Yesterday, the kids and I made our regular visit to Cultures Week at Oakton Community College. The annual event features multicultural discussions, presentations and performances - all open to the public. And free!We enjoyed the Cultural Sampling, where we tried tastes of different foods from around the world. Our favorites wound up being from Russia. Charlie and I really liked the beet salad, while Lili devoured her sample (and her brother's) of the halvah, a sweet made with sesame paste.
Even though we enjoyed the food, the highlight of our day was seeing Aloha Brush Art in action. Mervin Papa, the talented artist, was amazing to watch.
He "illuminated" names for people, creating island-themed letters in various forms, such as flowers, fish, parrots, and flamingos. The kids and I watched him working, awed by his skill and the beauty of his artwork.His table was very popular, and he was constantly surrounded by on-lookers, and conversing with people as he worked. As we watched, I couldn't help thinking that this would be so cool at a wedding! (What can I say, all roads lead to weddings for me.) When I chatted with Merv, he confirmed that he does weddings. Wouldn't it be fun to have him creating his artwork with guests' names?
Well, that got me thinking - his artwork would also be a wonderful keepsake for a couple. They could have their names & wedding date made into a one-
of-a-kind piece that they could enjoy forever. This artwork would also be a great gift for members of the bridal party. The possibilities are endless.So, as I chatted a bit with Merv and snapped some pictures, I realized that there were so many people in line ahead of us. Even though the kids begged to stay, we had to get to their piano lessons.Charlie & Lili were disappointed, but they still had fun watching.
Maybe if I write their names with stick figures they'd be satisfied? No, I guess not.
In any case, check out Aloha Brush Art for unique gifts and amazing entertainment for your event.
