Trading the Real for the Fake

I daresay that Georges Seurat’s painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte is only recognizable to most people in the most vague, I-think-I’ve-seen-a-poster-of-that-somewhere-before sort of way, and most of us would surely not be able to describe it sight unseen. I suppose there’s nothing inherently wrong with this; the painting is more than… Continue reading Trading the Real for the Fake

Pi Plate

OK, the creator calls it a “pi bowl,” but that’s semantics, and not very punny, to boot. Anyway, this ceramic concoction is etched with the first 1,498 decimal places of pi, and can be ordered in a variety of colors via Etsy. [Via Neatorama]

Mad Woodworking Skillz

I once carved a rattlesnake out of a two-by-four. Took me three days. And several two-by-fours. Link via Neatorama

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Categorized as Art, Tools & DIY

The Dangers of Having Gifted Friends

Norman Johnson is a local cartoonist, illustrator, and artist. His work is familiar to most folks in the Midland/Odessa area, whether or not they know its source. Norman is also a gifted caricaturist, and his friends (or, as he would put it, his rapidly-dwindling supply of friends) are frequent subjects. Debbie and I (and even… Continue reading The Dangers of Having Gifted Friends

Looking Up

I sometimes accuse my wife of attempting to cover every square inch of space on our walls and shelves with, um, stuff. Don’t get me wrong; she picks out first-rate stuff, but I do enjoy the peacefulness of an occasional blank surface. So, I’m hoping that she’s not reading this, and then clicking over to… Continue reading Looking Up

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Categorized as Art

“The Third & The Seventh”

The video shown below (via @jonasl Twitter feed) is one of the most mesmerizing pieces I’ve ever seen. It starts a little slowly, and the variable depth of field and changing focus techniques can be slightly off-putting, but stick with it and you’ll be richly rewarded. You can watch the embedded version below, but if… Continue reading “The Third & The Seventh”

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Categorized as Art, Photography

Tracing Norman Rockwell’s “Art”

NPR‘s The Picture Show blog has a fascinating look at the techniques used by Norman Rockwell to create the iconic images that many of us grew up with. It seems that Rockwell’s paintings were actually tracings of photographs, and some are questioning their validity as “art.” I’m not among those skeptics. My definition of art… Continue reading Tracing Norman Rockwell’s “Art”

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Categorized as Art, Photography