(Click on the image below to be taken to the full video)

Enjoy!

Marsya~

Designed in 1989 by Antti Lovag, and located near San Tropes, in the south of France, the house – which can be rented out for special events – is a futurist fantasy worthy of the Jetsons.

As well as being the designer whose look is most associate with the “Space Age” fashions of the 1960′s,

Pierre Cardin was a pioneer with innovative business ideas. He was the first couturier to turn to Japan as a market in 1959. In that same year he was also the first Parisian couturier to create a “ready-to-wear” line ~ a decision that got him temporarily expelled from the  Chambre syndicale de la haute couture parisienne, the trade guild that governed Haute Couture fashion.*(Thank you wikipedia.org)

The panoramic lounge, the reception room and the 10 suites decorated by contemporary (in 1989 – love the mauve & gray color scheme) artists like Jérôme Tisserand and François Chauvin are filled with furnishings, may of them designed by Pierre Cardin, himself, which reflect the designer’s love of curves and clean lines.

The gardens, ponds and pools extend over more than 2 acres.

The unusual setting and space age lines make the Bubble House a coveted location for movie & television shoots, and can be rented – just in case you are looking for a unique location for your cocktail party or destination wedding.

Thanks to designrulz.com for many of these images.

The Story Teller

After Kirsty Mitchell’s English teacher mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor, the photographer turned from her passion for fashion & costume design to the camera as a way to document the sadness she was feeling.  Then, after her mother died she began to create images that reflected what she was feeling.

The Queen’s Armada

In 2009 she began work on “Wonderland”, a series of surreal dreamscapes. In the words of the artist “‘This escapism grew into the concept of creating an unexplained storybook without words, dedicated to my mother, that would echo the fragments of the fairytales she read to me constantly as a child.”

The Faraway Tree

To bring her vision to life, she collaborated with hair and make-up artist Elbie Van Eeden.  Both were in full time jobs so they spent evenings and weekends creating props, wigs, and sets on a shoestring budget and shot in the woodlands surrounding Kirsty’s home in Surrey.

Gammelyn’s Daughter

Kirsty developed a deep bond and respect for the locations in which she was working and strove, through her pictures, to “remind others of their forgotten magic and beauty.”

The Lavender Princess

She became fascinated with pockets of wild flowers such as the bluebells that would appear for only a few brief weeks of the year. In some cases, she would wait a full 12 months so she could shoot costumes matched to the vivid colours of nature. Floral photography elevated to fantasy art.

Lady of the Lake

“All the characters came to me in my dreams,” the artist told the UK’s The Daily Mail, but she delighted in the chance to step into the scenes for real: “after all, it’s not often you get to stand beside an eight foot princess in the rain, or witness the dawn with a dancing circus girl on stilts!”

Far, Far Away

She said that the resulting images looked so hyper-real it was assumed that the surreal photography was created in Photoshop. Many people believed the photographs were shot all around the world, when in reality they were taken in locations within short drives of her Surrey home.

Spirited Away

So Kirsty began to write diary accounts and blog behind-the-scenes shots about the creation of each photograph. ‘My aim was to portray time passing, an unsaid journey through four seasons, incorporating every colour in the rainbow.

The Beautiful Blindness of Devotion

As things progressed, her costumes became more elaborate with the props and new characters often taking up to five months to create. ‘The project blossomed into our own private playground,’ she said.

Her three year labour of love is now almost complete and there are plans for an exhibition and accompanying book: ‘I just know that the day I see my mother’s name printed on the inside cover of the Wonderland book, it will feel like I have finally fulfilled my promise to myself and her precious memory.’

A Floral Birth

To view more of photographer, Kirsty Mitchell’s, work ~ including the gorgeous Yellow, Red & Orange images from the Wonderland collection, visit her website: kristymitchellphotography.com

Dubbed “prayer stars,” the LEDs were provided by Panasonic, who claims that the balls, which were designed to light up upon contact with water, were 100% powered by solar energy. After illuminating a large stretch of the river, which also hosts a popular fireworks festival in the summer, the LEDs were all caught in a large net.

photo byJeremy V. | click to enlarge

photo by Jeremy V. | click to enlarge

photo by Jeremy V. | click to enlarge

photo by makure | click to enlarge

photo by ajpscs | click to enlarge

photo by Mai Suzuki | click to enlarge

If you liked these pictures, check out the light installation landscape art works in Starry Night by Lee Eunyeol. His fairytale dreamscapes will transport you to another world, and Otherworldly Lights by Barry Underwood is perfect if you enjoy these stunning long-exposure photos of fireflies by Japanese photographer Tsuneaki Hiramatsu.

Enjoy!

Marsya

In my earlier post about clever graffiti, most of the pieces were cute or funny and made use of their immediate surroundings or surfaces as part of the joke. The urban art in this post is about LOVE – one piece ironic given the context of the photo and one in earnest.

Daily Prayers (for Love) by Rosh_333

Sometimes that irony is a direct component of the street art itself and sometimes, like with this piece by Rosh 333, context is everything.

The street art in this post includes urban art by anonymous artists to whom I am unable to give attribution. If you know the graffiti artist behind one of the unattributed pieces, please make a comment on the picture with their name.

Love (Talk to the Hands)

This picture is neither funny nor ironic, but it is clever, and I L.O.V.E. it. So, smile, think and enjoy!

If you would like to see more, just search for Graffiti on my blog and you’ll see some of the best pieces I’ve found while searching the interweb!

Marsya

This is just a quick post to let you know that the artist is working on a new landscape art installation in Norcross, GA.

Stop by Thrasher, Park Drive in Norcross, Georgia, near Atlanta and get in on the fun!

Happy Spring!

Marsya

Me w a Maori Wrasse ~ Yes, he is as big as he looks!

I saw the sun set over the Indian Ocean

Angel Rock Beach, Australia

and stayed at a crocodile shaped hotel in the middle of Kakadu National Park.

Gagudju Crocodile Hotel in Kakadu National Park

The thing that I liked the most, however, was the way that art was woven into the public space and public infrastructure. Think about the millions of person-hours spent commuting every day. Now imagine yourself driving down the highway, which would you rather look at?

This: 

or This:

This a tunnel portal on the Eastlink freeway outside Melbourne. In the words of designers Wood/Marsh PTY Ltd Architecture, “Conceptually the desire was to create a large scale sculptural object that extended over the entire project… The integration of public art along the freeway helps to enrich the project and Melbourne’s urban fabric.”

The jewel-like panels of colored acrylic in these noise walls along the Eastlink Freeway are public art that is enjoyed by millions of people every year, and “the  tunnel portals and bridge structures, draw directly from the master palette so that a concise and coherent outcome is achieved.” 

To bring cohesion to the entire project, the hexagonal pattern of the slabs on this bridge mirrors that in the design of the tunnel portals.

The noise walls act as sculpture, public art… 

installation art…

and landscape art…all rolled up in one.

On the earlier Eastern Freeway Extension, the intention was to create “… a series of interconnected arcs that, read in series, form a complete architectural sculpture.”“The height and location of these shapes are positioned in direct response to acoustic requirements, the roadway and proximity of adjacent buildings and landforms.” The final contextual reading is with the landscape…  ”The relationship of sculptural form and landscape provides a stimulating environment for passive activity away from and in contrast to the traffic.” Those same arcing forms are echoed in their work on the Tullamarine Freeway.

The Geelong Ring Road, also by Wood Marsh Architects, “draws from contextual references that reside in the landscape and character of the region.  The horizontal datum of the planar fields, and the oxidized basaltic boulders, have provided the fundamental vocabulary for our [design].  We have adopted a taut, metal fence for the sound barrier walls, clad predominantly in corten steel.  This finish, when oxidized gives reference to both basalt and the rich soil of the region. Typically the walls run in straight lines with subtle changes in direction to give a crisp finish to the sound barrier in contrast to the geometry of the road.  Further highlights have been added through the use of brightly coloured acrylic.  These elements form the natural punctuation marks that we see existing contextually throughout the region.  Across the various sections if the road subtle changes are introduced to give a sense of place without compromising the sense of a continuous journey.

If that was your house, which would you rather look at, a gray concrete wall, or this?

And that, my friends, is what public art and landscape art are all about.

Enjoy!

Marsya

*&*

Pepita Factory

I don’t know about you, but one of my favorite things about Halloween is eating roasted pumpkin seeds, otherwise known as pepitas, after the pumpkins have been carved.

Thanks to stores like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, however, you can now buy hulled pumpkin seeds, or pepitas, year round.  This is especially good news because pumpkin seeds are among the few foods that increase in nutritive value as they age.

Trader Joe’s Raw Pepitas

According to tests made at the Massachusetts Experimental Station, squash and pumpkin seeds stored for more than five months show a marked increase in protein content.

Pumpkin seeds are very high in minerals and phyto-nutrients.  They are a very good source of bone-building phosphorus, magnesium and manganese, immune-supporting zinc and copper, and energy-producing iron. In addition, pumpkin seeds are a good source of muscle-building protein and healthy fats.

Pumpkin Seeds -Pepitas – Raw

Something to keep in mind when you are noshing on your delicious roasted pepitas, however, is that while they are healthy and full of nutrients, toasted pumpkin seeds are also high in calories (360 calories per half cup).  Since they are more addictive than potato chips, I recommend portion control.

I either sprinkle them on my salad when I want to bring a little depth and earthiness to a vegetarian recipe or, instead of cooking a piece of meat or fish as a protein course, I’ll put a half cup or so of roasted pumpkin seeds in a little dish and eat them one at a time, like grapes.

Here’s an easy recipe for a healthy, high protein snack followed by more detailed nutritional information about pumpkin seeds

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds/Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:

Add a teaspoon of your favorite fat to a heavy bottomed frying pan (I like butter. If you would like to make this a vegan recipe, you can use olive oil, grapeseed oil, etc…)

Sprinkle in your shelled pumpkin seeds

Turn the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally until the pumpkin seeds start to brown

Once most of the seeds have turned light brown and begun to puff up, sprinkle them lightly with salt

Empty your pan, rinse out the salt, wipe dry
If you are using a cast iron pan, wipe a drop of oil around your pan. You now have a perfectly seasoned pan!

Enjoy!

Marsya

Nutritional Facts & Health Benefits
Pumpkin seeds:

• Are filled with lots of minerals including phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, iron and copper.
• Improve with age -
• Are a good source of vitamin K. According to tests made at the Massachusetts Experimental Station, squash and pumpkin seeds stored for more than five months show a marked increase in protein content
• Contain phytosterols, compounds that that have been shown to reduce levels of LDL cholesterol.
• Contain L-tryptophan, which helps with good sleep and lowering depression. Tryptophan is converted into serotonin and niacin. Serotonin is also very helpful in helping us to have a good night’s sleep.
• Are high in zinc, making them a natural protector against osteoporosis. Low intake of zinc is linked to higher rates of osteoporosis. In a study of almost 400 men (age from 45-92) published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition they found a correlation between low dietary intake of zinc, low blood levels of the trace mineral and osteoporosis at the hip and spine.
• Are a good source vitamin E; they contain about 35.10 mg of tocopherol per 100 g.
• Are the most alkaline-forming seed.
• Are an excellent source of vitamin B group (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine) and folates).
• Contain good quality protein. 100 g seeds provide 30 g.
• According to studies, pumpkin seeds prevent calcium oxalate kidney stone formation.
• Reduce inflammation for arthritis without the side effects of anti-inflammatory drugs.
• Are used in many cultures as a natural treatment for tapeworms and other parasites.
• Are good for prostate health! The oil in pumpkin seeds alleviates difficult urination that happens with an enlarged prostate.

(source: The World’s Healthiest Foods)

This is NOT a painting! It’s a photograph of Blue Trees Houston by Jaana Eleftheriou

It’s that time of year again! And the lucky residents of Houston, Texas can see the latest installation artwork by Konstantine Dimopoulos: Blue Trees Houston.

According to Culture Map Houston, the blue trees are visible to anyone traveling along Memorial or across the Waugh Bat Bridge,  but nothing beats

Volunteers applying a mix of lapis lazuli & water to create Blue Trees Houston by Konstantin Dimopoulos

walking through the grove itself — which is surprisingly peaceful, even though it is so close to the highway.

The trees are brushed w crushed Azurite & water

Volunteer applying blue pigment

Just like he did for his landscape art installation in Seattle, WA , the Australian artist  mixes a powdered rock called azurite or lapis lazuli with water and then, with the help of volunteers, the brilliant blue pigment, is brushed onto the trunks and branches.

Depending on the levels of rain, the harmless pigment should stay on the trees for several months, meaning that you should still be able to see this living artwork through at least May or June.

The artist’s intention behind turning these trees brilliant blue it is bring them to people’s attention – to use environmental art highlight the importance of trees to the ecosystem and the staggering rate of deforestation.

By enlisting children volunteers to be part of creative process, he aims to give children a different connection to nature, and inspire them to become caring stewards of the earth.

Click here to watch the Blue Trees Houston – by Konstantin Dimopoulos come to life with the  help of more than 200 volunteers at  3 sites over the course of 4 days.

Blue Trees Houston – photo by Joel Luks

Becoming Blue Trees