Art Reviews
June Dudley’s “Sunkissed”
“Sunkissed” a remarkable painting by June Dudley, not only brings me back to a time of innocence as a child, but creates a peace inside of me that seems like it is hard to find in everyday life. Warming and tranquil, this painting of a child’s innocence is sure …
The Persistence of Memory by Dali
Surrealism is an art form which seems to be quite “love it or hate it”. For me personally, I love this piece, though at first I found it quite visually disagreeable.
Lovers of more conservative art will most likely not enjoy this piece, as it is highly experimental. Through its …
“Village On The Water” by Sung Kim
“Village On The Water” by Sung Kim is a painting of a village centered on a river that opens up into the ocean.
First, I love the powder blue of the sky and how it makes the painting feel open. I like the faint white surrounding the mountain in the …
“The Potato Eaters” by Vincent Van Gogh
“The Potato Eaters” by Vincent Van Gogh is one of his darker paintings with a great back story. While I was researching the painting, I found out that Van Gogh wanted to capture the essence of what peasant life was like. Apparently the painting took place in the Netherlands, …
Leonid Afremov’s “Rain Princess” Painting
The painting entitled “Rain Princess” by Leonid Afremov is a beautifully painted creation that captivates a moment where a young girl is almost having some magical power over the rain, yet she is doing nothing but holding an umbrella.
In this painting, a girl has her back turned to the …
Degenerate Art Ensemble
The Degenerate Art Ensemble has popped up here and there throughout the years, offering viewers a taste of their obscure and unique style of pop-ish take on traditional horror and occult art topics. Now, through June 19th this amazingly beautiful art troop is giving Northwestern residents a chance …
“The Masters” Brush Cleaner and Preserver
I bought this cleaner primarily because I’ve started taking a painting class at my college, so I use oil paints quite frequently. Oil, like charcoal, is a very difficult material to wash off of anything - especially brushes. Normal soap just doesn’t work at all, and other brands (like …
“House At Auvers” by Vincent Van Gogh
“House At Auvers” painted by Vincent Van Gogh is a painting he did of a community in France with a few houses as the main objects. In order to fully comprehend the title of the painting, I had to do some more research on the particular area in which …
Westcott iPoint Titanium Bonded Pencil Sharpener
I bought this sharpener, because it was recommended to me by my art professor. She suggested that its triple circling blade makes it an ideal sharpener for pricey art pencils. Consisting of titanium bonded blades, the manufacturer claims that they are durable and will remain sharper longer. …
“Olive Trees” by Vincent Van Gogh
“Olive Trees” painted by Vincent Van Gogh is another emotional piece that is really unsettling to me. The fact that “Olive Trees” is unsettling to me is weird because when you think of a vineyard, you’re supposed to have happy thoughts when you’re taking in the scenic view …
Creative Hands Pottery Studio
We have been going to this establishment ever since it was the location of a “As You Wish Pottery and Paint Place”. As You Wish moved out of the location many years ago and a new owner took it on and renamed it Creative Hands. Since that time, the …
Hobby & Crafting Fun Eye Pin
Eye pins are a must if you make your own jewellery. But for a thing so small and simple they are kind of expensive, well most brands are anyway.
I was really happy when I found these in my local hobby store, a pack of 100 was just under 2$ …
Artist’s Loft gouache paints
Gouache paints are basically opaque watercolours. That have a binding agent and a higher ratio of pigments to water; white pigment is added to them to make them opaque. Designers and illustrators initially used gouache however many artists are switching to a digital format now a days.
Artist’s Loft brand …
The Flies: A Play by Jean Paul Sartre
I never really gave much thought on Sartre’s philosophy of existentialism especially when I had to read it straight from a book simply discussing it. I now agree when people say that Sartre is better as a playwright than as a philosopher because he makes great and very interesting …
Josephine Wall’s “Polar Princess” Painting
Josephine Wall’s painting entitled, “Polar Princess”, really captures what would be considered as well—¦.a polar princess. In the wintery and icy wonderland that is her home, viewers can see this princess scoping the terrain that is most likely her kingdom, with her winter friends in toe. And even though …
Boats Leaving the Harbor by Claude Monet
This painting depicts two sailboats sailing away on a colorful green-blue ocean below a sky of breaking clouds, perhaps at sunrise. It is somewhat different from Monet’s normal style - less vague and “fuzzy,” more clear and precise; but it still has Monet’s characteristic atmosphere of calm beauty.
I like …
Heard Museum Phoenix AZ
When we were in Phoenix AZ a few years ago during our time there we went to the Heard Museum. We wanted to see they Southwestern exhibits by the local Indians that we were told were there. We were able to view both traditional and Native American …
Stratford Shakespearian Festival
Stratford Shakespearian Festival
Stratford, Ontario
Western Ontario: Between Toronto and London
2 1/2 hours west of Toronto
Summer Festival
Ticket cost: $20 CDN +
If you love Shakespearian festivals, or you love good theater, then you might want to consider visiting the Stratford Shakespearian Festival. Do not be misled by the name, this festival …
“Starry Night Over the Rhone” by Vincent Van Gogh
“Starry Night Over the Rhone” by Vincent Van Gogh is a romantic painting of fireworks over a river in France.
The thing I like about “Starry Night Over the Rhone” is how identical it is to the actual riverbank in France. Sometimes an artist will take something and flip it …
“Evening Lounge” by Brent Lynch
“Evening Lounge” by Brent Lynch is a painting of a mysterious woman at a bar holding a martini in her hand.
First, I love the richness of the colors used in this painting as well as the intensity. I love the fire engine red color of the back wall of …
Lithuanian Art
Recently I had re-visited the gallery one of the most famous Lithuanian artists- Kazys Simonis. Kazys Simonis’s paintings and drawings are a distinctive phenomenon in Lithuanian art of the 20th century. Throughout his long life (1887-1978) being a witness of great historical changes, Kazys Simonis aimed in his …
Detroit Institute of Arts
Did you know that the city of Detroit has the nation’s fifth largest fine art museum? The Detroit Institute of Arts is located on Woodward Avenue in the arts and cultural up-town area.
The DIA is a small, relaxing museum. It’s small enough that I don’t get tired walking around, …
Art 1st Sketch Diary
I am someone that does a lot of drawing. I really love using this sketch diary. It allows me to easily draw without a lot of hassle. It has the design of a tablet so I’m able to easily flip through it and find …
Thomas Eakin’s The Gross Clinic painting
Thomas Eakin’s The Gross Clinic is upon first glances exactly as the name sounds, gross. With dark colors, this painting sets an extremely grim and foreboding setting. The second my eyes are set onto the painting when I visit the Philadelphia Art Museum, I am transported to a time …
Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers
Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers
Although a still life, this oil has a life of its own and I feel it possesses the uncanny ability to come alive and observe the observer. It forced me to open my heart and feel. At first glance this appeared as simple sunflowers in various …
‘Damien Hirst’ Exhibition at the Tate Modern
Open since April 4th, 2012 at the Tate Modern in London, the ‘Damien Hirst’ exhibition is a huge retrospective of the work of this titan of modern art. The exhibition is spread over several rooms in the main exhibition space at the gallery, and shows some of Mr. Hirst’s …
Lego Lunch Atop A Skyscraper
This wonderful piece of art was created by the English artist Mike Stimpson and is a modern (and very fun!) take on the iconic Lunch Atop a Skyscraper image, the original depicting a line of 1930s construction workers eating their lunch on a beam suspended above the New York …
Return of the Prodigal Son by Rembrandt
I recently looked at the online version of the 1668 painting “Return of the Prodigal Son” by Dutch painter Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn (1606-1669). The painting tells the story of the biblical verse Luke 15:21 and hangs today in the Hermitage. Rembrandt did the painting in oils between …
“Cottage Stream” by Sung Kim
“Cottage Stream” by Sung Kim is a painting of a cottage somewhere in the mountains with a stream flowing directly in front of the house.
First, I like how warm the colors are in this painting, and how they reveal the autumn season. I like the rich green of the …
“Vase of Irises” by Vincent Van Gogh
“Vases of Irises” painted by Vincent Van Gogh is one of his many flower paintings. The painting is of purple Irises in a neutral to off-white tone. It’s one of his calmer painting as far as color is concerned.
First, I like how Van Gogh was able to combine neutral …
June Dudley’s “Just Peachy” Painting
The painting “Just Peachy” by June Dudley, is a wonderful painting that is a perfect depiction of a child on a sunny afternoon picking her way through a peach tree to find the best peaches. Life has slowed down in this moment, and by looking at the picture I …
“The Red Vineyard At Arles” by Vincent Van Gogh
“The Red Vineyard At Arles” painted by Vincent Van Gogh is an emotional painting because the subject at hand. From the looks of it, it appears to be about slavery; however, I don’t know much about France’s history but that’s my take on it.
I think “The Red Vineyard At …
Oklahoma City Museum of Art
The Oklahoma City Museum of Art is located in downtown Oklahoma City. One of the exhibits now showing there, as of April, 2006, is the Chouhuli glass exhibit. This is beautiful, and well worth the price of admission.
The museum has traveling exhibits, most recently of Mexican painters, …
Amy Brown, Artist
I have always loved this wonderful artist and all of her work. She puts so much detail into each and every one of her paintings that you can practically see insider her soul. Amy Brown does extraordinary fairy artwork that has immense details and colors. If you have ever …
Red Heart Acrylic Yarn
I’ve been using Red Heart yarn for the last year or two. Over that time, I’ve found that the company produces more types and colors of yarn than I can count. And so far, all of the yarn that I’ve used for my various knitting projects has been high …
Hecksher Museum
This museum was closed for a few months, and the grand reopening, widely anticipated, brought a few raves during our visit for some key points. The entranceway is spectacular, and the visitor’s portal is a semi-circular metal post of elegant modernism that will accommodate more guests. We like the …
The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art
The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art located in Sarasota, Florida is a wonderful museum and a great place to spend the day. I first went to this museum about 8 years ago when it was undergoing renovations. Even back then it was a great place …
OKC Symphony
I have a friend who has season tickets to the OKC Symphony, and I have benefitted from that this year, as he has taken me several times. The seats are right in the middle of the mezzanine, so the view is great, although you still need binoculars to …
Roundhouse Community Centre
The Roundhouse Community Centre is located in Yaletown, an upscale region of Vancouver, BC. The centre is run be Vancouver Parks Board, and has a focus on arts and cultural activities. It provides many necessary services to the residents of Yaletown, as well as to all residents …
The Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, 1818, by Caspar David Friedrich
This painting has a strong, compelling presence. A man with coattails and a cane stands on a high, rocky mountain peak and looks down upon the lower peaks amidst the fogs. His stance is determined, triumphant, and pensive; the view is spectacular, but in a quiet, mysterious way.
Every time …
Josephine Wall’s “Golden Slumbers” Painting
When I was a child I was terrified of the Sandman. I figured he would be a scary man who forced children to sleep with magic dust. Needless to say, I didn’t find him to be a something positive to aiding children to sleep. However, after seeing Josephine Wall’s …
Leonid Afremov’s “Night Sea” Painting
The painting entitled “Night Sea” by Leonid Afremov is a touching piece of art that is captivatingly beautiful and bring things nostalgic sadness to my heart that is both filled of sorrow and joy. It is hard to truly describe the sort of feeling that this painting stirs up …
Josephine Wall’s “Heart and Soul” Painting
Josephine Wall has mesmerized me yet again with this magical painting entitled “Heart and Soul”. There is nothing short of wonder and beauty behind this painting that is taken straight out of fairy tale dream. With so many aspects of this painting, and the intricate details that the artist …
Fimo Soft polymer clay
As jewellery making is my new hobby, making my unique beads should and is a part of it (although it is a part that I am not exactly proud of).
I own a small selection of Fimo soft products - the colours that are hip in this pre Christmas times …
“Wheatfield and Mountains” by Vincent Van Gogh
“Wheatfield and Mountains” painted by Vincent Van Gogh is one of your basic scenic paintings from him. If you’re someone (like me) who has never been to the mountain regions, you would think this is one of the most spectacular views of what you hope to one day experience.
I …
Josephine Wall’s “The Magic Spinning Top” Painting
When I gaze at this painting entitled “The Magic Spinning Top” by Josephine Wall, I instantly am reminded of times of my childhood where I have spent many hours on rainy days playing with old toys in a basement with my cousins and siblings. That this painting can remind …
Josephine Wall’s “Enchanted Manor” Painting
The painting entitled “Enchanted Manor” by Josephine Wall not only a place where a beautiful home resides, but a place where magic and “well” enchantment can be found! It is amazing still that Josephine Wall can create such an intricate painting full of detail and brilliant colors and still …
Josephine Wall’s “Stairway of Dreams” Painting
The painting entitled “Stairway of Dreams” by Josephine Wall is a detailed description of the power of not only stories that we read, but of dreams that we have as well. Josephine Wall has done something remarkable with this painting just as she has done with all of the …
“Blooming Almond Branch in a Glass” by Vincent Van Gogh
“Blooming Almond Branch in a Glass” painted by Vincent Van Gogh is one of my favorite flower paintings because I have grown quite fond of his blooming almond branch paintings. I like how a piece of the branch was extracted into a clear glass in order to watch it …
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