http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2009/02/amish_hackers_a.php

via mattlodder:

via mattlodder

Videos of people playing bass flutes:

Back when I was a junior-high flute player, I once heard somebody mention the existence of bass flutes. I was instantly intrigued. But, in the days before readily available Internet access, I wasn’t able to track down examples of what they looked or sounded like.

Today, YouTube is filled with examples of deep-voiced, husky flutes — ranging from the simply extra-long alto flute to the gigantic subcontrabass flute, which is basically a percussion instrument with some woodwind features.

It’s fascinating stuff, and a handy reminder that flutes can do really interesting things … like improvisational jazz, and beatboxing. I’ve put together a small playlist of videos. Enjoy!

Exclusive excerpt from Creative Illustration, by Andrew Loomis:

Titan books has just released the fourth book in mid-century illustrator Andrew Loomis’ multi volume instructional art library, Creative Illustration.

Here’s what I’ve previously written about Loomis:

Andrew Loomis was an American illustrator whose work appeared in many magazines in the mid-20th century. In addition to his beautiful editorial work for magazines, Loomis also wrote and illustrated a half dozen or so instructional drawing books, and for the last 30 years or so they’ve been in great demand, even though they’ve been out of print.

But recently Titan Books has been republishing high-quality and very affordable facsimiles of Loomis’ books: Figure Drawing for All It’s Worth, Drawing the Heads and Hands, and Successful Drawing.

Creative Illustration

Mine Kafon; a bamboo tumbleweed that clears landmines:

The “Mine Kafon” is Massoud Hassani’s artificial tumbleweed, made from lightweight materials like bamboo. It is designed to be blown across uncleared minefields, detonating forgotten mines. It was Hassani’s grad design project for Design Academy Eindhoven. It continuously broadcasts its location, captured via GPS, plotting out safe, mine-free paths through the fields.

Mine Kafon

(via Make)

Cambodian Trees: Digitally Projected Deities and Sprits on the Streets of Cambodia:






Cambodian Trees is a digital projection work by French artist Clement Briend who traveled to Cambodia to photograph these sculptural representations of deities and spirits from Cambodian culture overlaid on trees in several urban areas. Of the series Briend says:

It’s a beautiful surprise when the projected spirits awaken and reveal themselves at night as though they are made of the towering trees themselves. The photographic light installations echo the spirituality of the few sprouts of nature in the predominantly urban landscapes. It is a visual imagining of the divine figures that inhabit the world, as seen through an environmentally aware spiritual eye.

Though I’m generally not a fan of digital projection, I really enjoy Briend’s utilization of tree branches to lend volume to the photographs of sculptures, in essence giving them life. To see several more images from this series, head over to his website. All images courtesy the artist. (via empty kingdom)

Turneresque painting of Mumbai trains:

Avi sez, “I came across this Turneresque painting of Mumbai Local Trains by Bhuwan Silhare. Not much info about the artist online.”

Bhuwan Silhare Mumbai Local Trains 2010