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 …

“The Birth of Venus” painted by Sandro Botticelli is one of my favorite mythological paintings. I was not into Greek mythology until the television show “Hercules” starring Kevin Sorbo aired in the mid to late nineties; however, it has become one of my favorite subjects in history. It also …

Starry night is a great display of Vincent Van Gogh at his best. This painting was made completely by memory. It shows an amazing night view of a small town with a mountain side behind it. A creative sky will have you pondering the meaning for days.
I absolutely love …

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 …

“Starry Night” painted by Vincent Van Gogh is probably one of his most recognized pieces. I remember seeing the painting at an early age in my language arts textbook in elementary and middle school as well as my English textbooks in high school.
I like “Starry Night” because of Van …

Painstiks are the inventive combination of acrylic paints and oil pastels, and quite possibly the best excuse to revert back to finger painting. Paintstiks are extremely fun to use; they have a self-sealing outer layer that you peel off each time you want to use them, so they’re always …

I didn’t like the fact that the story centered on politics and communism and socialism and what-have-yous. I breezed through most of those parts and basically the majority of the play. I did pick up some interesting thoughts though about good boys and formidable revolutionaries. I finally got the …

After Hours is a very good painting that I came across while shopping at various online art stores. The painting portrays a couple sitting at a table, drinking wine, and looking out of the window at the city, with the words “cafe” on the window, in perfect reflection.
This painting …

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. …

When I made 3 dimensional scrapbook pages for my father and husband for Father’s Day, I needed something suitable to frame them. This shadowbox was the perfect frame for my projects. What I actually did was take a piece of 12×12 scrapbook paper and add a poem …

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 …

In this day and age of technology where communication is made easier via text, chat, email and what have you, do people still take the time to personally write Thank You notes in longhand? Well, I am one of those people who enjoy writing and sending Thank You notes …

The amazing works of June Dudley have astounded me yet again in a painting of hers entitled “The Rose Garden”. Not only has this painting captured the very essence of what I am sure many people feel a flower garden should look like, but it captures yet another moment …

“Seascape At Saintes-Maries” painted by Vincent Van Gogh is a beautiful painting of sailboats out at sea.
First, I am an enormous lover of water–no matter if it is in a bathtub or the unknown depths of the ocean–and I loved the fact that Van Gogh did another painting of …

The Utrecht Factory, located at 111 4th Avenue between 11th and 12th St In Brooklyn New York is the place to go for art supplies in the five boroughs of New York, whether you are a student or a professional artist. They have the top of the line …

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 …

“Autumn Garden” painted by Vincent Van Gogh is a beautiful scenic painting of what appears to be a park during autumn season.
First, I love how Van Gogh was able to capture the look and feel of autumn in this painting. When I think about autumn, I think of the …

Piero Della Francesca is another Renaissance period although it is in the later part of the Renaissance. This painting is located in Galleria Degi in Uffizi, Florance. This is a very classical Renaissance portrait that is painted of and commissioned by a wealthy Duke and Duchess who lived in …

King Tut Museum is surprisingly located in Las Vegas, Nevada in The Luxor. Now, for this King Tut Museum, it is located on the Attractions Level and inside the pyramid building of the Luxor Hotel. I was there before as part of my continuous Egypt expedition, and …

“Café At The Canal” by Sung Kim is a painting of a café overlooking a scenic canal.
First, I love the vibrancy of colors in this painting: they remind of early to mid summer. Again, I love the faint white in the far off distance on the trees and a …

Sculpey Clay is one of the better brands of clay to use. You can buy these at craft stores like Michaels and Hobby Lobby for around two dollars each. Personally, I think think the clay is a little pricey because if I want to make things with a lot …

“Metamorphosis” painted by Sheila Wolk is a fantasy painting of a mermaid underwater. I am not familiar with Sheila Wolk’s work; however, this piece for me is captivating.
First, I love how the top of the painting has a little black to it, then it lightens up in the mid …

Hillwood Estate’s tagline is, “Where Fabulous Lives”. I thought that was a pretty pretentious thing to say, until I went there and found out that it’s actually true.
This museum blew me away. I’m a big Russian art fan, and a friend of mine suggested I …

No trip to Paris can or should be contemplated without a visit to Musée du Louvre, and it had been a dream of mine since I was a small child. I did discover, though, that if you are on a limited time frame for seeing the city, as I …

211 Bickett Blvd
Raleigh NC 27608
The Bickett gallary is a great place to go when you want to just take a break from the rest of the world. the gallary has tons on unique looking art from paintings to sculptures. they also have a small boutique featuring hand made jewelry …

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 …

Since my baby is now 11 months old, I figured it is about time to start on the sippy cup. I was not looking for anything fancy and just wanted the basic sippy cup that my baby boy could learn and row with. I went to a local Dollar …

The King Tut exhibit was somewhat a let down for my friends and I. We went in with very high expectations and shelled out the $25 fee only to leave slightly disappointed by the lack of content. The exhibit had far less items on display than we …

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 …

During the course of my college career, many of my professor’s have given assignments where they asked the class to visit the Appleton Museum of Art of the College of Central Florida in Ocala Florida to complete an art critique. It is safe to say that I have spent …

“Afternoon Chat” by Sung Kim is a painting of two people chatting in a boat one afternoon, and I think from the painting the two people could be somewhere in Italy.
First, I love how warm and inviting the colors are in this painting. I like the various shades of …

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 …

“Wheatfield With Crows” painted by Vincent Van Gogh is a visually stimulating painting because it’s very thought-provoking. The painting is of an open Wheatfield with a mass of crows flying above and there are three cleared paths: one to the left, one to the right, and one in the …

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 …

“Vineyard Terrace” by Sung Kim is a painting of a terrace which overlooks a wine vineyard and mountainside.
First, I love the colors in “Vineyard Terrace” and how the green is dominant and pops out at you. I like the overhead clouds above the mountain and how it appears to …

“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 …

Aris Prabowo’s “Playroom” presents the issue of how children nowadays are constantly buying military toys, and how it turns into a militaristic nightmare of chaos and anarchy. It was drawn in 1997, in response to the beginning of the Indonesian Revolution of 1998, where President Suharto resigned. This Revolution …

“Overlook Café I” painted by Sung Kim is a beautiful landscape/scenic painting of a café somewhere in Europe.
First, I love how vibrant the colors are in “Overlook Café I”, and how there is so much use of various shades and tones of colors. I like how the mountain has …

We live in Baltimore and Washington DC is just a short forty five minute drive from home. We have visited the National Musuem of Art. This is part of the Smithsonian and it is a public museum that there is not a charge to get in. …

“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 …

This is another science museum in Ontario though it is more old than the Ontario Science Center. This is not really about sciences at all, but more about cultural stuff. We went this long ago when we were studying races and cultures and their traditions. It�s really interesting with …

“Arles With Irises” painted by Vincent Van Gogh is a scenic/landscape painting of one of his many days in Arles, France. This painting for me was something that required a little research on my part about Arles and South France.
I like the painting “Arles With Irises” because of the …

Josephine Wall’s painting entitled, “Dreams of Atlantis” is a magical painting that depicts life as a mermaid. It’s beauty and grace, and sea green landscape make for a dream like scene, where you are seeing the image but yet not really taking it all in. If any painting captures …

If you have an artist in the family like I do then buy them the new Museo Maestro Canvas to print their digital images on, the quality will amaze you. This brand new product introduced by Crane & company is specifically designed to give Art Gallery like quality …

“The Café Terrace on the Place du Forum” painted by Vincent Van Gogh is a timeless piece not only because it’s a traveler’s dream when going abroad, but because it was painted two years before Van Gogh’s death.
The painting of “The Café Terrace on the Place du Forum” is …

The Winter’s Tale as the Oregon Shakespeare Festival
I recently saw The Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s current production of Shakespeare’s, the Winters Tale. I enjoyed it very much. I’ve seen this play performed numerous times at various venues, including OSF so I’m very familiar with it.
The play was staged in the …

At one point I was very big into rubber stamps. I made my own Christmas cards, and used the rubber stamps to make ACEO and artist trading cards. Although I’ve given or sold most of my rubber stamping supplies away, I came across my Rubber Stampede Tropical Blue Dye …

This is a must see before you die! It is an art lover’s dream, and an amazing expereince for everyone else as well.
I went during the summer, so it was a little crowded. You have to wait to get in, so it’s best to head out early to beat …

“The Olive Grove” painted by Vincent Van Gogh is another painting he did of Olive trees which could easily be mistaken for his other painting “Olive Trees”. “The Olive Grove” and “Olive Trees” have a lot of similarities and differences.
I like “The Olive Grove” because it captures my favorite …