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Ever wanted to start being an artist but you’re not sure how? There are a ton of ways to get started. Here are a few tips for how to get started painting.

1. Set A Goal: What kind of pieces do you want to make? Do you want to paint landscapes? People? Abstract representations? These questions can lead to answers about what kind of supplies you might need, what kind of a workspace you’ll need, and maybe how much time you’ll need.
2. Try Watercolor Paint: Watercolors are a great way to start getting into painting. They’re a cheap alternative to other paints because you can get a lot of colors for not a lot of money. You may need to get special paper that can handle the water and the thin translucent layers of color.
3. Choose Your Brushes: The two main things to pay attention to when choosing brushes are the shape of the bristles, and what they’re made of. The shape is wither round, flat, or filbert. The bristles can be constructed of many different things. For beginners, shape may be more important than bristle material.
4. Familiarize Yourself With The Color Wheel: As shown above, the color wheel is a map of colors that shows how new colors can be created. This is important for mixing colors if you’re not using water colors, and it’s a good at to understand how touching colors could end up looking.
5. Don’t Be Afraid To Try New Things: The best part about painting is that there’s no right or wrong. There’s always a chance to try something new, listen to your heart, and put any color anywhere. Who says a banana is yellow! In your painting, it’s your world.

The hardest part about painting is getting started. Once you get over your fear of failure, nothing can stop you from creating a masterpiece! Like we said, your painting is your world and there’s no right or wrong.

Art From the Streets rely on generous donations of people like YOU! 

Purchasing artwork supports the artists directly. 

Donating to our program helps us to offer a free Open Studio 

for the homeless and at risk. THANK YOU!

 

Utah's fight against chronic homelessness initially began back in 2003, yet actually had surged ever since the early 1970s. Costs regarding this were also soaring as well. A study from the University of Pennsylvania had also showed that New York City was spending approximately $40,500 annually on each homeless person who was dealing with mental issues. From there, a solution was developed: provide homes to those who need them the most.

It was shown that this solution not only would greatly reduce the number of chronic homeless on the streets, but it would also drastically cut spending as well. Many who heard this solution described how much it made sense to them, and were asked if they would be willing to go to Utah to work with those involved to help make it a reality.

More than ten years later, chronic homelessness may soon come to an end in the state of Utah, which is considered to be perhaps one of the most conservative states in the entire nation. Back in 2005, the state recorded nearly 1,932 homeless people, and by the time 2014 came around, that number dropped to 539 – a whole 72%. Gordon Walker, Utah's Director of Housing and Community Development Division, states that Utah is approaching a “functional zero” because of this plan that has been implemented. He also announced that more exciting news would be announced soon that would generate an even larger headline, but refused to elaborate any further on what that may involve.

The initial thought of giving homes to homeless people was quite absurd due to the fact that a lot of them victims of serious trauma and issues involving addiction and mental health. Thousands more have spend countless nights on the streets and aren't familiar with living in an actual home anymore. However, the general consensus in Utah was that if you want to end homelessness, then you have to put a homeless person in a home.  

Art From the Streets rely on generous donations of people like YOU! 

Purchasing artwork supports the artists directly. 

Donating to our program helps us to offer a free Open Studio 

for the homeless and at risk. THANK YOU!

 

There are currently plans to consider the addition of a homeless shelter in an additional neighborhood in the city of Austin. This past Thursday, members of City Council ordered that a city-owned building be found as soon as possible, which would then be converted into a temporary homeless shelter. This process is part of a continuing effort to reduce the overall size of downtown Austin's homeless population.

It's also because ARCH, or the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, is currently overflowing in terms of the building's population. In fact, the sidewalks that surround the building are about as busy as one might think they would be.

Kathie Tovo, Austin's Mayor Pro Tem, says that this is a problem on so many levels and that a solution needs to be found. Tovo also says that the homeless in downtown Austin deserve a shelter and also deserve to be removed from an environment that is rather conducive to crime, further stating that there is a risk of drug dealers potentially preying on the homeless population. Tovo feels that repurposing a city-owned building into a temporary homeless shelter for a period of approximately six months may be a good fix for the time being.

Staff was given two weeks by City Council to come up with a list of buildings that would fit the proper criteria, which means that the building must not only be safe, but also located near transit as well.

This resolution is different from one that was previously passed last October, in which City Council tasked staff with locating properties that would be able to serve as permanent housing and shelter for members of Austin's homeless community. This is a search that continues to be ongoing.

As Austin continues to grow and change, we will continue to be there for the homeless community through art.

Art From the Streets rely on generous donations of people like YOU! 

Purchasing artwork supports the artists directly. 

Donating to our program helps us to offer a free Open Studio 

for the homeless and at risk. THANK YOU!

 

The relationship between the body and brain in terms of art really makes going to the local museum absolutely worthwhile. Art is something that has definitely helped to shape the society that we live in today, as we have constructed all sorts of galleries that house some of the finest pieces created by the best talent in the entire world; however, is science able to actually measure the overall effect that art has on us?

The simple answer to that question is yes.

First and foremost, art is great at reducing our overall stress levels. A recent Westminster study showed that those who took part in it, which included a lunchtime visit to a local art gallery, experienced a reduction in their stress levels after visiting the gallery, and even spent an extra 35 minutes checking out the space in any way that they were able to.

The biggest catch, however, was that they only experienced a decrease in cortisol, or the main hormone that causes stress, if someone who already had high levels of the hormone already went into the gallery.

It's also been proven that the brain is essentially hardwired to process various forms of art. What that means is that portions of the brain that are associated with factors such as contemplation automatically become sparked whenever someone begins to view works of art. This is also the case even if they aren't spending any time thinking about art in a critical sense. The expectation is that the brain will recognize faces and process scenes more whenever someone looks at art. On the other hand, portions of the brain that are linked to different emotions will also show activity as well.

Perhaps the biggest benefits, however, come from actually producing art in some form, regardless of what it is. In this same study, there were two groups of retirees. One group was provided with lessons from an art educator and were tasked with creating pieces that essentially displayed their own personal artistic expression. The other group, meanwhile, was more of a discussion class, in which talks were held in regards to specific sculptures and paintings. Before and after each process, each group had their brains scanned, and out of each group, the one that created art was found to have had the best neural benefit as opposed to the other group.

Art can often easily be taken for granted a lot of times; however, it can also lead to all of us becoming much healthier and obtaining an increased amount of brain activity.

Art From the Streets rely on generous donations of people like YOU! 

Purchasing artwork supports the artists directly. 

Donating to our program helps us to offer a free Open Studio 

for the homeless and at risk. THANK YOU!