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In Brazil

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Yes, it has been awhile. Nearly three months in Brazil, where it isn't always samba and sunshine. Winter storms, mindboggling bureaucracy, and a public transportation system that doesn't always go where you want to go; everything seems to take at least twice as long as it should. It all balances out though. There's lots of great stuff too. Like the art supply store and gallery that's not far from me here, Arte Cedraz . I've met some wonderful artists that I paint with every Friday. I decided to leave my watercolors back in the States this time, since it appears no one in this area works in this medium and quality paints and paper are hard to find. So it's been acrylics for awhile. The painting above was a small warm-up piece I did there. This represents a fairly typical rural scene, more commonly seen in the interior states like Minas Gerais.
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The Big Reveal

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Acrylic, 11x14 inches So, I know you've been waiting with baited breath (ew). Bated breath? Whatever. Why there haven't been any new paintings here, and only a few sketches, is because I've been secretly experimenting with a different medium. For the past few weeks I've set the watercolors aside and tried to make acrylics behave. Well of course, they don't. But now that I've finally stopped treating them like watercolors, I see some limited success. I signed up for a series of plein-air classes with Deirdre Shibano and made a commitment to at least give it a try. The first few classes were awful, not the classes per se, but because I couldn't figure out how to approach the darn canvas. Plus, the acrylics en plein air dried quickly, and I was frustrated by having to unlearn how to do the flowing washes and transparent layers of watercolor. I likened my first day's experience to pushing wads of bubblegum around with a stick. While I won't go so far a...
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Book Your Trip to Brazil Now! Cheap Fares Available!

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I just learned about a fantastic promotion that American Airlines is having. For a short time only, they are offering roundtrip fares to Brazil for about half the regular price. If you had been planning, or just dreaming about, a trip to Salvador for Carnaval, this is it, but you'd better act now, at these prices seats will go fast. If you don't like trying to check and book online, call my favorite travel agency, Santours . Don't just take my word for it. Here's what Realtravel.com had to say about them. A good travel agency to book your ticket through is Santini Tours, 6575 Shattuck Ave., Oakland, CA 94609 (tel. 800/769-9669 or 510/652-8600; www.santours.com ). The owner as well as many of the travel agents are Brazilian and can give you many useful suggestions on air-pass routings and answer any questions you have about your itinerary. In addition to selling tickets and air passes, Santini can also arrange customized tours, including everything from airport transfers...
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