Link Maven

Pie Charts of Van Gogh's Paintings

2011-02-04T15:16:00.000-08:00

I am often inspired by paintings when trying to find new color schemes for m design projects. This article is from Flavorwire, Feb 3, 2011. The charts are by Arthur Burton of the UK. Can you guess what schemes go with which paintings??

Pie Charts of Van Gogh Paintings

11:43 am Saturday Jan 29, 2011 by Emily Temple

Arthur Buxton, a UK-based artist, likes to explore new ways to look at things. His color-study pie charts of famous Van Gogh paintings track which hues the famous one-eared man used most — and it’s kind of a bizarre palate. Hey, Van Gogh, ever heard of red? We’re just saying. As Buxton tells our friends atBoingBoing, “I know you lot are fans of new ways of visualizing data. As far as I know, I’ve come up with a novel way of looking at colour schemes. The pie charts are designed to be visually pleasing but also fuction as a colour trend visualization tool. They represent famous paintings, portraying the five most prominent colours in each as a percentage.” Now to test how much of an art buff you really are — can you guess which pie chart refers to which painting?

Looney Tunes Backgrounds

2010-05-31T19:25:00.000-07:00

Drawn! posted this on their blog. These Looney Tunes background paintings are real gems. There are watercolors with some fine examples of gouache and airbrush by a variety of artists. These are scenes from Road Runner, Porky Pig and the rest of the gang. That's it Folks!

Argentina's Bicentennial Photo Slide Show

2010-05-31T19:06:00.000-07:00

This is a gorgeous collection of photographs, 30 in all, of Argentina's Bicentennial Celebration on May 25, 2010. This is an outstanding web presentation. The photographs are large and load quickly care of boston.com. This is the work of assorted AP photographers. There is a caption for each photograph. This is some stunning work!

Need a font?

2010-05-01T15:23:00.000-07:00

Use this handy and funny chart to pick a typeface for your next project!

New BBC Series on Cartography

2010-05-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

I have always been fascinated by maps of all kinds. I have had to in my professional drawn thousands of them. This is a new series by the BBC about the history of cartography and the beautiful imagery of 21st century data visualization maps.

Powerpoint and Dying Kittens

2010-04-19T11:09:00.001-07:00

Edward Tufte, Mr. Chart...

March Madness visualized

2010-03-30T19:54:00.000-07:00

Follow this link for a cool poster, perfect for the Huskie Nut you live with!

Beautiful Letter Press Designs

2010-03-30T18:41:00.000-07:00

This site is a showcase of quality graphic design. Start with this graphic design exchange and then check out the other categories. The stamping, sewing, and embossing on these stationery pieces is breathtaking!

Choice Tidbits from Flowing Data

2010-03-28T20:23:00.000-07:00

Flowing Data is a blog about the visualization of data. They often post enlightening charts of information.This link goes right to Nathan's Flicker site (author of the page.

Carnival in Trinidad - Red Devil Mas

2010-02-19T16:40:00.000-08:00

Tigers As Meercats?

2010-02-19T16:29:00.000-08:00

This photo is funny but pathetic at the same time. Ferocious tigers forced trained to "beg" as visitors watch. This is an AP photo. Other photos on this site are "Welcoming the Year of the Tiger." BTW, it's not just the year of the Tiger... It's the year of the METAL Tiger, quite rare.

Holy SEE!

2010-02-19T16:21:00.000-08:00

The Pope's Favorite Albums
The Beatles' "Revolver"
Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon"
Oasis' "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?"
Michael Jackson's "Thriller"
U2's "Achtung Baby"
Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours"
Donald Fagen's "The Nightfly"
Carlos Santana's "Supernatural"
Paul Simon's "Graceland"
David Crosby's "If I Could Only Remember My Name."

A Very Weird Barbie

2010-02-19T16:18:00.000-08:00

OK I understand that all toys must innovate, innovate, innovate, but a Barbie Webcam? Could be pretty interesting to get you hands on some of those videos. It look like Barbie got a hole shot right through her boobs!

Viktor + Rolf's Surrealistic Gowns

2010-02-07T09:56:00.000-08:00

I think Rhianna was wearing something like this at The Grammy's. Check out these gowns, created by Voktor+Rolf, they are gorgeous and highly original.

The Making of a New Yorker Cover

2010-02-07T09:09:00.000-08:00

This is a link to a short video (3 minutes) about the making of a New Yorker cover. The New Yorker's Art Editor François Mouly, talks about with artists Dan Clowes, Zohar Lazar, and Mark Ulriksen involved in making a cover about Money... if you teach illustration or just like it check out this little gem.

"The Beast" by Neri Oxman

2010-02-06T16:01:00.000-08:00

This snake like biomorphic form is actually a chaise that "hugs" you. I met Neri Oxman at the BIF conference in Rhode Island last fall. She is one very smart cookie finishing up her PHD at MIT. She has published widely and engages in design at the intellectual and productive interface between science, art and design. I told her that she should be designing the next spacesuit for NASA, which she is probably doing right now. If anyone can do it, she can!

Visit Other Artists Studios (without leaving your own)!!!

2010-02-05T12:44:00.000-08:00

Don't you love visiting artists studios during those open studio weekends in major cities? NY's PS.1 Museum (in Queens) has set up virtual studio visits with over 500 New York emerging artists. So see what everyone else is doing right from your computer.

"Iced" houses

2010-02-05T12:01:00.000-08:00

Photographer Gregory Home and Architect Matthew Radune have collaborated on a very cool idea utilizing Detroit's abandoned houses. (Detroit has over 80,000!). Check out these gorgeous photos of their unique collaborative project.

Oh Goody! Al Qaeda "Design"

2010-01-28T15:10:00.000-08:00

Al Qaeda sure is good at incredible cheesy and creepy Photoshop montages... Check this site out for more atrocious design concepts from Al Qaeda. I guess they have plenty of computers in their caves in the mid-east. Mmmm wonder if they use Macs or PCs? Dudes, these images are kinda busy!! Link from Fast Company.

Famous Literary Drunks & Addicts

2010-01-28T14:58:00.000-08:00

From Daily Dose comes "Famous Literary Drunks and Addicts." Some, like Kerouac pictured here are pretty well known. Ayn Rand is a speed addict, who knew? Perhaps that's why her books are so impenetrable.

Superheros! By Jack Teagle

2010-01-28T08:49:00.000-08:00

Drawn! has some wonderful paintings of Superheros with links to Jack Teagle's website. These are fun!

Paper in Action

2010-01-26T14:51:00.000-08:00

Several short videos about paper in action... One is a pretty great sketchbook, another is a huge floor drawing with flaps that lift and change content, and a paper garden that grows

Where will the jobs be in 2018?

2010-01-25T10:13:00.000-08:00

View an interactive chart of where future jobs will be. Mouse over the circles to see the possibilities. Most of them will be in Education and Healthcare.

The internet is made of cats!

2010-01-18T15:38:00.001-08:00

Watch this educational video on the founding of the internet!

Ten places you cannot go to

2010-01-18T14:25:00.000-08:00

JFrater, from Listverse has published a list of ten places you cannot visit, including the secret Vatican Archives (pictured), Club 33 (a secret Disneyworld private party venue), Moscow Metro-2, a secret Russian subway, Area 51 (where alien bodies are stashed) and many more odd places that you will never see!

Cycle Helmet that flattens!

2010-01-17T14:08:00.000-08:00

Julien Bergignat designed the cycling helmet that is low cost, flattens easily for storage or stashing in a backpack and is completely recyclable. This is the kind of thoughtful, sustainable design needed for products of the future.

Looking for a new Job?

2010-01-17T13:48:00.000-08:00

In this day and age, on-line job-hunting is a disappointing and humiliating process.This link from Fast Company lets you know what everyone is doing wrong in job hunting. "Nick Corcodilos, aka the "Ask the Headhunter" guy, recently published a new book chock full of tips for the thorniest of job-hunting problems: "How Do I Change Careers?" This column is very informative and thought-provoking. We all need to get out of the habit of putting resumes out everywhere (which are never responded to!).

Lisa Kellner, Artist

2010-01-17T13:29:00.000-08:00

Surfacing Beneath; WOP4

Ink, pigment, acrylic on Mylar and paper. 22"H x 25"W. I went to grad school with this truly gifted artist, Lisa Kellner, She works in all media, installation, drawing, scultpure... Check out this work! There's a tremendous variety, yet it all holds together.

"My Hands Are My Heart," Gabriel Orozco

2010-01-13T17:55:00.000-08:00

Gabriel Orozco, My Hands Are My Heart, 1991, Two silver dye bleach prints, Each 9 1/8 x 12 ½” (23.2 x 31.8 cm), Courtesy of Marian Goodman Gallery, New York, © 2009 Gabriel Orozco. There are a number of other wonderful artists at the Marion Gallery.

Trends in contemporary art

2010-01-09T11:51:00.000-08:00

Flavorwire bring us the trends to watch for in contemporary art for the next decade. There are some interesting artists mentioned and linked shown on this blog post. From that blog I looked at the "found object category" and really enjoyed the work of Michael Johannson whose work is shown at left.

Vintage condom cases

2010-01-09T11:41:00.000-08:00

These are so beautiful, who wouldn't want to use them and keep the case! Also you can see some results from the NYC condom package design contest here.

What "type" are you?

2010-01-08T14:47:00.000-08:00

Fast Company posted this link about the Pentagram Design site in which you take a little "test" and they will tell you what typeface you are. It's an ingenious bit of film-making and a fun way to learn more about fonts. Great to share with students.

Captcha's help to digitize books

2010-01-08T11:20:00.000-08:00

Here is a fascinating link from the POPTech conference! Luis Von Ahn is the inventor of "Captchas" the text boxes we all use to tell a computer that we are human so that spammers cannot co-opt our blogs and sites. Spammers have not found away around Captcha's (yet). This video is quite amusing! Luis tells us how time wasted typing captchas is harnessed to digitize books.

Attention Hyphenants!!

2010-01-08T10:47:00.000-08:00

From the BBC:
A German judge has refused a couple's request for a triple-barrelled surname. Once a relic of the aristocratic age, multiple surnames have a new lease of life. This was my favorite name: Admiral Sir Reginald Aylmer Ranfurley Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax. Imagine signing a zillion checks...?!

New "mining" practiced at Crematoriums

2010-01-08T10:30:00.000-08:00

From the BBC comes this story:
Precious metals are "sold" after cremation... Nails, pins, metals used during hip replacements and GOLD teeth are being "recycled" by crematorium workers for cash.

Pekingeend Duck

2010-01-06T15:32:00.000-08:00

Here's a bizarre food packaging photo from Suicide Food Blog.

Speedball Hand lettering

2010-01-04T15:56:00.000-08:00

Wow I still have and I actually use this book when trying to fake my way through calligraphy. I learned sign painting from an old hand named Hy Cooper who showed me all of the brushes, pens, enamel paints and old techniques. He also taught me how to gold leaf. Master letters just don't really exist and anymore So check out this old school manual and give it a whirl. Many Thanks Hy Cooper for showing my the ropes when I was just starting out!

For Moby Dick Fans

2010-01-04T15:46:00.000-08:00

Matt Kish is creating one drawing for every page of Moby Dick.

Amazing Cut Paper Art

2010-01-02T14:45:00.000-08:00

My friend Nellie sent me this link and I could not resist putting it on Link Maven. The photo shown here is the work of Peter Callsen, who not only does papercut sculpture but a bunch of other artwork including performance and works in "Snow and Ice". This one is fairly simple but the other examples are truly astounding.

R Crumb: The history of women, illustrated

2010-01-01T14:02:00.000-08:00

Remember way back when when we were in college when we all read R. Crumb Comics? R. Crumb is still cartooning away! Here, Crumb illustrates "The Variety of Women" from Cavewoman to Everywoman. Crumb has a new volume out which I am anxious to see, Book One of the Bible: Genesis fully illustrated. Here's a sneak peak.

Wasted Resources, Part II

2009-12-29T11:31:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's crystal toilet. It costs $75,000. Doesn't look very comfortable and is absolutely ridiculous. I thought that the diamond Hello Kitty was obscene, as well as Damien Hirsts' Diamond skull and the 24 karat MINK and the 24K gold bike (see previous post) but this is really, really stupid.

Memories from Venice Subdoh Gupta

2009-12-29T11:10:00.000-08:00

Just read a book by Sarah Thronton entitled, "Seven Days in the Art World." The last chapter was about The Venice Bienele of 2006, which I happened to attend. As we turned a corner in the canal, boating to our hotel (no cars in Venice!) we saw the work of Subodh Gupta, an Indian artist. This skull is made from the pail sets that Indians use as lunch boxes. It was about one story tall and glistened brightly in the sunlight, and glowed at night from some spotlights. This photo comes from Odee.com. There are plenty of images of Gupta's work here. Check it out, his work is amazing!

New design objects inspired by our childhood toys

2009-12-29T10:45:00.000-08:00

A hat made out of Legos, A chair made from drinking straws, a lamp made from building blocks. Get to the tags sales and repurpose all of those old games!

Ashi Dashi's socks that look like Intestines?

2009-12-29T10:34:00.000-08:00

Socks that look like meat? Corn on the Cob? Eyeballs? These are just a few of the sock designs on this site are really cool and not very expensive. Wish I knew about this site before the holidays!

Astounding animated book

2009-12-15T11:10:00.000-08:00

Created for the New Zealand Book Council by Andersen M Studio, this video is a wonder! I can't even imagine how long this might have taken!

How snacks inspire design

2009-12-14T17:31:00.001-08:00

See how Iraqi "Starchitect" Zara Hadid, used potato chips, funyuns, and other foods to inspire her design in architecture. From Fast Company Magazine.

A Magic Wand Remote for TV

2009-12-14T13:11:00.000-08:00

For the person who has everything, well they probably don't have this magic wand!

The Year in Science 2009

2009-12-14T13:06:00.000-08:00

This is one strange thing... These monkeys glow in the dark! Yep! Check out this and other scientific wonderments that all happened in 2009. Ring out the old, bring on the new!

Cool Igloos!!

2009-12-14T12:55:00.000-08:00

I made a lot of igloos when I was a kid... But these are something else entirely! Check out these very cool igloos from Flavorwire

Ultra Cool Subway Stations of the World

2009-12-11T07:43:00.000-08:00

Shanghai to Pudong sightseeing tunnel
The bund sightseeing tunnel located in shanghai, china isn’t technically a subway system but rather a short distance transporter. measuring only 647m long, the train tunnel connects the bund to pudong. along the way the rider is bombarded with lighting effects, music and special effects that turn the ride into something out of this world.

Inspiration Plus

2009-12-11T07:32:00.000-08:00

Fast Company's "8 ways to light the bulb above your head."

Not just for Halloween anymore!

2009-12-11T07:27:00.000-08:00

Artist Jim Skull's fanciful skull creations at designboom.

The Encylcopedia of Counterintuitive Thought

2009-12-09T13:40:00.000-08:00

This is an article with compendium of books about counterintuitive thinking... from Malcolm Gladwell's ground breaking books to "Corporate fraud should not be punished, from “THE CASE AGAINST THE PROSECUTION; AMERICA’S CORPORATE TRIALS,” THE ECONOMIST, FEBRUARY 28

High Glitz!

2009-12-09T13:29:00.000-08:00

Yes, these girls are pretty aren't they? But they are EIGHT YEARS OLD. Honestly, this is sick. It's pageant culture and since I am not especially gorgeous, so I don't get it. This series of photos is by Susan Anderson from her book "High Glitz." Follow the link below to see more, and their whole heads are in the photos.
http://flavorwire.com/45808/daily-dose-pick-high-glitz

More Clients from Hell

2009-12-04T14:57:00.000-08:00

My favorite client comment has always been, "Don't you think it would look better if....?" And I am thinking and sometimes saying out loud, "No. What I think looks best is in front of you!" Some true stories from designers about clients. Hilariously funny and yet somehow, so very tragic.

Brilliantly designed folding Chairs

2009-12-04T14:51:00.000-08:00

Friends coming over for the holidays and wondering where the hell will everybody sit? Check out these high design folding chairs by students and pros. Very chic and very foldable and very, very cool.

Embarrassing Toy Crazes

2009-12-04T14:43:00.000-08:00

Hey I LOVED my trolls and wish I still had them. played with Troll the first time they came around in the 1960's. Flavorwire posts "favorites" as well. My baby sister played with these: My Little Pony, Pokemon, Tamagotchi, Furby, Beanie Babies and more.

Who cleans up this really messy art?

2009-12-04T14:27:00.000-08:00

Flavor Pill has posted some photos of artists exhibitions that make a giant mess. Who cleans up? Perhaps a janitor by Duane Hanson?

Photo above: Anish Kapoor, Shooting into the Corner, 2008-09, installed at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2009, Mixed media, (Red Heated Wax) dimensions variable, MAK, Vienna, Austrian Museum of Applied Arts/Contemporary Art, Photography: Dave Morgan

Tim Burton at MOMA

2009-12-04T13:54:00.000-08:00

Tim Burton creator of Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Batman is having a blow-out, blockbuster retrospective, at MOMA which opens this Sunday and runs through April 26. There are about 700 works on view, props, drawing, sets,etc. The above image is from a still from a short video Burton created for the show. Burton's films will also be shown. I haven't been yet but can't wait to see in the inside story of Tim Burton's genius.

Deadbeat Design Clients get the picture!

2009-12-04T13:26:00.000-08:00

Great post from Fast Company , with a chart by David Thorne on how one designers "works" with clients who are not paying up. There are lots of very cheeky emails on the site that are quite funny.

Spider Silk Tapestry

2009-12-03T22:57:00.000-08:00

Will wonders never cease? 1 million Golden Orb Spiders created the thread for this unique cloth.

No Sew Eco-Garments

2009-12-03T22:47:00.000-08:00

I really hate to sew. When I saw these fashions made from scraps of felt by Eceouterre I really want one of these. By twisting the triangles you can change the garment to a dress or shirt... Well just check it out for yourself!

B flat never sounded so great

2009-12-03T22:38:00.000-08:00

This music website is astounding.

Eye Candy

2009-12-03T22:36:00.000-08:00

Fantastic Fractals. Wired.co.uk had posted these lovely photographs by Daniel White.

World Leader Portraits

2009-12-03T21:35:00.000-08:00

This project on The New Yorker site caught my eyes and my ears... Portraits of World Leaders by Platon. You can listen to the photographer tell stories about his experiences photographing these charismatic people.

Cabinet of Morbid Curiosities

2009-12-03T20:57:00.000-08:00

They don't call if Morbid for nothing. A treasure trove of anatomical drawings, human taxidermy from the Victorian Era. Warning: "gross" anatomy. Morbid Anatomy on Flickr.

Oddly compelling crockery

2009-12-03T20:55:00.000-08:00

To see dishes and plates with human anatomical drawings visit Morbid Anatomy.

Computers Make Us Fat

2009-12-03T20:42:00.000-08:00

Nerds need more exercise. Check out Patrick Moberg's suggestion