Swimming Pool

As another round of winter weather makes its way through town this afternoon, I don't think I've ever been more ready for spring. Argentinean artist, Leandro Erlich's new permanent swimming pool installation at The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa Japan takes me right to the best part of summers - long lazy days in and out of the pool at D's parents' place.

This fascinating installation has all the trappings of a real swimming pool; ladder, deck, lights and drains, but only 10 cm of water suspended on top of clear glass, and a side door to enter the pool from beneath. Visitors to the installation experience the mixed perspectives of looking down on others in the bottom of the pool and then traveling inside to look up from within.

Although not a new piece (it had a lengthy run at MoMA's PS1 in 2008), it has found a permanent home in Kanazawa where the sun light shimmering through the water makes for an even more authentic summer experience.

art on the road

One of my favorite recent internet finds is the Drawn the Road Again blog by Chandler O'Leary which features her incredible sketchbook work documenting her travels. Love her style, love the subjects, love the blog.

Here are a few of her recent entries, but click over to read more.

Stephanie K Clark

I adore the embroidered dwellings created by artist, Stephanie K. Clark. I love all of her work, but something about these...so great, especially the trailers and RVs. From the complex shading of the central image to the backgrounds loosely outlined with wandering black thread - there's not a detail missed.

From Stephanie:

"I consider myself a painter and I paint with thread...The embroidery floss is my palette and the needle is my paintbrush. I create a method of embroidering the threads in an arrangement that would initially create value, color, depth and as I lay the colors down they instantly blend themselves... Depending on what fabric I’m embroidering on, is compared to a certain kind of paint. When I embroider on canvas it feels like oils; it flows, it blends, and it’s rich. When I embroider on loose shear or silk, it’s like a watercolor; its delicate, the thread goes where it wants to go, and it moves with the fabric. My work blurs the lines between fine art and craft."

Check out all of Stephanie's work on her website.

Also - obsessed with this shark!

Via The Jealous Curator

invisible world

Mechanical pencil

When I was in elementary school, I remember watching a National Geographic movie on 'The Invisible World.' The viewing was spread over several days, and while others passed notes and folded cootie catchers, I was completely absorbed by the creepy world of dust mites and other invisible creatures exposed by National Geographic's microscopes. 

I feel that same sense of total wonderment/creeped-outedness when looking at the electron microscope images from microscope manufacturer, FEI. Their flickr stream provides a fascinating series of gross and awesome images of unseen life that surrounds us. 

For those of you that remember the same Nat Geo video and are dying to re-capture that magic, don't worry, the entire thing is available on YouTube for your viewing pleasure.

An 'Acari' that develops on several French cheeses including Mimolette...eeps

 

Pollen

 

House bug

 

Spider skin

   

 Gecko leg

 

Head of a moth

 

Mosquito eyes

 

Birch tree pollen

 

Artery with red blood cells

Pixelist

I'm looking forward to upgrading some of my favorite instagrams to painting courtesy of Pixelist - Wouldn't you love to have some of these on your walls?

The Disciples

James Mollison; Rod Stewart

In his series 'The Disciples,' James Mollison spent three years photographing fans at different concerts. The resulting collective portraits are so interesting to me. According to Mollison:

"I was fascinated by the different tribes of people that attended [the concerts], and how people emulated celebrity to form their identity. As I photographed the project I began to see how the concerts became events for people to come together with surrogate 'families', a chance to relive their youth or try and be part of a scene that happened before they were born."

Check out another project of Mollison's I love: 'Where Children Sleep'

50 Cent

Dolly Parton

Kiss

Madonna

Missy Elliot

Oasis

Gift Guide: The Artist

Source Unknown

For your most creative companion who possesses the perfect mix of talent and skill - give gifts that are both pretty and practical; as easily put to work as they are put out on show.

An incredibly cool candle holder, that happens to be a gorgeous take on a paint palette. From Terrain.

A whimsically washed out watercolor scarf. From Anthropologie.

A drawing machine. For fun. From All Lovely Stuff.

An inspiring collection of illustrations. From Mill Mercantile.

The perfect pencil. From Kaufmann Mercantile.

A vinyl pocket for stashing sketches. From Madewell. 

Dioramas for grown ups. From Poketo.

A perennial favorite, the custom address stamp, for her every correspondence. From Primele on Etsy.

Handsome heavyweight heirloom scissors. From West Elm Market.

Some sweet treats, because good design certainly will make them taste better. La-Dee-Dahs from New York Mouth.

For quick fixes. Eraser ring from Artware.

A pocket pencil sharpener. Faber Castell from Moolka.

So she can make her mark. Pen with built-in stamp. From the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum.

A classic sketchbook for compositions on the fly. In every size. Moleskine.

A paper mache menagerie. For the studio wall. From Restoration Hardware.

Pantone postcards. For quick notes. From MoMa.

A colorful case for her phone. From Pencil Shavings Studio on Etsy.

An industrial clip for corralling piles of paper. Ephemera Clip from Anthropologie.

Enamel butcher trays. The best for mixing watercolors or piling paintbrushes. From Utrecht.

A paint chip table runner, a different shade for every place setting. From Leif. 

A shirt that's only improved by a few stray drops of paint. From Madewell. 

An original piece - I've been loving all of these artists lately. All on Etsy - Zoe Tilley, Natalie Eve Garrett, Kate Pugsley,  Amber Alexander, and Joel Penkman.

A delicious set of fragrances in a dramatically gorgeous package. Tokyo Milk from Beauty Bar.

For wearing her passion around her neck. Paint tube necklace. From Red Sofa on Etsy.

A luxurious set of leather pouches for keeping paints and pencils contained on the go. From Cuyana.

Finally the perfect table for sitting and slaving over every sketch. Drafting desk from World Market.