
Drawn by their iridescent beauty, many races and peoples have used feathers as adornment or accessory to decorate themselves using entire feathers from the bird

Today our art of living well has evolved since antiquity in Europe to a residence in Australia through a diverse and special mix of peoples and their cultures.

Modernism is a term the art and design community of our contemporary western world has adopted to describe a diverse range of architectural and interior decorative styles, as well as applied and graphic arts created between approximately 1880 and 1940 on an international scale.

For Everyone: Words and Paintings from Brisbane based artist Kathryn Brimblecombe-Fox will be launched on February 23 at the Fireworks Gallery at Brisbane.

Our understanding of the meaning of both liberty and justice is at the very heart of the establishment of today’s modern western culture.

By the eighteenth century in Europe and England all things Chinese had assumed incredible proportions as fashionable society sought to transmit their ideas about the magical land of Cathay through a multiplicity of imagery.

Men of style who are in Vogue have always looked ‘sharp’ and sensational. As my daughter in law would say, wow, they are sure eye candy on a massive scale.

An exhibition at the National Gallery of London until February 5, 2012 concentrates on work produced during the period of his life spent in Milan when Ludovico Sforza sponsored him (1482 – 1499).

Ann Thompson OAM, Director of Medici Concerts has worked tirelessly to offer a program celebrating twenty years of great classical music composed for great musicians

Sherlock Holmes side kick Dr Watson is superbly played by Martin Freeman. He is truly finding his own feet and momentum now and along with Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes they must both give the writers a great deal of inspiration just by the sheer excellence of their performances. They are a dynamic duo par excellence.

A connoisseur, scholar and devout Buddhist, within the forbidden city Chinese Emperor Qianlong created a luxurious garden compound to serve throughout his retirement as a secluded place of contemplation, repose and entertainment. When the city was shut down following the Chinese revolution of 1911 – 1912 many of its treasures gathered dust for a century. Now, through a great deal of international cooperation and negotiation they have been conserved and sent on tour.

On our You Tube Channel you will find our mini-documentaries, which provide an insight into the evolution of art, design, music, fashion and style.

Nonesuch Palace Henry VIII’s favourite haven was a heaven on earth according to excavations carried out by archaeologists 1959-60 of the site where it had stood

According to the French couturier Valentino, ‘roses impose a tranquility of peace upon the image of woman. Dresses and accessories with oversized roses…are something bold and yet mysterious, an evocative symbol of life, the earth, civilization and the beauty of creation’

Riveting reading, considered DVD watching and beautiful music listening are all great can-do activities for the festive holiday season, as are long walks each day. This is the time of year we all need to recharge not only our body batteries, but also refresh our mind, spirit and soul.

Ardent socialist and playwright George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) lived a life of literary criticism dealing sternly with prevailing social issues, but with a lightness of touch that made stark realities palatable. He said ‘Imagination is at the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine, and at last you create what you will’. The 60′s was the age of those who dared to dream a dream and then went out and made it happen.