Love my time a Zafa. My first class was the drawing introduction. Julia is such a great mentor and…read morereally takes the time to breakdown the techniques. I never thought I could progress as much as I did. I will definitely be taking more classes as they're offered!

William Zwick studied in Italy to learn classical realist painting. His studio is open on most…read morefirst fridays and is located in Chinatown. I took his Sargent Master copy class of 8 sessions where we learned John Singer Sargent's method of portraiture. I paint primarily watercolor en plein air landscapes and this class is classical oil painting using charcoal value studies and color studies to develop an oil painting. As an artist it is important to continually challenge yourself and this was exactly what I needed. Mixing colors on the palette, learning to see and record what you see, was training in observation, painting technique, and color mixing. William is a good teacher, never imposing but always giving instruction. The other students had taken many more classes and were more seasoned, so they more progressed quickly, but I feel like this was an advantage because I didnt know because I hung tough to mix the right colors.

Signed up for "Some Like It Hot" because I want to learn more about jewelry-making and had my first…read morelesson today. First time visiting the Art School and first time working with a handsaw. Metalsmithing is no joke! My left tricep is sore just from holding the copper piece in place. The instructor, Juvana S., was professional, approachable, friendly, and seems knowledgeable. I found myself wishing the class was a YouTube tutorial because I need to watch/hear some things on repeat and also pause when needed. The class went on a good pace though since my fellow classmates were mostly new to this type of thing. The Metals Studio has everything (I guess) stocked and laid out. The three hours went by really quickly. I can't wait to learn more in the weeks to come!

I went to the Pecha Kucha night (20 slides, 20 seconds each) on Friday to get a flavor of this…read morestyle of presentation (to implement in my classroom). We showed up minutes before intermission and right away I noticed... 1. The sound quality was poor (you could barely hear from the back where most of the crowd was standing) 2. There were limited stools to sit on but a majority of the crowd was standing... 3. There was a tent with free beer but they don't serve during the presentations (intermission looked like a scene from Walmart on Black Friday) The presentations were... not what I expected. The next Pecha Kucha night is on March 9th and I think I'm going to give it another shot. Chamorro Grindz was the featured food truck but we ate before we came (the reason why we were an hour late). The highlight of the night was when I discovered that teachers can check out artifacts to share with their students ... for free.

The Boring School is an amazing place to foster kids creativity and build their confidence. The…read moreinstructors here are talented and patient. Kids get bored and if they can come to focus on the art instead of being occupied by the electronics at home, it's all worth it. My 5 and 8 year olds can sit for hours painting. That kind of focus and ability to create will give them such advantage later in life. Try this place out and your kids won't be bored while there!

From the owner: Creative learning center that unlocks your child's creativity, confidence, and future success. At…read moreThe Boring School, we nurture imagination through engaging activities, boost self-esteem through empowering programs, and teach vital skills like decision-making and financial literacy. Join us to ignite your child's passion for entrepreneurship, robotics, and art. Unleash their potential at our exceptional learning center today! Age 5 to 12 years old

Make sure you don't miss the Old Jail Gallery at the Lahaina Arts Society. Its downstairs and a…read moremust see. Really nice art and Artists to meet and talk story with. Just being in the space is a fun history lesson as well.

Also called the Banyan Tree Gallery is spread over 2 floors of the Old Lahaina Courthouse. We stuck…read moreour heads around the door for a quick peek and stayed nearly 2 hours. There are some stunning pieces and all made by local artists who fund this gallery through a co-operative. It was a tough choice but I went home with 2 plates by Bob Hoenig and a pendant by Kai Pua. Andre, the Art Consultant, was very knowledgeable and generous with his time. Downstairs, in the jail house gallery, Amanda welcomed us and we left as friends. You must also check out Johanna's lei's - meticulously crafted out of ribbon. This is a dangerous place for your wallet, but you'll leave with a warm glow and great memories as well as a little piece of authentic Maui.

"So, You Just Got a DSLR or SLR Camera...Now What?"…read more That was the title of the 3-hr beginner class I took today with Steve. I wish I had taken that class a long time ago! Back then I had a Canon EOS Rebel that used film (the thing that comes in the little black cannister that you load into the old fashioned cameras) and shame on me, I never used anything but "auto" mode to snap pics. Flash forward to today and I'm shooting with a Nikon DSLR but still in "auto" mode because I never learned what all the dials and buttons meant. Do you have a DSLR and shoot in "auto" mode too? You need to take this class! I found a great deal on Amazon Local for $65 for a 3-hr beginner class. There is also a deal for $79 for the 4-hr intermediate class if you already know the basics. If you go to the website, there are all kinds of classes you can take once you get the basics down. Steve is not only an amazing and internationally recognized and published photographer, but he is a great teacher for those of us who never took a photography class before. Today I learned so much, but the highlights for me were the following: 1. I learned what ISO, f-stop, and shutter speed means, and how I have to adjust them based on the distance, lighting, etc. 2. I learned what the letters on the dial means (P, A, M, S) so I don't have to shoot in auto mode ever again. 3. Depth of field (it's not just a filter on instagram!). 4. We got to see the inside of a real camera, which made it much easier to understand shutter speed, aperture. I felt really old when the rest of the class said they had never used a film camera. 5. Formatting the memory card Are all of those things in the instruction manual? Probably, but I hate reading instruction manuals and I don't even know where mine is. Steve explained everything clearly and gave us a chance to go and try the different settings we learned about on our own. The small class setting (there were 6 students in my class) was a great learning environment and even though we each had a different camera, by the end of class all of us were shooting in manual mode. Yay.

I took an Introduction to Photography class with Steve a little over a year ago. I wanted to know…read morehow to use a dlsr that I bought in Japan (i.e. other than the auto button). The class was taught outside, at the Queen Kapiolani Botanical Gardens in Waikiki. After a brief introduction to photography (understanding iso, aperture and shutter speed), we were sent outside to practice. After only a few hours, I understood what a majority of the other "non-auto" settings on my dlsr did. Also, I was a lot more comfortable playing around and shooting with my camera. Steve is a great teacher and I would recommend him to all. Keep up the good work.

Lanai Art Center, its current name, is a local co-op in which local artists can display and sell…read moretheir art. This includes paintings, handbags, totes, and clutches, handmade jewelry, weaving, ceramics, etc. Take your time to browse because every corner holds something surprising and unique. You'll probably find your forever treasure there! Woo hoo!

This is more than just an art center . This cute shop is stocked with tons of arts and crafts from…read morelocal artist and children for sale. If you're looking for some local souvenirs, this is the place to go. Many booths with everything from textiles postcards, and very nice crafts and jewelry. Be sure to check out the beautiful murals painted on the back of the building.

Darice is such a kind and fun art teacher. My family decided to try to pineapple paintings. Darice…read moreguided up for the two hours and then some, was super patient and motivating, and even brought us water on a warm Hawaiian day. Our paintings came out super fun and beautiful! We gave them to our mom for Mother's Day and she loved them. Darice also let us use her good quality paints and fun powders/glitters! We would definitely go back to try painting other beautiful Hawaiian themed works of art.

Aloha... Looking for the perfect souvenir of your maui vacation - try creating your own! In one 3…read morehour lesson with Darice at art-e-studio in Lahaina I had a beautiful masterpiece to take home.... In fact it was so much fun I decided to make two paintings! Darice is a very gifted artist and a patient teacher - I would highly recommend doing this on your next Maui vacation! She also gives lessons to kids