Things to Do in Gardena

"One man's trash is another man's treasure" may be an overused saying to some, but to Art Rebel's crew of painters, it's a mantra. The instructors believe in dreaming up creative solutions to help the environment, and that includes teaching their students how to transform discarded items into masterpieces during eco-art classes. Nontoxic, eco-friendly paints grace paper and canvases in a variety of sessions with different themes, from graffiti-art to cartooning. Elsewhere, beautification meets youth outreach when Art Rebel's team teaches children how to paint public works and encrust their favorite foursquare court with bottle caps.

Student-created artwork lines the white walls of Hands-on 3rd's two studio spaces, the second of which belongs to partner company Art Works. The organizations share talented instructors, filling up the schedule at each location with drawing, painting, and sculpting classes from Art Works and yarn-work and sewing classes from Hands-on 3rd's staff. Whether a project requires a fresh stick of charcoal or a darning needle, an ample inventory arms students with the supplies needed to finish their projects, such as sketching a mustache on a dozing deskmate.

Surrounded by walls tacked with sunny works of art, rows of easels prop up paintings in progress, their evolving canvases commanding the attention of aspiring artists. This scene plays out every day at Paint Lab, a creative haven where talented instructors ignite pupils' imaginations with positive encouragement. The studio's classes teach the technical elements of acrylic, watercolor, or oil painting while students craft their own rendition of a classic work, capture the human form in figure-drawing sessions, or turn their pen toward anime and cartoons. Adults pique their artistic sensibilities with liquid inspiration during classes that provide refreshments and cheese, and younger Picassos can pay homage to their favorite lunchbox by painting it in battle dress during after-school or weekend children's workshops.

An online wine community, Bottlenotes connects vino enthusiasts in the pursuit of discussing wines, getting recommendations, and connecting with experts. Staff members organize public interactive tastings in 10 major cities, gathering people of varying experience to sample vintages and blends from around the world or from a particular region. Each interactive event expands into creative spaces, such as art galleries and museums, emulating the ancient practice of how artists celebrate their paintings' birthdays.

Bottlenotes' online wine collection—supplied through retailer Sherry-Lehmann—gives enophiles a communal browsing space for popular tipples. To help guide purchases, the website's interactive forum lets commenters share their tasting notes and wine ratings for each bottle. A daily e-newsletter also fills subscribers' inboxes with articles discussing interesting winemakers, wine-related products, and winemaking regions, keeping them up-to-date on current wine trends and the migration patterns of grapes.