20 Time Declarative Post

I have made my decision for my 20Time project, along with some assistance from nature.  Those who commented on my original posting thought that I should make wine as a cultural and family historically driven inquiry.  I did some research and visited the local wine making store here in Simi Valley.  The store proprietor told me that Summer is the wrong time to start a batch of wine in Southern California.  He asked me if I wanted to make beer instead.  I don't have any connection to beer so I respectfully declined.  I still want to make wine now, especially with the connection I have to the process.  The wine expert told me to come back in late September or Early October because that is when the wineries sell their extra grape juice from the pressing process.

So I am going to go with my second option, learning to paint.  I am going to try to see if I can just pick up the craft.  If I can't, there are free classes through the Parks and Rec department available that I can attend to get some pointers.  However, I do want to see if I can improve my own talents through successful failures and self anaylasis.

I told my son that we are going to be learning to paint together he was excited.  Then he looked confused and let me know that he already knows how to paint, "Daddy, you put paint onto the paintbrush, then you put the paint onto the paper."  I am going to have him accompany me on this journey.  Who knows?  We might discover that he has some artistic talent.

Questions:
1. How do you even start creating a painting?
2. Is there a large difference in technique between different types of paint?
3. How did the craft of painting evolve?
4. Is there a culture on earth that doesn't have some form of painting, or visual art?
5. Can you blend various types of paint in one painting, or will that look riddiculous?
6. Is there any coorelation between the raw materials a culture has available and the style of paintings it produces?
7. What should I paint?
8. Will my paintings be any good?
9. Could I potentially sell my paintings, like the people on the beach walk in Santa Barbara every Sunday?
10. Is art as powerful and informative a method of communicating complex ideas as writing?