Michael Elion's urban rainbows

This is so incredibly cool. SA artist Michael Elion was inspired by a perfectly circular rainbow he saw while surfing, and decided to find out how to create a man-made rainbow to be used as an installation artwork (as you do). After a year of trial and error, he’s worked out how to create a stunning rainbow that’s on display every afternoon. We need more artists like this.

http://mg.co.za/article/2012-10-12-00-thing-of-beauty-elusive-art-for-man-in-the-street

Stina Persson illustrations

Here are some magnificent watercolours for you to feast your peepers on. They’re by Stina Persson who is from Stockholm in Sweden.

First spotted on the Vectroave site.

Pretty Personal with Ingrid Auret

We all need a little something-something from time to time - and now, you can get sweet and stylish something somethings from Maiden Name. The lovely Ingrid left the daily grind with the intention of creating things that were a little different, and that you were sure to love.

Hello Ingrid! Tell us a little “something something” about yourself.
Well, I originally studied interior design, then started working as an
exhibition stand designer; but as I’m sure most creatives feel, I hated
sitting in front of a computer every day doing things other people told me
to do. I never actually designed anything. I then decided that an 8-5
office job is very much not for me, so I left the safety of a monthly
income and started doing freelance stand designs for a company in Holland
(which I am still doing) - I was very lucky in that regard. My ultimate
dream is to have my own shop though, so I started Maiden Name as a small
range and am now hoping to turn it into a loved brand and hopefully a shop
one day. Other than that, I love food way too much, love cooking and baking
as well, I am a sports fanatic and think dogs are the best things to ever
exist.
Ah, a dog person. Oh well, we can’t all be perfect. ;)
Why did you choose the name “Maiden Name”?
I never used to like my surname, Auret, but over the last few years I
have grown to super love it! And knowing that in a few years time I’m
going to have to say goodbye to my beautiful last name, I actually wanted
to name the shop Auret, but it didn’t work so well as a logo - so, I decided
that Maiden Name would work well. So now it’s kind of a tribute to my
surname, which will one day be my maiden name.
That’s a really creative idea! Who and what do you look to for inspiration?
I am so inspired and proud of where creatives, designers, and entrepreneurs
in South Africa are at, at the moment. I think we are very much world
class and I’m so proud to be a South African. And I have to say Cape
Town is an inspiration, I am so in love with our gorgeous city, I would marry it if I could.
I love wood, and am trying to keep most of the Maiden Name products natural
wood - it is something that will always be so loved and wood products are
just beautiful. At the moment I am also inspired by illustrators and
beautiful illustrations - they’re right at the top of my “Want” as well as
"Inspiration" lists. Also, I have a slight ceramics addiction, anything
from animals to coffee mugs, bowls and plates.
(Hey Cape Town: Call her.)
What can you tell us about the something somethings Maiden Name makes?
A lot of the Maiden Name products are handmade, and everything that is
painted is hand painted. I personally love everything in the Maiden Name
range, that is where everything starts… I make things that I would love
to have so hopefully everyone else wants it. The range is still small, but
growing fast, and I plan to add a ceramics range later this year also, so
holding thumbs for that.
We’ll hold thumbs figuratively. If we did it literally, we wouldn’t be able to type. Last question: Chocolate or vanilla?
Haha, well that depends on what exactly you’re talking about. Everything
flavour-wise definitely chocolate, everything else I’ll have to say
vanilla. But think that chocolate and vanilla actually ALWAYS go really
well together. :)

Ain’t that the truth. Whatever your preference, you’re sure to find something to tickle your design tastebuds in Maiden Name’s Hello Pretty store. You can also get acquainted on Facebook and Twitter.

New York City MetroCard art

Anyone who has visited the fabulous city of New York… City?… will almost certainly have taken a ride on their metro system. The exits to the Metro are always littered with dozens of used Metro cards, and so it is exciting to see that someone has created art with them!

That someone is Nina Boesch who lives in New York City (obviously!) and she makes the incredible collages that are being displayed on this MyModernMet article. I’ve only posted three here - there are loads more on the MyModernMet site.

One seriously talented lady.

Christian Faur's photo-realistic crayon art (it's not what you think)

Who doesn’t love a little crayon art! Ok, to be fair, I don’t think anything I ever did with a crayon could quite compare to what Christian Faur has done. These photo-realistic artworks created all with crayons, and only crayons, border on unbelievable.

The Forgotten Children body of work is incredible, and the artist explains that:

This experimental series of blurred children portraits focuses on images of children as anonymous individuals. The final images are littered with common names of children rendered in “crayonAlphabet” color. The anonymity of these individuals is reflected in both the technique and the written text that is being used in each individual frame as a face without a name is only a fiction of an individual. One of the faces used in the series is a self portrait of myself as a child, rendered in the same style and with the same set of random common names, to appear similar in every to the other portraits, one portrait among the many.