Magic

Is there anything more magical than fireflies on a summer night? Photographer Yume Cyan captured what looks like hundreds of them in this series of long exposure photos, taken in a forest in Japan. I pretty much want to live in these images.

Via MyModernMet

Remember the Illustrated Missed Connections? The illustrator, Sophie Blackall, illustrated a poster for the MTA's Arts for Transit program. The poster will be in subway cars throughout 2012. I can't wait to see it in person, her characters are so fun and so full of life and story.

Abstract

I know next to nothing about art, but I've been loving all the abstract paintings that Kate finds. What do you think of abstract art? I don't have any at the moment, but I feel like it could change with your mood and look different as the light in your home changes throughout the day.









I think abstract art could be a step towards overcoming my genetically-inherited decorating disorder: it's nearly impossible for me to commit to hanging something on the wall. My mom is the same way (my sister jokingly calls her nothing-on-the-walls decorating style "serial killer chic"). Now, if only most of these pieces weren't already sold.

Paintings via Kate's Pinterest. Painting 1, painting 2, painting 3, painting 4, painting 5.

Google Doodlers

I love that the Google Doodle is pure fun. There's no real reason that Google's logo needs to change with holidays and the like, but it says so much about the company ethos that they do it anyway. Here's a video about the artists behind the Doodles (spoiler alert: you may get a little verklempt at the end :)



Doodles via Google, video via Mashable.

New York Texture

When I first saw these images, I found myself itching to reach out and touch them (I'm a terrible gallery-goer). French artist Daniel Castan adds resin to acrylic paint to make it dry quickly, so he has to work quickly. The result is these gorgeously textured paintings that mirror the pace of the city they capture. His site is in French, but it doesn't appear that he's showing these pieces in the US anytime soon, so we'll all just have to stare at our computer screens for a bit.

Via My Modern Met

The Falling Rocket

{Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket, James McNeill Whistler, 1875}

Isn't this painting gorgeous? I'd want it to hang over my bed if it weren't already hanging in a museum.

The Etiquette Police

Walking around the city today, I happened upon a few of these awesome signs from the "Metropolitan Etiquette Authority." Turns out it's a project from artist Jay Shells (who put up these genius subway etiquette posters last year—yes, people really do clip their nails on the subway).

The signs are pretty great, and hit on two of my pet peeves. First, why is it ok for smokers to litter? And second, watch where you're going, I'm walkin' here!

Images via Joe Holmes on Flickr and Laughing Squid.

Art by the People

This is so fascinating—in the mid-nineties, Russian artists used market research to find out what people most wanted in art and what they least wanted. People from 14 countries answered questions about their favorite color, if they preferred famous people or ordinary people, and what season they like best, then Vitaly Komar and Alex Melamid painted a scene they felt best reflected the most wanted (and another painting for the least wanted) art of that country.

The image above is what Americans like in their art: a placid outdoor scene featuring some wildlife, three ordinary people, and George Washington. Here's France's most wanted (they are, as could be expected, more comfortable with nudity than Americans!).



What's really interesting is that nearly every country surveyed seemed to favor traditional paintings of scenery and dislike abstract art. Except Holland! They were the only country that preferred abstract art over more traditional scenes. What do you think, does George Washington standing by a lake typify American taste in art?

Images via Dia. See all the paintings here.

Amazing crochet art

My friend Nathan's amazing crochet art is being featured all over the place this week. Swiss-Miss posted his crocheted lion head, that was also featured on Fab.com (where it sold!).



Then, more of Nathan's crocheted taxidermy was featured on Trend Hunter. Isn't it amazing?



Now, is it considered bragging if you're bragging about someone else? Because I have a little bit more bragging to do. Nathan got to share his work with Martha Stewart on. her. show! They talk about the lawnmower, tool belt, bear skin rug (!!) and urinal that Nathan created out of yarn.



Amazing.