Parish House Resources

Oil paint is a vastly different substance than other paints, specifically acrylics. Perhaps you are thinking about purchasing some oil paint supplies? There are several distinct advantages in working with oil paints, depending on the type of project you are considering:

• Oil paints are considered one of the fundamental forms of art media. If nothing else, an art student needs to learn to appreciate an oil painting for the history that it carries. The most popular and recognizable artists in history have used oil paints to create literal masterpieces, and they should be studied closely.
• Oils take a remarkably long time to dry. In fact, it can take several weeks for an oil painting to fully dry. This can be a great benefit to an artist. Instead of rushing to complete the job before it dries, you can allow inspiration to work through you over several sessions of painting.
• Oil paints also blend very readily into each other. Depending on the type of painting you want to do, this can be of great use. Subtle blending of colors can be a beautiful aspect of a painting if done correctly.

You should strongly consider doing some work with oils and stocking an inventory of oil paint supplies. If you ever want to consider doing a portrait or feel the connection to art history, purchase some oil paints and let the creativity flow.

Kids these days face more health challenges than we did. Sure, we contended with polio, smallpox, deadly strains of influenza and a dozen other near-biological weapons. But as far as chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and asthma, we have nothing on today’s McDonald’s generation. Without a doubt, youth obesity is one of the single-most pressing public health issues of our time; our kids are eating more bad food and getting less exercise than ever. So what’s a parent, who isn’t around 24 hours a day to police what his or her children eat or don’t eat, supposed to do to prevent their child from getting on the ‘fat train?’

First, even though it is impossible to always prevent your child from eating junk food, which abounds around Dallas, it isn’t much work to teach your child how to make good decisions; when kids understand the consequences of their choices and truly understand the reality of those consequences, they are more likely to make the right choices – the ones with the best consequences. In the case of diet, good teaching means explaining why non-junk foods are better than junk foods – they make kids stronger, give them more energy, and will even help them to grow, which in turn makes them better-looking (girls respond better to this.) Other than that, the detrimental effects of bad-tasting foods can be underscored, but not so much that you demonize all unhealthy food. Unhealthy food does have a place at the table inasmuch as a good dessert can bring people together, or inasmuch as a donut can be a much-needed afternoon pick-me-up. In this sense, moderation is the one dietary rule that can be underscored that will help children make the right choices about what they eat.

Secondly, encouraging kids to get exercise beyond their regular-scheduled physical education classes is crucial to instilling the value that exercise leads to better health and an improved sense of well-being and happiness, which has been proven time and time again by research. Here in Dallas, kids karate presents an ideal way to ensure that your children are getting regular physical activity – and activity that they are sure to love. The applicability of karate for kids in a school setting is multi-faceted. First, knowledge of karate will give kids the tools they need to defend themselves against bullies if need. Second, regular activity and the achievement of goals will improve their sense of accomplishment and self-worth. Third, regular practice of discipline will make it easier for children to focus outside the classroom, and last, they are sure to avoid the obesity trap with all those regular punches and kicks!