Charlotte, North Carolina Travel Guide

Charlotte is a commercial hub and major city in North Carolina. Its city center Uptown is home to Discovery Place and Levine Museum which explores post-civil war history. From amazing food to Nascar and more, here are some of the reasons to visit Charlotte, North Carolina.

While Charlotte has some very historic properties, the Dunhill is one of your best options. It’s like stepping back in time every single stay. Most hotels feel like clones of each other, not the Dunhill, dating back to 1929 staying here is an experience. From the second you walk into this landmark, you will appreciate the gilded age touches in the lobby to the hallways and of course the well-appointed rooms.

There are over 50 breweries in the Charlotte Region which is exploding almost as rapidly as the population growth of the Queen City. If you like craft brews, you will love Charlotte. One great idea is to walk or ride The Charlotte Rail Trail so you can hop between many breweries. If you want to try something different, hit up Lenny Boy Brewing known for their Kombucha which is a fermented tea that’s not only healthy but is surprisingly tasty. Cap off a rail-trail beer crawl at Suffolk Punch which has the most social vibe of all the breweries. Check out where they brew their stuff and enjoy some of Charlotte’s finest beer.

While Charlotte has a fair share of pro sports teams, there’s something special about attending a minor league baseball game and BB&T Ballpark is one heck of a setting. The Charlotte Knights have an incredible triple-A facility. For the hardcore baseball fan, the sidelines are incredible and the view of Uptown Charlotte over the outfield wall is better than at many big-league Ballparks. This has been voted one of minor league baseball’s best stadiums. But even if you are not a huge baseball fan, there’s still plenty to keep you entertained like the crazy mascot Homer the Dragon.

The Plaza Midwood is a trendy and rather quirky neighborhood of Charlotte. Plaza Midwood is a can’t miss neighborhood of Charlotte, full of unique shops and restaurants. Feast Food Tour will help you learn all about it. This food tour has a bit of everything from Pizza to burgers and even smoothies all while learning about Plaza Midwood. You can even try Cheer wine, a North Carolina classic.

You could walk around Uptown Charlotte but it is smart to pick up one of the many scooters parked all over the city and getting around in style for as little as 33 cents a minute. Download any of the scooter apps like Lime, punch in your location and unlock a neat form of transport. Uptown Charlotte Has some great sites, so zip around as the city passes you by. This is the perfect quick way to explore the busiest parts of Queen City and have a little fun at the same time.

When the lights go down in Charlotte, it’s time for some cocktails and the Queen City has some great choices. If you are into Rooftops, we recommend Nuvole. 22 Floors above the city, enjoy your libations high above in a classy joint. Dot Dot Dot A is another one, it is a prohibition-style bar. You need to be a member to get in but membership at $10 which can be pre-paid online has its privileges. This speakeasy by Stefan Hubner whose nickname is the Wizard of Whiskey knows how to make a drink. The great-tasting cocktail paired with the incredible decor inside makes this place a must-visit if you are in the Queen City and want a great night out.

Charlotte has some amazing museums and Nascar is the king of the queen city. If you can’t make it out to the Charlotte Motor Speedway coming to the NASCAR Hall of Fame is the next best thing. The Hall of Fame is part museum part shrine to some of the legends of the sport. If you know nothing about Nascar, you will find this place super fascinating. You can practice being in the pit crew or just wander around staring at all the amazing memorabilia and exhibits.

Another museum we highly recommend is the Levine Museum of the New South whose exhibits focus on life in the south after the civil war. See what it was like living in the south in the 19th century. Learn more about the sit-in movement and fight for civil rights. This is a great spot for families and children.

What does a painting depict?

A painting is an art that has multiple meanings. The people who know about this art value the paintings too. They know the real meaning of the painting and know what has the painter shows in his painting.

What do you think about it? Does a painting represent the physical reality or mind’s eye of the painter or anything else that you can’t judge if you are not a nature lover? Something, that you should know is, painting is all about your imagination.

Physical Reality

According to some people, the painting is only about the physical reality as it shows the scenes of the world, the natural beauty, the usual objects and much more. A usual painting can be an art or the reflection of objects like the cup of coffee places on the table beside window, two girls swinging in the garden and much more. You may also find the natural scenes in the painting. This all about the painter who has created the painting.

While representing a painting, it should be noticed that painting is always different from the reality. For an example, it can’t be as clear as the natural views. Although, these paintings share the same emotional values, but it can never be as same as nature. In actual, we don’t talk about the painting is showing real effects or not? Our main focus is always on the vision lie what does the painting shows to other and what is its mean?

The Mind’s eye of the painter

This is generally an interpretation that is attached to the painting. There will always be a vision or the message in the painting. Sometimes, the painters use the combination of the colors to show the real message and put it in front of others. So you just need to imagine the points that can be available in the minds of the painter while working on that paintings. Whether it’s a painting of a city skyline or a deep tissue massage, the interpretation of the art will always differ.

Sometimes you can judge the painter’s emotions and vision by watching at the colors he has used in the painting. So be realistic and have the best painting for you.

Top paintings by da Vinci

Due to all he has accomplished, Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci is now recognized as a major example of the ‘’Universal Genius’’. He was involved in a broad range of fields ranging from engineering, botany, anatomy and science. Nonetheless, after his death, his popularity was major because of his skill as a painter.

His comprehensive knowledge of botany, anatomy, botany and light aided him in the creation of some of the most popular works in history. He is recognized for making his paintings seem more alive than those of others.

Below are some of the most famous paintings ever created by Leonardo Da Vinci.

They include;

The Adoration of the Magi
This was the first commission of prestige by DaVinci. It was offered to him by the monks of san Donato. Nonetheless, the painting was not completed as Leonardo left for Milan the next year. This unfinished painting shows Virgin Mary and baby Jesus alongside the Magi kneeling in adoration as well as a group of people crowding them.

7 Annunciation
This painting shows when the Archangel Gabriel paid a visit to Virgin Mary. The angel was sent by God to inform her of how she would conceive miraculously and birth Jesus, the Son of God. The subject was very famous for artworks and was shown a lot of times in the Renaissance. Annunciation has been called the masterpiece of a lot of artists but of recent times, it was proven to be as a result of a partnership between Da Vinci alongside his master Andrea del Verrocchio.

St. John the Baptist
This painting shows St. John the Baptist, who was an iconic figure in Christianity who utilized baptism as his core sacrament. Before this work, St. John the Baptist had been traditionally shown as a lean ascetic and the innovative depiction by Leonardo was influential in the future portrayals of the saint including that of Raphael who was another famous artist. The painting is also recognized for the mysterious smile of St, john and for being the last painting by Da Vinci.

Most Famous Paintings by Pablo Picasso

Pablo Ruiz y Picasso was an artist from Spain who lived through the year 1991-1973. He was an artist known to many as one of the greatest painters that ever lived. He was among the artists with the most influence in the twentieth century.

He changed past practices and helped in creating the movement of art known as Cubism that aided in revolutionizing the European sculpture and painting.

Picasso was a very remarkable artist and asides from the fact that he produced a massive volume of work in other media, he was responsible for the creation of about 1900 paintings throughout his career. The owners of a lot of high end companies are big fans of Picasso’s work and like to view his paintings any chance they get. There are a lot of his paintings which fall among the most expensive paintings ever sold, but his other famous works can be located in museums.

Below are some of the most famous paintings by Picasso.

They include;

Ma Jolie ( English name; My pretty girl)
Picasso aided in pioneering cubism which was an art movement that revolutionized the European sculpture and painting. The first phase of this movement was Analytic cubism and it was characterized by minimizing the forms into typical geometric parts and a propensity towards single utilization of color. The painting is an ideal example of the Analytic cubist style.

La Vie ( English name; Life)
The term utilized in referring to the body of work of Pablo Picasso between 1901 and 1904 was the blue period. The paintings in this time were basically monochromatic utilizing shades of blue-green and blue. This period was partly caused by the suicide of Carlos Casagemas who was a close friend of Picasso. He was a poet and an art student who shot himself because of his one-sided love for Germaine Pichot who was an artist’s model.

Three Musicians
As at now, this artwork can be observed in the modern art museum of new York. It is part of a bunch of paintings Picasso painted alongside his young family in the Fontainebleau in the year 1921. The three musicians is a painting that measures over 2 meters in height and width.

Seated Woman (Marie-Therese)
This painting was created at the beginning of a year Picasso produced a lot of remarkable paintings. In this painting, Picasso utilized his skill of green and red polarization to provide additional animation dimension.

Famous paintings by Van Gogh

Van Gogh’s life was one of tragedy and hardship. Even though he is now recognized as one of the most renowned Dutch painters in history, he stayed unknown and poor all through his life. He began to attain the recognition he deserved after he was dead.

He was well known for his amazing utilization of color and he went along with the theme of beauty and emotion. He suffered from mental illness and committed suicide at the age of 37. A lot of people got to know Van Gogh because he cut off his ear, but he displayed a completely different aspect in his paintings. He was an individual with lots of talent whose paintings keeps inspiring artists around the world to date.

Vincent Van Gogh’s Famous Paintings

During his very short life, Van Gogh produced over 2,000 paintings. Overall he created over 1,300 sketches, drawings, and watercolors as well as 860 oil paintings. His mother was alive long enough to see his legacy grow and now, his paintings are one of the most expensive in the world.

Below are a few of his most famous works. They include;

The Starry Night

The starry night is a print which is highly sought after. This painting is made memorable by the swirling clouds and stars that light up the little town below. The utilization of a thoughtful color and curved lines both make available interest and depth. Every part of this painting has resulted in its popularity. Like some of his other work, this painting was produced while he was at the asylum.

Irises

This is another remarkably famous work by Van Gogh. After various self-mutilations and hospitalizations, He painted more than 100 paintings during his stay in the asylum making use of the clinic and the gardens surrounding him as his subjects.

He started to paint during his first week of staying in the asylum. The utilization of black contours in the flowers was a major part of the woodblock prints of the Japanese. Although this painting may not have been observed as a masterpiece by Van Gogh, it was sold for a remarkable price of $54 million.

Most famous paintings in the world

Among the vast amount of paintings that have been produced and displayed in museums and galleries all over the world, there are just a few of them that end up making history. These few paintings are well known by individuals of all ages all around the world and would perhaps continue to leave impressions on the minds of individuals for a long time to come.

Below are some of the most famous paintings in the world. They include;

Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci

This is the major attraction in the Louvre museum located in Paris where it is continuously viewed by more than five million people on a yearly basis. It was painted by Leonardo da Vinci between 1503 and 1504.

The Last Supper by  Leonardo da Vinci

This painting is another very famous painting but it is not displayed in any museum. It is instead placed on the back wall of the Santa Maria Della Grazie monastery’s dining hall. It is situated in Milan, Italy. This painting was created by Leonardo da Vinci. It shows Jesus and his disciples having the Last supper.

The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo

This was produced by Michelangelo around the year 1508 and 1512. It is situated in the Vatican city, Rome on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel. This is just one of nine parts from the book of genesis that are located in the center of the chapel’s ceiling.

Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh

This is one of the most recognized paintings in modern culture. I first saw a rendition of this painting at my friends place. He owns Edmonton roofing so I was a little surprised to see this masterpiece hanging in his house. However, once you see this in real life, it’s easy to see why this piece would add to anyone’s decor. It was painted by Vincent van Gogh who was a Dutch artist in 1889. This painting makes a permanent collection of the museum of modern art located in New York. This painting inspired the song Vincent which is also recognized as ‘’starry starry night’’ by Don McLean. This song made reference to this painting alongside many other famous paintings by Van Gogh.

The Scream – Edvard Munch

This is the most famous work by Edvard Munch and it was created around 1893. This painting was done using pastel and oil on cardboard. This remarkable painting is being displayed at the National Gallery in Oslo, Norway.

World’s most famous artists

Art is unlike almost all other forms of entertainment which most people are aware of. So it takes a lot of effort for an artist to be very popular and attain the reputation of being popular.

The fact is, to be a renowned artist, it means your work has survived the test of time and that is the case with the artists mentioned below.

Some of the most famous artists in the world include the following;

Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso without a doubt is one of the most famous artists that ever lived. He was born in Málaga, Spain. His name is almost the same as modern art and he had an image suited to that of a genius outlaw who had ambitions that were matched by his desire to live largely.

Vincent van Gogh
Van Gogh was well known to be unstable mentally. This was due to the fact that he cut off his own ear after being in an argument with a fellow painter. Nonetheless, his paintings make up some of the most famous and cherished paintings of all time. His method of painting that utilized flurries of thick brushes consisting of bright colors squeezed directly from the tube served as an inspiration to many more artists after him.

Jackson Pollock
He was obstructed by his love for alcohol and being an alcoholic. He was also clumsy and had self-doubt in his ability to be a painter. Pollock surpassed his limitations in a short period between 1947 and 1950 when he created drip abstractions that found him a spot in history till date.

Michelangelo
Michelangelo was a sculptor, an architect as well as a painter. He also had a flair for writing poetry. He also moved a lot between Venice, Florence, and Bologna. His most renowned commissions were done for the Medici popes located in Rome.

Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo is said to be a genius asides for his masterpieces like the Last Supper, Mona Lisa and the Lady with an Ermine. He was also well known for his technological drawings which were utilized 500 years in the future.