Potpourri

Bullet portraits

2012-01-31T03:27:00.006+01:00

A fascinating if somewhat macabre idea: artist David Palmer creates portraits of famous people killed by gunshots using bullets as the main material. I quite like the John Lennon portrait in this series. First seen here.

Pupcakes

2012-01-30T03:43:00.004+01:00

Could also have gone under cute critters. The cupcakes themselves are worthwhile, the inclusion of a real dog in the picture makes it even more fun. First seen here.

Don't fence me in

2012-01-29T03:44:00.000+01:00

A wonderful creative variation on your typical fence. This combination of fence and benches was designed by Tejo Remy. First seen here.

Moonlight

2012-01-28T03:57:00.006+01:00

These type of photographs tend to get boring very quickly, but the linked list of pieces by French photographer Laurent Laveder includes some fun variations on the theme, such as the one shown above. First seen here.

Gardiner's Bach Cantatas

2012-01-27T04:27:00.005+01:00

In itself, these covers (dozens of different ones in this series) may not strike one as awful, but there is zero connection between the images selected (National Geography style portraits from around the world) and the music of Bach. The resulting covers are bewildering in their non sequitur effect. First seen here.

Scrabble

2012-01-26T03:34:00.000+01:00

A new name in the growing legion of artists who use small plastic figurines in real world settings: this gem is by Audrey Heller. First seen here.

Kiwano

2012-01-25T03:42:00.005+01:00

Taken from a list of 10 unusual exotic fruits, this is the New Zealand kiwano. I'd love to try it. By the way, I actually have tried four of the ten listed (dragon fruit, durian, passion fruit, rambutan). First seen here.

Google Earth carpets

2012-01-24T03:39:00.005+01:00

You are actually looking at a carpet. One taken from a series by German designer David Hanauer, who was inspired by the details and symmetric patterns he encountered when playing with Google Earth. First seen here.

Bug

2012-01-23T03:02:00.003+01:00

Some of the best and most artistic origami I have ever seen: kudos to Brian Chan for his series of insect creations. First seen here.

Milwaukee Library

2012-01-22T03:44:00.005+01:00

A worthy attempt by the Milwaukee Library to lure potential customers away from the computer - in this case, obviously Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. First seen here.

Skate board sculptures

2012-01-21T03:39:00.006+01:00

Japanese artist Haroshi creates his sculptures out of a large number of old, broken, or abandoned skateboards. As usual in cases such as this, just falling on the Potpourri side of the fence rather than Art for Art's sake material. First seen here.

I got rhythm

2012-01-20T03:52:00.006+01:00

Although this looks like a prize winning photoshop disaster, it is actually a straightforward news shot. It shows Anna Czarniecka of Poland performing on the hoop for a London 2012 test event: rhythmic gymnastics at the North Greenwich Arena. First seen here.

Deadlier than sharks

2012-01-19T03:31:00.006+01:00

Taken from an interesting pictorial list of 20 items/events/animals causing more deaths per year than that marine murderer, the shark. Some obvious, some very surprising. First seen here.

Beatles for Strings

2012-01-18T03:33:00.010+01:00

"You know, for the cover of our Beatles for Strings albums, it would be cute if we had the instruments on Abbey Road just like the original!" - "Done". Ewwwwwwww. What an awful effect. Let alone the inclusion of a horn and a clarinet on the cover of a Beatles for Strings album. Encountered on a music blog that I prefer not to link to.

Thinking outside the box

2012-01-17T03:47:00.002+01:00

The site I got this from did not list any further information or source, my best guess is that this is Thailand during recent flooding. Someone really thought outside the box here. First seen here.

Hi!

2012-01-16T03:44:00.005+01:00

I am not a big fan of cat pictures (I am a dog person after all), but this one is so cute I had to post it. First seen here.

McSmurf

2012-01-15T03:28:00.007+01:00

Usually Worth1000 creations end up in my art blog, provided they are excellent. This one is less artistic, but it made me smile. First seen here.

Made in China

2012-01-14T03:48:00.000+01:00

Fascinating idea and execution - but just falling on the Potpourri rather than the Art for Art's Sake side of the fence. Using thousands of plastic toy soldiers as his material, artist Joe Black has made this unique portrait of a Chinese soldier. First seen here.

Nike

2012-01-13T03:36:00.006+01:00

This Nike real world advertisement campaign is clever, but in the end perhaps it backfires... I for one would be pissed off when, while looking for a bench to sit, I would find this one. First seen here.

Step-by-step pulp painting

2012-01-12T03:23:00.012+01:00

I have featured brilliant illustrator Steve Thomas before in my main art blog with some of his specialized retro art deco posters. In a recent post in his own blog he describes in detail the steps leading to the creation of a commissioned wall painting in the style of the pulp novel covers of the early and mid 20th century. Fascinating to see how he arrives from the first ideas to the final product. First seen here.

Chromatic typewriter

2012-01-11T03:37:00.006+01:00

I have been meaning to include this beauty in the blog for a few weeks now, and when I encountered it again at the Amusing planet site, I went ahead. Washington-based painter Tyree Callahan modified a 1937 Underwood Standard typewriter by replacing the letters and keys with color pads and hue labels to create a functional painting typewriter, dubbed the Chromatic Typewriter. Most recently seen here.

The Polo factory

2012-01-10T03:39:00.001+01:00

No, not the Volkswagen, but a delightful photograph on the theme of little plastic people by Paul Stephens. First seen here.

Vincent

2012-01-09T03:19:00.005+01:00

Optical illusion paintings in general do not hold much interest for me, but this one really caught my eye. It was created by Ukrainian artist Oleg Shuplyak. First seen here.

Forbes

2012-01-08T03:30:00.000+01:00

I still feel flattered when my photographs are used by other sites, especially when big names like Forbes do this. Their article about the ban on social media for volunteers at the 2012 Olympic games came with my shot London 2012 as illustration. First seen here.

Lady bug

2012-01-07T03:44:00.003+01:00

The lady bug, which we call in Holland (translated obviously) our Lord's animal, is the only bug that could feature under cute critters. The others should take lessons from this species' PR department. Marvelous photograph as well. First seen here.

Rubik's Coasters

2012-01-06T02:38:00.006+01:00

I am clearly not alone in my appreciation of the nostalgia and aesthetics of the famous eighties' Rubik's cube. These coasters are a lovely variation on that theme. First seen here.

Samurai Star Wars

2012-01-05T03:02:00.009+01:00

Truly amazing stuff, these Samurai renditions of Star Wars themes. I created this compilation myself from three of the figures included in the link - from left to right, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Chewbacca, and Obi Wan Kenobi. First seen here.

Chocolate planets

2012-01-04T03:38:00.002+01:00

This would make an amazing gift, especially for an (amateur) astronomer. The remaining eight planets, after poor Pluto has been booted out, in chocolate editions. Great packaging as well. First seen here.

The best of science cat

2012-01-03T04:04:00.006+01:00

Here is a popular meme that normally does not appeal to me much - but this particular science cat made me smile. First seen here.

Excellent!

2012-01-02T03:14:00.005+01:00

The TLL (Totally Looks Like) site has featured before in my blog, but this one is so fitting that I had to show it. First seen here.

Hello 2012!

2012-01-01T01:02:00.000+01:00

One of the most stunning ways to welcome the new year, this Maya inspired poster. First seen here.

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T23:59:00.001+01:00

As 2011 draws to a close, my wife and I wish all the readers of this blog a great 2012. Make it a good one - dare to dream and dare to try to make those dreams reality. The past few months have seen us through two major decisions that will start next year. First, I have decided to take the option of early retirement in the middle of the year (at age 55) to fully enjoy life. Secondly, we have finally settled where our future will be. After a roller coaster of options throughout the year, with us seriously looking at Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Germany, we will in the end stay in Holland. We have bought a three centuries old house/shop combination in the medieval city of Kampen. My wife will be using the shop as studio and gallery to display her art, and I am sure that the medieval surroundings will do wonders for our photographic inspiration. We have dared to take the plunge - I advice you to do the same!

Lord of the Rains

2011-12-31T07:01:00.000+01:00

A fun behind the scenes shot from Lord of the Rings. If you like this, click the link for similar shots from many other movies. First seen here.

New York state of mind

2011-12-30T03:06:00.007+01:00

Talk about amazing. Stephen Wiltshire, an autistic artist, managed to draw a 6 m wide picture of New York from memory after a 20 minutes helicopter flight over the city. The mind boggles. First seen here.

Astonishing card trick

2011-12-29T14:27:00.000+01:00

Click the link to take part in a card trick that baffled me for a few seconds, until I figured it out. First seen here.

World Chocolate Wonderland

2011-12-29T03:15:00.005+01:00

One of Shanghai's latest attractions: the World Chocolate Wonderland. All exhibits are made of chocolate! So yes, you can eat it, but definitely only if you want to risk persecution... First seen here.

Nazgul

2011-12-28T02:43:00.007+01:00

One of the most striking pieces of Origami art that I have ever seen: a Nazgul rider from Lord of the Rings, designed and folded by Jason Ku. First seen here.

Sheep chair

2011-12-27T03:29:00.004+01:00

Seriously, who thinks up these monstrosities? I can't even begin to think who would want such a chair in their room. Yuck. Taken from a blog post that is mistitled "coolest armchairs" - many others may feature here in the future. First seen here.

Christmas snow flake

2011-12-26T17:11:00.000+01:00

A casual look and all you see is a snow flake, fitting for Christmas day. However, this image by photographer Simon Gardiner is definitely worth a second look. First seen here.

Towels

2011-12-26T03:46:00.007+01:00

Now why would I post a picture of some towels? And why is this under the cute critters category? Oh, wait... First seen here.

He knows when you are sleeping....

2011-12-25T16:56:00.002+01:00

Taken from a fun post on unintentionally creepy Santa Claus figures. You better watch out... First seen here.

Season's greetings

2011-12-25T03:30:00.015+01:00

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Corporate Communications department has been sending out the most beautiful season's greetings I have ever seen. This animated gif is based on a 1925 polychrome woodblock print by Japanese artist Kawase Hasui. First seen here.

Ice scream cubes

2011-12-24T03:26:00.003+01:00

Taken from a series of especially shaped ice cubes, I picked this one both fpr the art angle and the novelty aspect. First seen here.

Bruckner's Ninth

2011-12-23T03:05:00.006+01:00

Somehow the Bruckner symphonies appear to bring out the worst in designers of classical music CD covers. This is a prime example, stupid stance, strange combination with the Bruckner bust, bad background, bad font, bad all over actually. First seen here.

Melted

2011-12-22T03:41:00.005+01:00

I found this gem thanks to Jenny Downing. Wonderfully creative idea, well executed, and looking very appetizing as well... First seen here.

From polar bears with love

2011-12-21T03:17:00.001+01:00

They may be deadly predators, but they sure do look adorable when snuggled up to each other. And this makes a suitable post for the start of winter. First seen here.

Washin Optical

2011-12-20T03:00:00.001+01:00

Washin Optical is a chain with 245 stores in Japan, China, and England - and no idea what makes a good advertisement campaign. Photoshopping owl eyes into human faces does not make the potential customers run to the store to buy new spectacles - it simply creeps them out. First seen here.

Lord of the Simpsons

2011-12-19T02:51:00.006+01:00

A fascinating crossover between the world's most popular animated TV shows and the world's most popular fantasy book: Simpsons meet the Lord of the Rings. Artist Mary Johan Juver has created a series of these merger drawings, and I particularly like Mister Burns as Gollum. First seen here.

Pointillism on the street

2011-12-18T03:54:00.011+01:00

Graffiti does not get much more artistic than this. James Cochran creates his street art pieces with ultra-large pointillist effects by spraying paint. First seen here.

Eat your words?

2011-12-17T03:16:00.004+01:00

Well, with this typewriter you can go one step further... you can eat the complete typewriter, as it is made from gingerbread. B-o-n-A-p-p-e-t-i-t. First seen here.

Button sculptures

2011-12-16T03:05:00.007+01:00

Artist Augusto Esquivel makes stunning three-dimensional sculptures from sewing buttons, depicting objects like gramophones, clocks and pianos. Just falling on the Potpourri side of the fence between my two blogs. First seen here.

The walls are moving

2011-12-15T03:16:00.006+01:00

A fun use of a well-known optical illusion in a cartoon. First seen here.

Absolut stirring

2011-12-14T02:58:00.008+01:00

A wonderful seasonal varation on the famous Absolut Vodka advertisement campaigns - a play on the old Christmas poem The night before Christmas: " 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse". First seen here.

Film strip

2011-12-13T02:56:00.006+01:00

Another one of those imaginative and funny bent wire constructions by Terry Border - this one his version of a strip show, suitably subtitled "I think this could develop into something". First seen here.

Rubik's Pepper Mill

2011-12-12T02:27:00.003+01:00

One of the icons of the eighties, Rubik's (in)famous cube - now available as a pepper grinder. Actually, I would love to own one. First seen here.

Schweppes

2011-12-11T02:43:00.005+01:00

I could have posted this under Mixed Nuts as well. What were the advertisement executives at Schweppes thinking if? They must have paid quite a sum for this campaign, featuring Hollywood star Uma Thurman and renowned photographer David LaChapelle - and the result is this monstrosity? First seen here.

Snow White

2011-12-10T03:59:00.000+01:00

The linked site gives a look at Disney princesses quite different from usual: Finnish graphic design student Jirka Vaatainen created realistic portraits of iconic characters from Disney animated films. My favourite is Snow White - she is absolutely gorgeous. First seen here.

Bismuth

2011-12-09T03:12:00.006+01:00

Simply gorgeous, this artificially grown crystal of bismuth oxide. In case you think this is a microscope shot, the grey cube next to the crystal is a piece of bismuth metal of 1 cm in diameter... First seen here.

VW Yin Yang

2011-12-08T02:04:00.006+01:00

A fun variation on the yin yang symbol, utilizing a black and a white VW beetle - a sculpture in Rio de Janeiro. First seen here.

Trying too hard

2011-12-07T04:20:00.003+01:00

Taken from a series of model shoots where either the photographer or the model herself was clearly trying too hard to get an unusual pose. First seen here.

Simplicity

2011-12-06T02:53:00.002+01:00

A classic, this original answer to a mathematics exam question. I think I picked this one up at the Fukung site.

P is for Potpourri

2011-12-05T04:20:00.008+01:00

A great example of the clever photography of Bela Borsodi, who uses nothing but ordinary objects and people to create the letters of the English Alphabet. First seen here.

Literal image

2011-12-04T02:58:00.004+01:00

Taken from a series of literal images that are sometimes just OK, and sometimes really funny. I particularly liked this one. Got it? Sex tape... First seen here.

Book tent

2011-12-03T03:53:00.006+01:00

One of many, many fun designs for tents, available on-line from the FieldCandy company. This one was designed by Jack Maxwell. First seen here.

Philosiraptor strikes

2011-12-02T02:57:00.005+01:00

The Philosiraptor is one of the oldest meme's around, but this is the first one that I really like. Profound and thought provoking. First seen here.

Two years of Potpourri

2011-12-01T03:51:00.001+01:00

Can't believe two years have already gone by since I started this second blog as alternative outlet for things that do not fit my main blog Art for Art's Sake. Image sourced from here.

The Mona Lisa experience

2011-11-30T03:06:00.008+01:00

When I encountered this picture on the web last weekend, I was stunned - I have seen the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, and this is not at all like I remembered. Turns out that in April 2005 the painting was moved to a new location within the museum, where it is displayed in a purpose-built, climate-controlled enclosure behind bulletproof glass. About 6 million people view the painting at the Louvre each year - and most of them from a distance by the looks of it. Baffling that the tourists flock together to catch a glimpse of this one, rather than spend their time leisurely looking in detail at all the other treasures. First seen here.

Storseisundet bridge

2011-11-29T02:51:00.000+01:00

I have blogged about this special Norwegian bridge before in Art for Art's Sake, but this angle on "the bridge to nowhere" is really special. First seen here.

The 20 worst Life covers

2011-11-28T03:31:00.006+01:00

What makes this list of 20 worst Life Magazine covers of all time so special is that the magazine editors compiled it themselves. This gem is from December 1967, and in their own words "Mix one part LSD with one part liberal guilt, drop a black-and-white photo on top of a multi-colored illustration, and you get . . . . this." Highly recommended to click through them all. First seen here.

Music everywhere

2011-11-27T03:00:00.000+01:00

I would love to credit whomever it was that made this little masterpieces of musical instrument insects crawling over music sheets. Simply love it. First seen here.

Liza(rd) Minelli

2011-11-26T03:43:00.005+01:00

Ever since our years in Singapore I despise gekko's: they laid eggs in my laser printer and decomposed in the company's coffee machine. I would never have expected to see one of these critters draw a "cute" from me, but this one did. First seen here.

Canary Warf 3D - a new world record

2011-11-25T03:54:00.009+01:00

This amazing 3D drawing at a street in London's Canary Warf is the new record holder for biggest 3D street artwork to date. The piece is nearly 350 ft long and measures 9,601 square feet. First seen here.

Fish eyes

2011-11-24T03:00:00.002+01:00

I'm pretty sure I have seen such a photograph before (I may even have posted it here in the past), but it made me smile. So I decided to share it. First seen here.

Pointillism beagle

2011-11-23T03:50:00.010+01:00

A wonderful piece by art student Joel Brochu. Inspired by the pointillism technique, he created this beagle portrait from over 200000 small and colourful nonpareils (tiny balls made from compressed sugar, used to decorate cookies). First seen here.

Mickey RIP

2011-11-22T03:48:00.003+01:00

Simple, I know, but it did make me smile. Also because I never liked that mouse anyway (I thought the Southpark take on him was hilarious). First seen here.

Swinging necklace

2011-11-21T03:40:00.006+01:00

This pendant is a great example of a lovely creative design that makes you go: why didn't I think of that? First seen here.

Liszt - My piano hero

2011-11-20T03:36:00.005+01:00

Everything is so wrong with this one, even aside from the playing itself. The title is cheap, and that cover... Lang Lang's infamous orgastic face expression is bad enough, but in combination with that hands gesture and the psychedelic waving lines... Awful. Seen on any classical music site.

Top 10 most remote places on planet earth

2011-11-19T03:28:00.006+01:00

A fascinating overview of the 10 most isolated places on earth, some predictable, some I had never heard of. An example is given above, La Rinconada, a small mining town in the Peruvian Andes. Located over 5000 m above sea level, La Rinconada is considered the “highest” city in the world, and it is this stunning geography that makes it so desolate. The city is located on a permanently frozen glacier, and can only be reached by truck via treacherous and winding mountain roads. First seen here.

Tianmen Mountain Skywalk

2011-11-18T03:18:00.009+01:00

Maybe I am a bit more sensitive than most, because I suffer from vertigo, but the idiot who thought that it was a good idea to construct this treacherous mountain path of glass all around should be strung up. First seen here.

Moses bridge

2011-11-17T03:14:00.006+01:00

This bridge with its apt nickname can be found in Halsteren in the south of the Netherlands. It connects to an ancient fort in an absolutely unique way. On my "to see for myself" list... First seen here.

Journey into microworld

2011-11-16T03:02:00.008+01:00

An example taken from many in the link at the end. A great collection of scanning electron micrograph showing the world of small crystal close-ups in scenes that look like they come out of SF movies. This example is of complex tin oxide crystals made by chemical vapour deposition. First seen here.

Model Airplane News August 1934

2011-11-15T02:54:00.006+01:00

Another lovely cover of days gone by for model aircraft enthousiasts - like myself when I was a teenager. Pure nostalgia, but not artistic enough for the under cover series in Art for Art's sake. First seen here.

iMania

2011-11-14T03:15:00.002+01:00

Wonderful cartoons like this make me glad that we do not have children. Picked this one up in a slightly different version at 9gag.

Lulu

2011-11-13T04:13:00.000+01:00

I have not heard a single note yet of the recently released cooperation between Metallica and Lou Reed, but the album cover is simply awful. It hurts me even more as Lulu is the name of my wife. First seen, well all over the place.

Best. Pillow case. Ever.

2011-11-12T03:58:00.005+01:00

Fantastic design. Cute, original and to the point. Simply would love to have this. First seen here.

Catable

2011-11-11T03:48:00.004+01:00

Whoever thought up this monstrosity should be banned forever from the design tables... First seen here.

The geek kamasutra

2011-11-10T03:46:00.004+01:00

A wonderfully imaginative (and accurate) variation on the old kama sutra theme for the laptop age. Picked this one up at Google Plus without further reference.

Thirteen most bizarrely shaped islands on Earth

2011-11-09T02:23:00.004+01:00

The linked site gives a great overview of 13 peculiarly shaped islands from all over the world. The winner is the heart-shaped one from Croatia depicted above. Well worth a click through. First seen here.

Shots on leaves

2011-11-08T03:03:00.006+01:00

What an amazing idea: using leaves to print photographs on. I would love to give credit to whomever came up with these but the linked article does not give more information. First seen here.

Daliesque

2011-11-07T03:00:00.006+01:00

One of those WTF shots you find on internet where you cannot even begin to imagine what it is all about. Daliesque for sure. First seen here.

Dragon

2011-11-06T02:43:00.001+01:00

A magnificent piece of origami, this dragon by Shuki Kato. More of this artist in months to come. First seen here.

Spooning

2011-11-05T03:05:00.000+01:00

Here is another one of those lovely scenes created by Terry Border from food, toys and bent office supplies. First seen here.

The Greek Euro

2011-11-04T03:35:00.004+01:00

No further comment required. What a mess we have got ourselves in in the Euro zone. First seen here.

Out of the box

2011-11-03T03:27:00.000+01:00

A wonderful piece of photoshopping, creating a fun picture that looks so real. First seen here.

Bear with me

2011-11-02T03:22:00.001+01:00

Cuteness overdose alert. Simply love this. Don't know where I got it from, it's been on my hard disk for a while.

Ape Lincoln

2011-11-01T03:40:00.000+01:00

I have seen plenty of shots using dollar bills in different ways, but this is one of the few that made me smile. First seen here.

Halloween costume

2011-10-31T03:19:00.005+01:00

First of a series of shots of animals in Halloween mode posted at the Telegraph site. I picked this one because of the way the squirrel seems to try out the pumpkin as a mask. First seen here.

The most extreme paths

2011-10-30T03:33:00.001+01:00

The Oddee site recently listed the seven most extreme paths (foot-ways, bicycle paths) in the world. Some I had seen before, others (like the depicted one in Ireland) were new to me. All of them are scary as hell. First seen here.

More places for medicine students

2011-10-29T03:50:00.003+02:00

Another unexpected place for one of my photographs to turn up: in a German article on the creation of more places for medicine students in Nord-Rhein-Westfalen. First seen here.

SuPerBus

2011-10-28T03:02:00.013+02:00

I was tempted to put this under Mixed Nuts for the Arab Sheikh who actually paid $10 Million for the world’s first Superbus, designed by Dutch ex-astronaut Wubbo Ockels. The Superbus is 15 m long, and was built using only lightweight materials like carbon fiber, aluminum, polycarbonate and fiberglass. It runs exclusively on electric batteries charged by solar power. The hi-tech bus will travel the 75-mile distance between Abu Dhabi and Dubai in under 30 minutes. First seen here.