Art Smart Gift Ideas this Holiday Season

11/30/2015

A few days from now, it's going to be December. And we all know what that means!

Check out these Art Smart gift ideas! Perfect as the holiday season draws near :)

Art Smart Gift Certificates are priced at PHP 800 each. Get 2 Art Smart Gift Certificates and pay only PHP 1,500!

Our Paint-Your-Own Canvas Bags are perfect gifts, too this holiday season! A Paint-Your-Own Canvas Bag Kit contains a blank canvas bag, 5 colors of paint, a paint brush, and a paint palette.

Paint-Your-Own Canvas Bag Kits with hand-drawn designs are priced at PHP 350 each and those without hand-drawn designs are PHP 300 each.

For more inquiries about our gift ideas, please do contact us here or send us a message on Facebook!

Art Smart Art Classes are for Adults too!

11/26/2015

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Here at Art Smart, we get asked a lot if adults can enroll in our classes.

Of course! :)

Adults can enroll in our classes whether it is for a trial session, the 6 two-hour sessions, and the 12 one-hour sessions. Pay-per-session art classes apply also to adults curious to know what’s in store for them.

Our marketing may be a bit too kid-friendly, but everyone is welcome to enroll and join our classes.

And just as there are many benefits art classes have for kids, the same apply to adults.

Creating art is a great stress buster

Painting, drawing, coloring, and photography are examples of rewarding hobbies that can lower stress levels, leaving you feeling lighter and calmer.

Photo source: www.etsy.com

If you are looking for a form of distraction to whatever it is that is bothering you, give your mind a break from the thoughts and worries that are running in your head and start creating art.

Doing art is another way to access a meditative state of mind

This is quite related to the first point.

Photo source: www.istock.com

When you create art, your mind learns to focus on the activity sitting right in front of you, pushing aside otherwise negative thoughts. Studies have shown that creating art taps a deeper and quieter part of ourselves. We learn to accept our feelings and thoughts without judgment, and of course, we learn to relax both our body and mind.

Additionally, creating art trains you to concentrate and pay attention to your surroundings. It's like doing yoga minus the mat and the intricate poses.

Art helps you think creatively

It’s quite common to hear adults say that they feel their minds start to get a little rusty as they get older.

But when you think about it, that’s the power of suggestion working right there. It will only get rusty if you let it.

According to Lawrence Katz, a pioneer in neuron regeneration research, art is an example of an activity wherein the brain is exercised to develop new and novel ways of thinking.

With art, there is no right or wrong answer. A person doing art is always encouraged to imagine, think outside of the box, and find unique solutions.

Remember: You can protect that brain from aging with art. Start crafting hobbies that interest you – painting, cross stitching, baking and even gardening if you want to unleash your inner Martha Stewart!

Creating art boosts self-esteem

We all deserve to have that pat on the back from time to time.

And just as you feel proud hanging your kids' art projects at home or on the refrigerator door, you'll also feel the same proud feeling once you hang yours.

Photo from Ms. Lucy Sy

If you're thinking of an inspiration for your first artwork, think of the places you've visited or that lovely play you watched recently. Anything you want to relive – really!

And once you are able to accomplish what you set out to do whether it took you months to finish your painting project, that lifting "I DID IT!" feeling is super rewarding.

More than these wonderful benefits, attending art classes is a great way to meet new people as well. Your co-parents here at Art Smart might just become your new circle of friends!

Photo from Ms. Joan Cosico

Join us! Do check out our rates here and see our schedules below. And as we always say, it’s never too late to learn something new.

See you in our studios! :)

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5 Things You Need to Know About Impressionism

11/21/2015

As you all know, we tackle different art histories here at Art Smart, and one of them is Impressionist Art or Impressionism.

What is Impressionism and how did it start?

Impressionism is considered the first distinctly modern movement in painting. It was originated by a group of Parisian artists in the 1860s that rejected the government-sanctioned exhibitions, called the Paris Salon.

The Paris Salon is an annual exhibit of art sponsored by the French government. It started in 1863 and to receive a medal from the Salon was an assurance of a successful career.

Of course, this stirred a lot of intrigue and scandal among those who got awarded with the medal and those who were not even given a chance to showcase their work.

Artists who were shunned away by the Paris Salon had a common theme in their work - it had a momentary and sensory effect of a scene, like an impression objects made on the senses.

Eventually, these artists, who we now refer to as Impressionists, were able to exhibit their artworks outside the Salon. They moved from the traditional studio to the streets and the countryside.

Where was it anchored on?

At the time when Impressionism was born, there already was the scientific thought that what the eye perceived and what the brain understood were two completely different things.

Impressionists wanted to convey what the eyes can see, how it captures the passage of time, the changes in surroundings, the weather and other shifts in nature.

You will notice this common thread among the works of popular Impressionists.

Who then are the popular Impressionists?

Claude Monet, as in our example above, is considered the founder of Impressionist painting.