The incredible work of Dalton Ghetti awes me every time I see it. With only a razor blade, his naked eye, and pencils that he finds on the streets and sidewalk, Dalton Ghetti meticulously carves out tiny sculptures on the graphite tips of pencils. His idea is to turn attention to the small things. It can take months to years to complete a single sculpture. His 9-11 Memorial dedicated to the victims took 10 years to complete.
His immense patience, dedication, and great attention to the tiniest detail is inspiring! For him, his art is a hobby and a form of meditation, not something to be sold.
Here are just a few examples of his amazing sculpture work.
Even the smallest things in the world can have immense impact.
I'm trying to come up with some shelving and display ideas for my jewelry display at a local boutique and came across so many clever and amazing solutions to shelving. Hopefully I can think outside the box like this when I figure out what I'm doing with my own display! Here are just a few that I had to share with you (just click on the images to go to the source). Many of these are DIY projects that you can do yourself! And for the designer shelves, maybe you can come up with a DIY version! Which are your favs?
So what shelving solutions have you used in your own home? I'd love to hear your ideas!
This is so brilliant to me. I think I'll have to go hunting for some vintage furniture so I can do this at home!
Ever since my first (and only) photography class in the 7th grade (which is like an eon ago), I've been a silent admirer of brilliant photos and of brilliant photographers. I suppose that's redundant because they go hand in hand. Since then, my interests refined in other directions and I never really pursued photography as a form of art or self expression. But, as with anything else you can think of, it is never too late.
At the blogger meet up last weekend, Sandy had mentioned a video about the photographer behind The Sartorialist. I had heard of this blog, but had never visited before. The video sounded interesting so I went digging. It didn't take much digging at all of course. I quickly found it and just as quickly, found myself feeling truly inspired by it. If you're not yet familiar with The Sartorialist, it's a hugely popular fashion blog where photographer Scott Schuman posts daily photos of everyday people who catch his eye (albeit his ever-searching, former director of fashion in New York City, style-radar-having eye). He has documented people in NYC, Paris, London, Milan, and Seoul, just to name a few. If you're into people watching, this is definitely a blog to keep an eye on.
A couple of things he stated in the video really resonated with me. He mentioned that he didn't have a formal background in photography, but his initial lack of knowledge helped him to refine what little he did know into something that ultimately worked for him. He strives to capture "the most beautiful image...in the most simple way" that he can. So camera in hand, on the streets, with natural lighting, every day sights, and passersby. Simple. Brilliant. So doing this required a lot of patience... and waiting... and "just reacting" to his environment. And the end product--amazing photos that capture a definite mood that is sure to elicit something from the person who views it--perhaps something different every time, from picture to picture. I love that. And that is the thing I love about photography (as an onlooker of course. I can only dream about being the one who actually captures brilliant photos).
I love the idea of being immersed in your own environment, yet viewing it with a new eye, each and every second. So I was sparked and excited to think about how I could translate that idea into my own everyday, as a photography exercise. It was tough and somewhat defeating in my mind. Do you know what my everyday is? Some of you can probably guess. I'm at home full time with my 2 kids (my 3 yr old son and my 1.5 yr old daughter), plus I take care of my 8 month old nephew several days a week. How in the world would I find anything interesting or eye-catching about my visual environment, which usually looks like a toy tornado just ripped right through it? And there's not much happening on the streets of Kansas in the middle of January, much to your surprise, I'm sure.
So this is a definite challenge for me... one that I wasn't sure if I could take on.. and may still be unsure about it as I type this. But now that I've jotted it down in virtual ink, I suppose I've committed to following through. So now I'm going to embark on this personal photography exercise -- finding extra in the ordinary. I'm not really sure what will come of this, or if I can even rise up to this challenge. But dammit, I'm going to try! Anyone else up for the challenge? Who's with me??? Let's grab our cameras!
I recently came across the New Dress A Day blog and had to share. This brilliant idea came to Marisa, a young woman entering her 30's, who found herself wading in what she called "a personal creative-funk-crisis". To get herself out of the rut, she decided to stop shopping for an entire year! I know what you're thinking ladies, "yea, that would make a girl feel better alright...in OPPOSITE WORLD!" But that's just what she has been doing for the past several months--forgoing the traditional clothing shopping. Instead, Marisa is only buying vintage/pre-worn clothing and only allotting herself a budget of $1 per outfit, per day, which she then transforms (with the help of her trusty sewing machine and some sharp shears) into chic, current, fashionable garments, giving each old outfit a new life. That's it.. 365 days, 365 "new" outfits, for 365 dollars. That's definite brilliance if you ask me!
Here are just a few of my favorite transformations.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
After
So clever, right?? Makes me wish I could sew! Now go visit her blog for some inspiration! :)
OK Go's music videos are always genius in my mind, but I can't tell you how much I love this video! You have to watch it a hundred times to appreciate every single detail. And if you look in the background, you can see some of the remains of previous takes. It's like a virtual theme park ride.. multiplied by all kinds of awesome! Sure, you can quote me on that. ;) Enjoy!
If you haven't seen this video of Kseniya Simonova on the show Ukraine's Got Talent, you must click on the image above! I had never known about sand animation before this (and no, I don't live under a rock), but I'm a new fan for sure! It's amazing how fluid she is and how everything is timed impeccably. Pure brilliance.
Just saw this video and had to pass it along. Sidenote: Hope you're all doing wonderfully! I'm officially going through internet withdrawal and am looking forward to getting back into creative mode. Still waiting to get settled in after the big move. So many jewelry ideas in my head and I can't wait to get it all out!
Enjoy this video and I'll see you soon!
"Reading a newspaper, I saw a picture of birds on the electric wires. I cut out the photo and decided to make a song, using the exact location of the birds as notes (no Photoshop edit). I knew it wasn't the most original idea in the universe. I was just curious to hear what melody the birds were creating." -- Jarbas Agnelli
