I am teaching my daughter how to bake cookies, we've been working on it for some time now (she's 11). I started her baking when she was about 7 by having her add the pre-measured ingredients, turn on the mixer, spoon out the cookie dough etc. Then I let her measure everything and add it. It wasn't until this year that I let her put a cookie sheet into the hot oven. The hesitation on both our parts was her getting burned with her little arms (in my mind she is still is 7).

Then recently, she asked if she could make cookies and I said 'yes, but I'm going upstairs. You can do this without me now. But if you have questions I'm here."

Let me just tell you....it was SOOOOO hard staying out of the kitchen!!! 

What surprised me is that every time we bake the cookies she needs just a little bit of instruction...she's baked the same recipe at least 30 times, but the little details she needed verification on like - how much salt? how many eggs etc., (which we've modified the original recipe).

Painting is just like baking. As you paint more often, you get more familiar with the ingredients and the procedure. Sure you'll burn some cookies every now and then, but overall it is another learning process. The key ingredients of oil painting are patience + experimentation + persistence.

So the big question today is, what is easier baking or painting?

The answer to this is simple for me, painting, but it wasn't always that way. Just like baking you have to know your ingredients, know the right way to add them, mix them etc. The same holds true for oil painting! Which is why it is so important to have a guide to go by to create your oil painting.

In the online class "How to Paint Strawberry Shortcake" you paint step-by-step a strawberry shortcake....and the best part....

No calories and all the yummy goodness!

This decadent summer treat is a big winner in our house with whipped cream and powdered sugar. But you know what is even sweeter? Painting it! No calories and all the yummy goodness!

Problem: You Keep Making a Pink Mess (this will solve it!)

Every oil painting has a challenge, whether it is the composition, technique, or color.  In this week's oil painting tutorial, the challenge is patience.  If you do not want a pink mess, you must:

• paint in layers, which means you have to let the previous layer dry.
• then use a glazing oil painting technique and
• use the oil painting technique called scumbling.

If you painted the Chocolate Cake painting, you already know a bit about scumbling and glazing (Members, you'll find the full video in the Mini Painting Courses section of "My Library").  Well, there is power in repetition, the more you practice it, the more you'll begin to recognize when will be a good time to use it.  And once you gain that wisdom of when to use the techniques, you'll be able to see yourself paint the painting 3 steps ahead of where you are right now. Learn - Paint - Repeat

Check out the following short clip