The Etsy shop of Builder's Studio cranks out some amazing things. From gorgeous retro-futuristic robot miniatures...
...to handmade Ray Guns, sized both for holding in the hand, or hanging on a chain around your neck. And what is even better? They're made of wood! The old, rustic patina-style finish on these pieces is wonderful, and though many of the shapes seem very "wood-like", the metallic sheen plays a trick on you and really makes you think you are looking at hammered, weathered metal.
Of all the strange and inspiring places I have visited , The Mütter Museum in Philadelphia, by far tops the list as the most sobering.
A small museum by comparison to most institutions, The Mütter is a collection of Medical anomalies intended to educate present, and future medical professionals(as well as curious civilians).
Founded in 1858, the museum feels as old as it is. This place is not for the faint of heart, but will make most anyone who actually IS human feel very much so. You're reminded of the wonder and fragility of life and the biology of our species with every exhibit.
Photography is not permitted inside the collection, and rightfully so, as most of the items on exhibit ARE or WERE part of someone at some point in time.
Anyone going to the Mütter will leave the place quietly and with much to contemplate.
I am a fan and enthusiast of "regular, everyday" antiques. Tapestries, gaudy wall hangings, jewelry, and porcelain statuettes rarely engage my attention, but the trappings of every day life in eras gone by is absolutely fascinating.
At The Virtual Typewriter Museum, you will find an exhaustive and informative gallery of all kinds of amazing mechanical writing devices. From the upstroke-hammer models that we are all familiar with, to different, more experimental, or less widely known models:
Of course, most of them also fall into the glorious "polished wood and old metal" aesthetic that attracts me like bees to honey...
I am not going to say much in this post - Odd Nerdrum is well-known, and one of my favorite artists. I have never been able to render the human form well at all, and his absolute mastery of anatomy, texture, movement, and color impresses and fascinates me to no end. He is unwavering in his realism, the worlds he creates are tangible, visceral, dirty, real, alive, fleshy, and blemished.
And even if you've seen his work before, I think it is always worth a second look.
With my blogging partner off for a week, relaxing in sunny paradise, I'm stuck here in thigh-deep snow, holding down the proverbial fort.
I had a lot of hermit crabs as a kid, most souveniers from beach vacations, and I was good to them, and they provided "entertainment" and "companionship" for years. I named them all after Greek deities, and fed them out of little clamshells. Whenever hermit crabs die, their muscles, obviously, relax, freeing them from their shells and letting you pick them up and observe the little wiggly legs along their soft sides, and the rest of their extremely odd and alien anatomy.
What they look like while inside the shell, however, I never really knew, until I found this wonderful photograph of a hermit crab pulled up inside a shell made of glass.
Several weeks ago I innocently purchased what was meant to be "something to keep my brain occupied while I paint" , little did I know what I was in for. Heima, is a documentary following the epic Icelandic band Sigur Ros through a series of free, unannounced concerts performed in various scenic and quaint locations in their native homeland.
The cinematography alone is beautiful enough to watch the entire film without sound, but coupled with several powerful and moving live performances by the band, Heima is in my opinion no short of masterful.
I knew little about Sigur Ros before watching the film, but I can say that I'm now a fan because of it. Aside from being versatile and accomplished musicians, the members of the band are humble and honest. They seem to have this symbiosis when performing that makes them sound like a single entity rather than a group of individuals.
I really can't say enough good things about this documentary, so needless to say, I highly recommend that you view it ... immediately.
I recently completed this piece for an upcoming show in Rome in April. The Hartebeest is an odd looking creature, I studied the reference for hours , and I'm still not really sure where the eyes are.
