I’ve been jonesing for a vacation in the worst way this month. Thankfully the snow days have disappeared and the sun has been hanging around a bit more, but I’m still daydreaming about the tropics. Brenda Cablayan‘s landscapes of Hawaiian landscapes and urban life are definitely either making it better or making it worse.
(via The Jealous Curator)
Posted In create, painting
Behance came onto the scene back in 2006 and created a space that gave artists and creative-types a place to store their work online, as well as gave others a chance to discover them. (We’ve shared countless artists here on Design Crush that were first seen on Bechance.) The site grew and grew and in 2012 was acquired by Adobe, and was able to remain true to its mission and expand even more. Now their creative team has chosen hundreds of pieces of future-forward work to share in their book – Super-Modified: The Behance Book of Creative Work
You’ve probably heard of (or know someone) who lost one of their senses at an early age and in turn found that the others were all heightened to compensate. Artist Ali Cavanaugh lost her hearing at the age of two through spinal meningitis. She looks at it as a blessing in disguise because it made her more sensitive to the people around her and the unspoken language of the human body, all of which shows in her unique paintings of watercolor layered over kaolin clay.
01/ Bandages that will make your wound look worse than it actually is.
02/ This bar in Louisiana has a built-in chilled strip to keep beverages cold.
03/ Cloud iridescence is a real thing.
04/ Weapons of Mass Instruction is a 1979 Ford converted into a book-toting tank!
05/ I love the idea of creating a grazing table instead of appetizers.
06/ The Lotus Building in China depicts the three states of a blooming flower.
07/ A hair freezing contest!
08/ These approved catcalls are hilarious.
09/ It turns out activated charcoal is really good for our skin – have you tried it?
10/ Danny Quirk‘s realistic anatomical paintings expose our inner workings.
This week on Design Crush:
Pat Perry‘s illustrations will transport you to another world.
Temperatures are slowly climbing and I have my spring wish list ready!
Beautiful modern female portraits by Annie Kevans.
How things are going after being back in Pittsburgh for six months.
The storytelling embroidery pieces of Michelle Kingdom.
These 8 great apps are some of my recent favorites.
Energetic abstracts from Kerri Rosenthal.
Ten March DIYs to keep you busy this month.
Take a peek at Gus Hughes‘ right-out-of-the-tube paintings.
I’m having a moment of attraction towards heavy-handed paintings, basically the art of smears right out of the tube layered on thick and intense. Today I’m admiring the work of Ireland’s Gus Hughes.
Click on each image to go to the project.
All photos copyright of their respective sites unless otherwise noted.
Kerri Rosenthal‘s inspiration flows from her past working in the fashion industry and northern Europe, as well as her present focus of contemporary furnishings and life in Connecticut. I can see hints and glimpses of these elements in her works on canvas with their fluidity and color choices.
(Clockwise from Top Left)
WhiteAlbum / No edits, no retakes. Once you take 24 photos in the app they’re printed and mailed to you. Like a disposable camera for your phone.
Timeline / Headline news online tells part of the story, this app weaves events into compelling stories.
Next Glass / Science helps you choose your next glass of wine or bottle of beer.
loungebuddy / Buy access to an airport lounge when you’re looking for someplace to work, freshen up, or relax between flights.
Expensify / Hassle-free expense reports on the go.
Along the Way / Search your roadtrip route for cool places to stop along the way to your destination.
Run Pee / Find out the best time to make a restroom run so you’re not missing any of the good parts.
Weather Dial 2 / A well-designed, simplified weather forecast.
Posted In round up, technology
Miniature scenes are embroidered by the hand of Michelle Kingdom as she explores psychological landscapes and words that are left unspoken. Each piece feels dense, compressed, and vibrating with energy as Michelle simultaneously honors the tradition of her technique and breaks down its walls.
Several of you who took this year’s Reader Survey mentioned you wanted to see more of Pittsburgh, hear how it differs from my years spent in Oklahoma City, and generally just know how I’m adjusting to living back in my hometown. I’m 100% happy to share all of those thing with you, and so glad to hear (read?) there’s interest! I’ll be rolling out local maker profiles and tours in the next few months as well as highlighting my favorite spots as I discover them. But until then, March 8th marked six months since the move so I thought I’d reflect a little on how things have been going.
It’s been easier than I’d anticipated. Prior to relocating I honestly thought I might end up in therapy from reverse culture shock, but nothing could have been further from the truth. Turns out my small hometown still felt just like, well, home. It’s been going through a bit of a renaissance and the downtown area has been turning over slowly to some welcome new businesses. (Case in point: a juice bar opened last month!) It’s so nice being near family and the few friends I’ve kept in contact with through the years, as well as being able to see out-of-town friends who come back to visit. The anxiety that’s plagued me since college has decreased dramatically, and I feel more grounded here than anywhere which has been a discovery in itself. I’m absolutely in love with my home, it feels like the space I’ve always dreamed of creating for myself and it makes me proud.
It’s been different than expected. I’d gotten so used to not living near family that I need to remind myself to make time to visit and take advantage of my new proximity. I get frustrated that I haven’t learned my go-to brunch place, favorite restaurants, or where to pick up that perfect gift just yet. The same goes for not having immediately built a community to immerse myself in. (I tend to forget that I built the foundation for one years ago by staying connected to the city online.) It’s a bit strange to live about 25 miles from downtown Pittsburgh as opposed to the 10 from Oklahoma City, so I’m in the car a bit more. I miss being 2 minutes away from Super Target (true story). My 115 year old house has had some issues – leaking roof, sewage in the basement from settled pipes, hot water tank died – that I wasn’t financially anticipating this soon.
All in all I know I made the right decision to move back. I’d been gone since leaving for college and I love getting to know this city as an adult.
Posted In my life