Painting is one of the first things people give up when the economy turns sour, and that’s why recent stronger-than-expected economic output is good news for Canadian painters. This past May, weekly earnings in Canada rose 2.6 per cent compared with year ago figures, along with the fifth consecutive month that gross domestic output was up in this country. More than 158,000 more Canadians were on payroll in May compared with 2013, and the US economy has grown four per cent over the last year. Overall, the Canadian economy isn’t exactly hot, but it’s definitely warming.