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We passed the hues of the last sunset of 2013 and its colours transcended to first dawn of 2014.  Arts & Education  continues on the path of artistic stimulation, constant discoveries and a creative journey. We would like to take this opportunity to showcase the editor's picks for the year, and to thank our readers for their continued support. Wish you all a blessed 2014. ❏ Intarsia - Painting with wood The atmosphere under the crisp Caribbean sunshine at Barbados Crop Over craft market was reminiscent of fun and frolic. Tucked away from the excitement, Mario Smith displayed the intarsia art he creates. Necessity is the mother of all invention, it is said, and Smith, who worked as a joiner - making doors, windows, and kitchen cupboards - had to stay home after his son was born. ❏ Art of Sushi - The edible Zen garden It's as austere as its land of origin, yet complex and intriguing, pressed, meticulously laid out, rolled and neatl...

Labour of boundless patience, care and love "Discipline is rooted in Japanese society," says Kaori Saito, cultural officer at the Embassy of Japan in Jamaica. "You follow rules, concentrate on what you do and communicate often with yourself." Saito's words capture the essence of bonsai, an ancient Japanese art form taking root in Jamaica - figuratively and literally. Inspiration can come in many forms, and often, it comes from unexpected places. Lionel Derizzio and Nigel Parke gravitated to bonsai because of Mr Miyagi, the karate teacher in the 1984 Hollywood film  The Karate Kid . For Derizzio, a former banker and past president of the Jamaica Horticultural Society, seeds of bonsai - which literally means plantings in a tray (bon: tray-like pot; sai - plantings) - began germinating in his mind. He has since been meticulously trimming, replanting, and giving shape to roots and leaves. "Bonsai is a great hobby," Derizzio says. "The ...