Book excerpt: Anyone who has ever fantasized about having the skills to paint beautiful decorative home projects, can now make those dreams come true. Priscilla Hauser has successfully developed a technique that allows novices to learn her charming style, effortlessly. Hauser begins by teaching the most basic brush strokes, and how to use them to build a basecoat to shade and highlight until a lusciously executed design emerges. Nothing could be simpler, or less intimidating. She discusses preparing the surface, brush loading and double-loading, undercoating, stripping, washes, and other effects, and provides plenty of helpful worksheets plus quick tricks for creating intriguing background finishes. Beginners will quickly and confidently master such projects as bright sunflowers and daisies on a watering can, lemons on tableware, a bird-embellished frame, and a butterfly-covered candle lantern.