Paul Roustan is an extremely gifted body painter. Can you tell there is a woman in the center of this moth?
Watch her emerge:
I recommend looking at his whole body of work (pun intended) here.
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While the whole concept of hyperrealism is to defy the eye in mimicry of real scenery or photographs, I’m nevertheless stunned to see the heights of talent some artists reach in this area. Case in point: Jason de Graaf.
The exactness of proportion and contour needed to pull off multiple reflective spheres in this kind of work is nothing short of incredible.
. In reference to his work, he states “My paintings are about staging an alternate reality, an illusion of verisimilitude on the painted surface. I try to use objects as a vehicle to express myself, tell a story or least hint at something beyond what is actually painted. Therefore I try to choose objects that have meaning to me or are artifacts from my life.”
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Over at Wilson Graphics, you will find an awesome array of porthole wall decals, featuring space and sea scenery
I’d love to have one of these (probably a space image) in a quirky home library.
What other world would YOU like a porthole to show?
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Check out this re-purposed microscope lamp from Northern Electric on Etsy.
I would love to make something like this if I could ever find a great deal on a busted vintage microscope at a flea market! Anyone getting rid of one? 🙂
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Why did calling cards ever go out of fashion? Sure, we have hundreds of ways to bombard each other with introductions online (or in person…do people still meet that way?), but calling cards had style.
From The Art of Manliness (wow, what a great blog name!):
In the 19th century, gentlemen used calling cards to formally introduce themselves to new acquaintances and to call upon friends and relatives in a dignified way. But there was another type of card used when a gentleman wanted to get the ball rolling with a lovely lady in a more casual way: the acquaintance card.
The cards were designed as a comical way for a gentleman to break the ice, start a conversation, and flirt with the opposite sex. Sometimes the humor was overt, and sometimes it derived from the way the messages parodied the formal rules of etiquette — it wasn’t actually considered appropriate to ask for your calling card back or volunteer your escorting services so directly, as some of these cards do.
Now THIS man is willing to risk his gun, his dog and his shoes to be acquainted with a lady.
Source
Also, check out this Acquaintance Card Flikr Set! -
Roq La Rue now has the latest collection from one of my all time favorite artists Camille Rose Garcia: La Danse Macabre.
And I must say, she delivers once again with this one!
Her worlds come alive in the ambiguous ground between a fairy tale and fever dream.
She makes each of her collections unique with their own distinct color scheme (ah, it was a pink/beach/black that drew me in all those years ago!). I’m definitely digging the royal blue here.
I LOVE the way she paints hands; delicate, sinister, long bony fingers…
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While I figured Europe would be my destination continent when I can finally travel…Lion Sands Game Reserve in South Africa seems to be the perfect getaway for romantic introverts like me.
Lion Sands offers guests the opportunity to stay in their choice of five lodges and three tree houses, each with its own unique experience. The lodges have spacious rooms with private decks that overlook gorgeous sights such as the Sabie River and Kruger National Park. For the more adventurous traveler, the tree houses provide the opportunity to sleep under the stars.
As someone who travels with a tendency to view sights and take in the full sensory experience of a place (rather than chatting up and partying with the locals), this place looks spectacular to me.
Since lodgings are on a wildlife reserve, one might even get to watch the roaming lions, giraffes and other beautiful creatures. I would chat up the local giraffes though, if they came over to say hello.
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Alicia Martin Lopez drew me in with this ambiguous, fascinating mural (stare at it all you want…you’ll never really know what it is):
And I was pleased to discover a cadre of surreal, grotesque creatures on her website…
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In 1871 came one of the first automata to appear in the toy scene, patented by Robert J. Clay. You can find more about it here.
My favorite paragraph about the piece is the following:
Despite Clay’s belief that his toy would be very amusing, it had limited appeal for its target audience of little girls. It looks scary, weighs a lot and isn’t particularly interactive. It’s more of an exhibition piece than a cuddly toy, and once the mechanism broke (which happened often with the earlier models), its heaviness and hardness made it a dead weight rather than a doll that could be integrated into regular play.
I wonder how many of these clumsily creeping wonders were mass produced. Two decades later, the world was graced with Edison’s Talking Doll.
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The recent guest post over at Morbid Anatomy showcases a truly amazing item: The Bayer Aspirin Prayer Card.
Made in the style of traditional holy cards in the 1940’s, this glow in the dark mass produced devotional object implies that faith is awesome…but for bodily ailments there’s aspirin (Jesus can’t fix it? Take a pill!). If you look at the image for thirty seconds, then view a white surface, it shows “God.”
I’ve actually never seen a black holy card, only the kitschy technicolor variety. What a great collector’s item. Can’t beat an endorsement from The Lord, now can we?
SheWalksSoftly 