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.

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.

My daughter attended two weeks of art camp at Rainbow Art Studio, and she absolutely loved every…read moreminute of it! She came home every day excited about what she created and couldn't wait to go back the next morning. The counselors were kind, encouraging, and clearly know how to nurture kids' creativity--Parker told us she made new friends and felt really supported the whole time. She was so into drawing and painting that her hand would actually hurt from how much she was creating (in the best way possible!). She was also incredibly proud of the artwork she brought home at the end of each camp. As a parent, it was such a joy to see her inspired, engaged, and proud of what she accomplished. We highly recommend Rainbow Art Studio to any family with a creative kid (or one looking to be more creative)!

My daughter loves Rainbow art studio! She has been taken art classes after school/summer camp since…read morekindergarten and her art skill is improved so much!! All teachers are very kind and friendly. For summer camp, she creates artwork based on themes each week and we love to build her art gallery wall in the hallway. I highly recommended Rainbow art studio for all art lover kids!!

"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.

I just participated in the clay ring holder workshop. It was so fun! I haven't played/worked with…read moreclay in yeeeeeeeaaaaaars so it really nice to go through the motions again, just create, and embrace the creative juices brewing. Definitely would recommend as a fun afternoon because it was totally non-intimidating. It's a great way to just relax and socialize with a varied group of women !

Claire taught a class for an event with my Meetup group. Communication was great and last minute…read moreadjustments were handled with ease. Claire is a great teacher, very patient with the students and made everyone comfortable no matter their artistic ability (or lack thereof in my case). The park class setup was cute and felt very cozy with the cushions and tables. Everything was all set up nicely. I will book many more events, I'm already looking for another day on the calendar!

I would recommend this specific location to families wanting to experience Keiki Kingdom. We've…read morebeen here twice with our 6 kids and it's always been younger children playing which is a relief from the other location which allows older children and teens to participate on the second floor to which they do not always stay. The parking is good. It's fenced in which may seem suspicious but I'm sure it's an attempt to protect its customers and the business. This location had everything operating during our visit. The staff is very helpful and accommodating and the business is very clean. It's remarkably tidy in fact! Kudos to the staff. My kids enjoyed the slides the most. There is a lot for kids and toddlers to do here. There is one slide that I was concerned about where it's seemingly a straight drop but it's not but still my heart skips a beat when I think of a smaller child attempting to slide down it. So be warned. We visit during off hours where we nearly get the place to ourselves! And for anyone wondering, they do offer military discount! I would highly recommend this Keiki Kingdom Location above all.

I spent $98 to bring my three kids to Keiki Kingdom on Beretania for two hours, and unfortunately…read morethe experience felt like a bait-and-switch. The lack of customer service started before we even entered the play area. At check-in, I asked for specific sock sizes for my children and was met with complete indifference. It set the tone for the entire visit. Many of the attractions and play areas advertised were either closed, broken, incomplete, or poorly maintained. The zipline course was closed for the first hour of our visit. The train table had zero trains. The princess play area was nearly empty, with no costumes and very few toys. The play kitchen was missing most of its accessories, with only a couple drawers containing play food, and the SMEG play refrigerator was broken. The overall maintenance was disappointing. Several play areas felt neglected, and some equipment appeared to have been out of service for quite some time rather than temporarily unavailable. There were even broken claw machines and other unused equipment sitting around the facility, giving parts of the space the feeling of a toy graveyard rather than a premium children's play center. The facility simply did not reflect what is advertised online. What frustrated me most was the lack of staff engagement. My child became stuck inside the jungle gym, and when I asked a staff member for help, she looked at me and walked away. Whether it was a language barrier, lack of training, or simply not caring, there was no attempt to assist. There were also strange setup choices that made the experience worse. A speaker for the projector was mounted directly above the play kitchen area, blasting audio into children's ears while they were trying to play there. For nearly $100, I expect a clean, well-maintained facility with functioning attractions, stocked play areas, and staff who are willing to help families. Instead, we found broken equipment, closed attractions, empty play stations, and indifferent customer service. I don't mind paying premium prices for a great experience. I do mind paying premium prices for an experience that feels neglected and significantly different from what is advertised. The biggest disappointment wasn't that one or two things were broken. It was that broken attractions, empty play areas, disengaged staff, and obvious maintenance issues all existed at the same time.