Month: March 2025

Is there a red carpet debut with Travis soon?

Are you looking forward to reconnecting with your creative side after 60? You know that this is healthy and will do wonders to smooth out the edges of the past few years. Decades even. One favorite option is painting, but before you begin you need to make a critical choice. What medium will work best?

Watercolors?

Many of my students opt for watercolors as a friendly option for beginners. But is it friendly? In short, No. We call watercolors the master’s medium for good reason. If you have started as a beginner with watercolors you will know that water is a tricky thing to work with. It has a mind of its own.

All too often students try the ‘wash on’ approach, but instead of a lovely image of flowers, for example, blooms of cauliflowers appear and much grumbling follows.

There Is Another Way

I need to make a little confession. After a lengthy mid-career detour, I had to get back to painting full time. Despite knowing the basics of painting I found that oils were frustrating me.

The mixing of color, drying time and my limited time to paint made progress daunting. Another experienced artist suggested doing the underpainting in acrylics.

Captain Underpainting to the Rescue

An underpainting can mean an outline of the subject done with big loose shapes. Or you can go further and almost finish the painting in acrylics. Then go over the whole of it, or selected parts, in one layer of oils. This is a flexible approach that saves time, paint and tempers.

I made use of this approach for many months as I figured out my new path into full time painting. You can paint over dry acrylics with oils. Acrylics are so versatile and dry into an impermeable surface very quickly. But of course wet acrylics will not work over oils so get the sequence correct.

I seldom use underpaintings in acrylics today. But this technique is excellent for beginners.

What Other Benefits Do Acrylics Have?

Aside from quick drying acrylics are water based so you can avoid nasty solvents. For many this is a medical imperative due to skin sensitivity. The smell of solvents, such as kerosene, can be difficult to handle too. I only use this outdoors and try to keep my studio free of solvent smells.

Then there is also the costs. Beginners are spoilt for choice. Acrylics are in plentiful supply at excellent prices. Although paint quality may not be great these are still fine for students to learn with. Winsor and Newton, Maimeri and Golden all make excellent student acrylics.

Painting Surfaces

Acrylics stick to almost anything water can stick to. So watch out for your clothes and use an apron. This also means that the paint will work on card, canvas, wood and watercolor paper. Many types of multimedia can be stuck onto your painting surface and painted over with acrylics too.

Other Materials

A few synthetic brushes ranging from sizes 4-8 in the long flat variety will be enough. A round brush will be great too. These brushes, if washed properly, will last for ages. Even household brushes will work for large paintings like absract scenes. But of course do not use household acrylic paint.

beginners can avoid expensive materials with acrylic painting because the market has so many options. It is more important to focus on having fun with your painting instead of stressing over costs. Also you put those savings towards improving your painting technique.

Level Up Your Skills

Painting’s rewards come much quicker if you learn the essential painting techniques. This may seem evident. But beginners can be nervous about taking lessons in front of more experienced artists. Not to mention friends and family who may find your first efforts a little amusing. I know, we artists are a sensitive bunch.

If this sounds like you then try out online courses. There are many options both paid and free. Also you can watch YouTube videos and read books on the subject. Personally, I find books are more difficult when starting out. Watching video several times can help far quicker. Then those books make more sense.

Practice

As expected practice makes all the difference. If time is limited then make a date in your calendar and let everyone know. There is no reason to compromise your painting time to chores. Work it all in and people must respect your time. Plus keep your painting space undisturbed. Even if you paint in the corner of the lounge or bedroom. Leave your work ready for the next painting session.

Try the Beginner’s Course

Are you ready to learn a few new acrylic painting tips and tricks? I have a special on my beginners course for Sixty and Me readers.

Make a Start

Most importantly though is that you start your creative work whatever it may be. You made the promise to yourself and now it is time to fulfill that promise. Happy painting.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Have you started painting in your 60s? Have you ever experimented with acrylic paints? What has been your experience?

Many of you reading this may live well into your 80s, 90s and even beyond. None of us know how our life will unfold, though we can help maintain both our physical and mental wellbeing by taking good care of ourselves. We are born with one body, and though parts of us renew and repair, this is all we have got, and the more we look after it the better we are likely to be in old age.

It doesn’t have to be a massive life change. I am not suggesting you exercise from dawn til dusk, only eat organic healthy food (of course you can if you want), just to think about how to really care about yourself. There is no-one else out there who is going to tell you to be healthy, eat well, give your brain a workout, go for a walk in nature, learn to say ‘no’, have fun, be happy. The buck stops with you :).

Dancing

Most of us Baby Boomers loved to dance. I know I spent every evening either dancing in clubs, at parties or even in my bedroom! Never once was I an ounce overweight, and I could eat whatever I liked. So if, like me, you are no fan of the gym, ramp up that music and rock around the clock! 

Not only will dancing improve your physical health, but, especially if you sing along, it will improve your mental and emotional wellbeing. Research has shown that 1) singing reduces stress and helps promote feelings of happiness, and 2) your body releases so-called ‘happy hormones’, dopamine and serotonin while you’re doing it.

Nutrition

We wouldn’t buy a shiny new Ferrari and make it run on chip fat, so why should we treat something even more precious, any less? I know some people think that what we eat is all about weight, but the food we consume is used for energy, growth, repair, protection against illnesses and so much more. Food affects our skin, hair, bone density, even our moods, so the older we become the more thought we should put into what we eat.

Of course, many of us love to eat a few things that perhaps we shouldn’t – who can resist the smell of a delicious curry or freshly cooked chips! But in order to keep healthy, I try to do this in moderation, often by not keeping things at home that are unhealthy. That way if I really want something, I have to go and get it and usually by the time I have got to the shop, I have changed my mind. Seems to work for me. I don’t really deny myself anything but have to make the effort to go and fetch it!

Happiness

To me, one of the most important things is happiness, and though there are often things in life that are hard to get through, I always have my aim firmly at getting-back-to-happy. We all have different things that make us happy, just do whatever it is that gives you a lift and makes you smile. It could be as simple as wearing your favourite dress or perfume, meeting with friends and family, or going to that special place that you love so much.

As a bit of a butterfly, I know there are many different things that make me happy. Sometimes it is walking in the countryside, other times shopping in my favourite busy town. I love music… but also quiet, people…but also solitude, travel… but also relaxing at home. There is, however, one thing I always love and that’s being by water. I love to walk along the beach, river, canal, and even listen to rain. Just seeing or hearing it seems to fill my soul. 

Just Being You

This world is full of unique, wonderful individuals like you. However, sometimes we get put in boxes and find ourselves behaving in a certain way, often to please others, or fit in. But you have as much right to be ‘you’ as anyone else does. All your thoughts, ideas, beliefs are as valid as anyone else’s. You do not have to comply, or conform, to other people’s expectations. You have one life… live it authentically. 

So, when you reach your 80th, 90th or even your hundredth birthday and still find yourself able to dance around the kitchen and sing out loud, be grateful that 60-year-old you made the effort to give that beautiful body of yours all the love, care and attention it needed. I promise you, you will be glad you did!

Let’s Reflect:

Are you taking good care of yourself? What is the best version of you and when was she around? Do you think your 90-year-old self will be thankful to your present-day self? Why or why not?

Listen to her money talk!

Listen to her money talk!