You may be familiar with the name Amy Tan, the woman who wrote the 1989 novel, The Joy Luck Club, which later became a very famous movie. She was only 37 when she wrote this debut novel, and it became a literal phenomenon and Hollywood milestone for Asian American representation. But you may not have known that she is also an incredible artist as well! Her most recent book, The Backyard Bird Chronicles, published in 2024, features hundreds of her observations, notes, and d

May is designated as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. It was established to recognize the historical and cultural contributions of the Asian culture and community to our country. It originally started as a one week event in 1978, by President Jimmy Carter. Then in 1990, the US Congress passed a bill to extend it to a month, and in 1992, it was officially signed into law by President George H. W. Bush. There have long been amazing and creative artisans i

Marianne North was a prolific, self-taught artist, whose floral and botanical paintings crossed the boundaries between art and science. She was adventurous, bold, defied convention and broke the rules. She was a women definitely ahead of her time! Born in England in the 1830's, her role in society at that time, was to be married and have children, but instead, she traveled the world by herself and ended up creating almost a thousand botanical images from around the globe.

From bell bottoms to boot cut, wide leg to skinny, blue jeans have come in many different styles throughout the years. But usually, they don't come in the style of "art," that is, until now anyway. Instead of wearing it, British-born, contemporary artist, Ian Berry, has taken to using denim as an art form in and of itself! He has created some fabulous paintings and sculptural forms by using the many various shades of blue jeans that are available. Last year, the artist ha

The winter months bring thoughts of all things warm—like cuddling up in a cozy blanket, a cup of hot tea or cider, flickering flames from glowing candles, or sitting by a crackling fire. But did you also know that these very same things--warmth, heat, and flame, can be used to create art? Pyrography, or more commonly known as wood-burning, is an art form of drawing with fire. It involves using heated tools to burn designs onto natural materials like wood, leather, or bambo

The winter season in some parts of the world could be described as one that is filled with a kind of monochromatic stillness. Of things being either black or white, light or dark. White, like fluffy snowflakes that blanket the earth, or black like the night sky above us, frigid with cold. Light, like the bright sun glinting off a snow-covered landscape, or dark, like the early evening sunset of the winter solstice. For some, this season can be a restless time. Perhaps it

When you first see the image above, you might think at first glance, it is painted or perhaps a print. Or maybe you wouldn't be quite sure how the artist created the image. But if you were to find out that it was a snowflake created from folding and intricately cutting paper, now that would be quite the amazing feat. This month, we will be looking at the art of snowflakes, in paper form that is! When I was teaching art, every year I did a unit about winter with the 2nd gr

National Native American Heritage Month is celebrated every November so that we can recognize and honor the rich cultures, traditions , and histories of indigenous people in the United States--all Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and any affiliated Island communities. Officially signed into law in 1990 by former president George H. W. Bush, the bill read in part that, "The President has authorized and requested to call upon Federal, State and local Govern

Autumn is upon us, which turns our thoughts to cool crisp days, warm apple cider and pumpkin patches, and trees around us being clothed in beautifully colored leaves. In celebration of the season, this month's blog is about an artist who literally uses leaves as a canvas upon which he creates his unique artwork. Artist Lorenzo M. Duran, turns these simple elements of nature into intricate and delicate art forms, by cutting and carving images out of the leaf itself. Growing

If you’ve ever had a dog, then you are probably familiar with them at some point, having to come home from the vet wearing a plastic...

When most people think about bees, they usually think about pollination, or maybe honey, or even trying to avoid getting stung. But it...

For most of us, we hit the beach in the warmer months to enjoy the sand, sun, and fun in the water. But for the two artists in this...

In the world of art, there has always been the ability to explore, to create, and to think differently. This ability for freedom of...

Hopefully by now, the spring has sprung mantra we have all come to know and love, means that it actually has SPRUNG! But however the...

Spring has sprung! Or maybe, hopefully, it is at least soon on its way to wherever you may be reading this from. Spring is the time of...

Every year, the month of March is designated as Women's History Month, an observation to highlight the contribution and events in history...

February is Black History Month, and what a better way to celebrate it than learning about some great art! This post features 5 famous...

Hockey season is upon us! Whether you grew up in a "frozen tundra" area and perhaps played the sport yourself, or you are just an avid...

Raku Inoue, is an multidisciplinary artist who lives in Montreal, Canada. He was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1983. As an artist, Inoue has...

What do you think the image above represents? Give up? Here's another clue. Where in nature do you think this picture may have been...

Nature is everywhere. Every time we step foot outside, it surrounds us--the trees, grass, dirt, rocks, twigs, leaves, plants, flowers,...

Last month's blog post was about the history of Olympic medals at one time being given out to areas of the arts like sculpture, painting,...

If you’ve been paying any kind of attention over the last several weeks, you could say that many of the goings-on in the world have been...

Most people see broken glass as not a good thing. It is usually seen as, a now-needing-to-be-replaced window, or one less glass in the...