Nau speak: Art: Acrylic Pour Paintings, second round

Any skill worth having takes time to perfect, and that's true of art as much as anything else. We tried pour painting for the first time not that long ago and we were thrilled with the results, especially since we opted to go low-budget with it and use Elmer's glue (less than $11 a gallon) instead of pouring medium (much more money). The first time through we didn't have any lubricant or oils to separate the paints, either, so we had a much smoother blend of colors. This time though we had a small can of WD-40 to use, so use it we did! I used a moderate spritz of it between adding each additional color, and the end result were the differentiated blobs of color drifting among the other shades you see above. I dig it. We still have plenty of paint, glue and WD-40, though canvases are already running out. We got what I thought was quite a generous amount, too, but I can't complain about how much art we've been making. It's been a real breath of fresh air, especially since so much of my 2017 was engulfed by a sales job that stressed me out and ran completely contrary to my character...

I've never been especially fond of working in sales but considered it a necessary evil in this day and age, but the company I worked for through 2017 went about things in a particularly malicious and predatory way that I found hard to swallow. It obviously works for them as they're making over $100,000 each month off of tourists, but I can't tell you how many times I sold someone a deck of cards only to have them come back a short time later fuming and screaming in my face because they found the exact same item inside the same casino for one-third of the price...of course, the company I worked for doesn't offer refunds, so no amount of abuse from the customer could ameliorate the fact they were out whatever exorbitant amount they'd paid for the item. As someone who spent the better part of the last decade in a field that created product that resulted in consumers laughing at themselves, it was difficult to stand there and see people so upset and know that I was working as an agent of a company that directly preyed upon their naivety to pad their own pockets. That same lack of empathy extends to the employees, too, so don't worry- we weren't getting much better treatment than the customers were. Suffice to say, be wary when you're out and about and be especially cautious of any fast-talking sales people on the Vegas strip who seem over eager to sell you on an item or cut you a deal. Chances are you'll find the same item for a fraction of the cost somewhere else if you keep walking...and if you really want that thing right then and there, then go for it and help that sales person hit their commission for the day, but know that you're paying as much for the experience as you are for the item.