone was enough to lift her spirits and sustain her hope for freedom.Â
 Walking a tree-lined street can be a simple prescription for improved health.
Namaste
Amy
November 17th, 2006
