Porsche 918 Spyder Plug-in Hybrid prototype (all of Porsche’s concept cars have been brought to market) has emission levels of just 70 grams CO2 per kilometre on fuel consumption of three litres/100 kilometres (equal to 94 mpg imp). Acceleration from a standstill to 100 km/h in just under 3.2 seconds, top speed of 320 km/h […]
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Noise Pollution Alters Bird Behavior
It takes no observational feat to notice that people enjoy birds. As human developments dominate the landscape and evict so many of our wild neighbors, we spend a disproportionate amount of our energies coaxing the birds, specifically, back. Why else the feeders and birdhouses and baths so common to neighborhood backyards? Perhaps the exact reasoning […]
Wood Fired Pottery
Humans have been enamoured of wood fired ceramics for thousands of years. Yet since the invention of electric and gas kilns, wood firing was pushed aside by many. Fortunately the unique beauty of wood fired pottery is again becoming a highly appreciated art form throughout the world. (The Japanese have always held wood fired ceramics […]
Human Urine As Fertilizer
A study out of Finland has found that plants fertilized with urine performed four times as well as nonfertilized plants and just as well as plants given commercial mineral fertilizer. Urine plus wood ash (collected from a wood stove) produced as well, yet with the added benefit of reducing the acidity of the soil. The […]
Wedge Shaped Cars
The future looks wedge shaped… The 3 Wheeled Elio. Order yours now. More than 50,000 have already been pre-ordered… Made in America. Costs $6800. Designed for a 6’1” 220 lb person in the single front seat with one additional seat in the back. Elio projects that it will employ 1500 in Shreveport, LA, at an […]
Microscopic Images Of Seeds
The diversity and intricacy of shapes and sizes of seeds is extraordinary. Even more amazing is that within even the tiniest of seeds lies the complete genetic information required to birth and structure such organisms as the complex passion flower, or a 360 foot tall sequoia. Seeds are also amazing travelers, either with the help of […]
Butterfly Eggs
Julia Heliconia Butterfly Egg in a tendrill of a Passion flower creeper. The Julia Heliconia is an orange butterfly found along the periphery of the Gulf of Mexico. Image by Martin Oeggerli. www.micronaut.ch Large white butterfly egg (Pieris brassicae). The yellow eggs of the large white butterfly are laid in clusters on the undersides of leaves in […]
Upcycled Maps
Tear em, decoupage them, fold them, paint on them. Many Rivers, 2009 Inlaid maps, acrylic, on panel, 48 x 78 inches. By Matthew Cusick, mattcusick.com Bonnie, 2004. Maps on wood panel. By Matthew Cusick, www.mattcusick.com Matthew Cusick Rachael’s Wave, 2011. Inlaid maps on wood panel. www.mattcusick.com Geronimo, 2007 Inlaid maps on panel, 30 x 24 […]
Algae Streetlight
Microalgae Street Lamps (in prototype stage). French biochemist Pierre Calleja has invented a streetlight that is powered by algae AND which absorbs CO2 from the air. Pierre reports that one lamp can take 1 ton of CO2 out of the atmosphere per year. This is as much CO2 as an average tree absorbs during its […]
Kitchen Of The Future
“Energy-saving light bulbs will only take us so far. We need to push ourselves to rethink domestic appliances entirely, to rethink how homes consume energy, and how entire communities can pool resources” says Clive van Heerden, Senior Director of Design-led Innovation at Philips Design. Philips believes the solution is likely to come from biological processes, […]
Telephone Wire Art
Telephone wire as an art medium. Telephone cord sheep by Jean Luc Cornec. jeanluc.cornec.de Telephone cord sheep at the Communication Museum, Frankfort, Germany. jeanluc.cornec.de Telephone wire Guinea Fowl by Celia Smith. celia-smith.co.uk Walking Puffin. Telephone cabling and copper wire. celia-smith.co.uk Telephone wire robin. celia-smith.co.uk Telephone wire Peacock. celia-smith.co.uk Telephone Wire Head by Hilary J. Baker. […]
Best Electric Cars For City Drivers
Wheego Whip Life All electric. 100 miles per charge, 5 hours to charge, top speed 70 mph. MSRP $32,995. Qualifies for Federal and possibly State and Local Tax Credits. ($7,500 federal tax credit for electric vehicles.) Final assembly in California. Company is based in Atlanta, Georgia. www.wheego.net MiEV (Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle) Mitsubishi’s electric version […]
The Art Of Henrique Oliveira
The artist Henrique Oliveira uses old plywood, fencing and PVC as his medium. Recycled from dumpsters and landfills from his home city, São Paulo, Oliveira shapes plywood around PVC forms. Casa dos Leoes, 2009 Biennial, Porto Allegre, Brazil. Turning a house into a sculpture. www.henriqueoliveira.com Casa dos Leoes, 2009, detail. Brazil in Portuguese is Brasil. […]
Nuts And Bolts Sculpture
This sculpture is constructed of thousands of steel nuts. By Park Chan-girl, South Korea. blog.naver.com Steel Nut Sculpture By Park Chan-girl, South Korea. blog.naver.com Park Chan-girl, South Korea. blog.naver.com Park Chan-girl received his BFA in Sculpture from Chungnam National University and his MFA in Fine Arts from KyungHee University. blog.naver.com “OTOÑO” by Manuel Marti Mareno […]
Stone Furniture
No more plastic! Or vinyl, or PVC! Stone Couch at Chanticleer Gardens, Wayne, Pennsylvania Image by Carolyn’s Shade Gardens, Bryn Mawr, PA. carolynsshadegardens.com Stone chair at Chanticleer Gardens, Wayne, Pennsylvania. Image by Carolyn’s Shade Gardens, Bryn Mawr, PA. carolynsshadegardens.com Stone seating group at Chanticleer Gardens, Wayne, Pennsylvania. Image by Carolyn’s Shade Gardens, Bryn Mawr, PA. […]
Green Home Plans
Pebble Pathways
“Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain.” Unknown. A pebble and stone path with gaps increases permeability. By Jeff Bale. jeffreygardens.com Pebble path in the UK, image by Hermes.goldenagegardens.blogspot.com Pebble Mosaic in […]
Firewood As Art
Firewood Sculpture By Jaehyo Lee Wood ring. By Jaehyo Lee. leeart.name Wood chair. By Jaehyo Lee. leeart.name Wood chair. By Jaehyo Lee. leeart.name Wood Stool. By Jaehyo Lee. leeart.name Wood sculpture, 2009. By Jaehyo Lee. leeart.name Incredible Firewood Sculpture From Around The World Woodpile by Michael Buck. michael-buck.blogspot Hu Qingyan, “Firewood”, 2012; © Hu Qingyan […]
Egg Shell Art
The ancient Vietnamese technique of crushing and then applying egg shell with lacquer to a surface is beginning to find favor with some contempoarary artisans. Mother of Pearl, Egg Shell & Lacquer on Panel. By Sook ja Kong of South Korea. kongsookja.com ‘Back’ Mother of Pearl, Egg Shell, Gold plate, Lacquer on Panel. By Sook […]
Arthur Rackham’s Illustrations And Hugh Comstock’s Carmel Cottages
Illustration by Arthur Rackham. Alice was feeling bored while sitting on the riverbank with her sister, when she noticed a talking, clothed White Rabbit with a pocket watch run past. She follows it down a rabbit hole. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (commonly shortened to Alice in Wonderland) is an 1865 novel written by English author […]
Butterfly Wings
A butterfly’s iridescent coloring is a result of the intricate patterning of thousands of microscopic scales, attached to thin wing membranes. Those scales scatter light in complex ways. Iridescence helps butterflies elude predators. As you scroll down the page, the magnification progressively increases. Peacock butterfly (Inachis io). Photo by Lill-Jansskogen. Peacock butterfly (Inachis io). Photo by Michael Apel. Magnified […]
VHS Tape Art
VHS, Cassette Tape & Video Tape Art Zilvinas Kempinas – ’02’ Video tape loop, electric fan. Installation Spencer Brownstone Gallery 2007. www.spencerbrownstonegallery.com Zilvinas Kempinas – ‘Tube’ Venice Biennial – 2009, magnetic tape, plywood. One walks through the center of the installation. www.spencerbrownstonegallery.com Zilvinas Kempinas – ‘Columns’ Vertically streched video tape, plywood, nails. Installation Spencer Brownstone […]
Conflict Minerals
Consumers in developed nations live in a world dominated by gadgets. In our pockets, iPods and Blackberries have taken up permanent residence; in our homes, laptops and televisions are considered practically essential. Some of us may marvel at the innovative feats that have turned our cell phones into mini-computers, especially given the convenience they provide. […]
The Art Of Bernard Pras
The 3-D portraits of Bernard Pras – Look Closely! Tom Murphy – Limited Edition of 8. Pras sets up his camera at a well-defined angle so that the objects themselves merge and a portrait appears from his amalgamation. The photograph is the only remaining trace of his temporary setup. Note the lightbulbs. The Black Christ […]
Button Art
Pearly Crown Jewels of Pentonville, Buttons on canvas. www.anncarrington.co.uk. Button Installation, Whimsical Dream by Ran Hwang, 2011. ranhwang.com Button Installation, Whimsical Dream, left panel, right wall by Ran Hwang, 2011. ranhwang.com Buttons and pins. Close up of Whimsical Dream by Ran Hwang. ranhwang.com Button Installation, Another Soaring by Ran Hwang, 2010. ranhwang.com Buttons, beads and […]
Bamboo Sculpture
Bamboo is the biggest member of the grass family and has thousands of uses. It can be pressed, flattened, molded, sliced, burnt or carved. It is used as paper, flooring, musical instruments; its leaves, as livestock feed; and its shoots are popular in Asian cuisines. Bamboo supports millions of people in cottage industries worldwide. Bamboo […]
Cork Art
Most cork on the market is the renewable outer bark tissue peeled off the Cork Oak tree (Quercus suber) which is native to SW Europe and NW Africa. Once the trees are about 25 years old, the cork tissue is debarked every nine years. The process does not injure the tree—cork oaks live for about […]
The Trash People of HA Schult
Demotix In March 2011, Ha Schult installed his army of life sized trash people on the ice in the Arctic at Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway. Demotix They have traveled around the world, yet the floating, diminishing ice will be their last installment. In 2007, they were in Rome, 1000 strong. Pic: alessandro silipo www.flickr.com In 2002, […]
Nick Cave Sound Suits
Upcycled suits…or as Nick Cave calls them – Sound Suits Twigs, one of Nick Cave’s first Sound Suits, he says they’re “full body suits constructed of materials that rattle with movement, like a coat of armor, (they) embellish the body while protecting the wearer from outside culture.” Cave constructed his first suit after watching the […]
Auto Parts Art
Car Henge 38 Autos – Carhenge was built in 1987 by Jim Reinders and his family. The project was a memorial to his father, who had lived on a farm on the site. It is a faithful full scale reproduction, and accurately replicates the astronomical alignments of the original Stonehenge. Alliance, Nebraska. Visit Nebraska. Flickr: […]
Barbed Wire And Galvanized Wire Sculptures
At least you know it’s sturdy—barbed wire was the first manufactured fence able to restrain cattle. The Barbed Wire Sculpture Of David Oliviera Wire Sculpture by David Oliviera of Portugal. www.davidmigueloliveira.blogspot.pt Wire Sculpture by David Oliviera. www.davidmigueloliveira.blogspot.pt Wire Wolves bounding down a stair by David Oliviera. www.davidmigueloliveira.blogspot.pt Wire Sculpture (Imoto, 2012) by David Oliviera. www.davidmigueloliveira.blogspot.pt […]
Wattle Edging
Wattle edging has surrounded kitchen gardens since gardening began. Has seasonal pruning left you with numerous, long, flexible tree suckers and saplings? You will need to move fast, as those branches will become too stiff to weave soon after cutting. Drive stakes. Weave like a basket. The firmer you press the wattle down, the sturdier the fence […]
Stick Sculpture
The materials for your next project are just lying on the ground. The Stick Sculpture Of Patrick Dougherty Combining his carpentry skills with his love of nature, Patrick Dougherty began to learn about primitive building techniques and to experiment with tree saplings as construction material beginning about 1980. He quickly moved from small single pieces […]
Gun Art
In Arizona the governor signed into law an order banning confiscated or surrendered guns from being destroyed. One solution: turn them into art. ‘Gun Sculpture’ by Canadian artists Sandra Bromley and Wallis Kendal makes the secret life of weapons visible. Standing at 8′ x 12′ x 8′, and weighing 5 tons, the rectangular structure is a monstrous […]
Cardboard Sculpture And Accessories
New or reclaimed, cheap, pliable cardboard is an irresistible material for sculptors, including some of art’s biggest names. Cardboard Sculpture By Rauschenberg Robert Rauschenberg Cardboards 1971. www.museomadre.it Cardboard Sculpture By Tobias Putrid Tobias Putrih Macula Series B 2006 arttattler.com see another piece here: www.flickr.com Tobias Putrih Macula Series B 2006 arttattler.com Tobias Putrih Macula Series […]
Bottle Cap Art
Ideas are cheap, art materials are expensive. One artist didn’t get his start until he was able to find plastic bottle caps he could use for free. The Plastic Bottle Cap Art Of El Anatsui El Anatsui was born in Ghana before its independence in 1957, but since 1975 he has lived in Nsukka, Nigeria […]
Driftwood Sculpture
Carved by wind, water and sand, driftwood makes a striking material for sculpture. Driftwood Sculpture By Andries Botha Andries Botha has created more than 20 elephants from recycled materials for his global Human Elephant Foundation, Nomkhubulwane. “What will we do to change how we live? What will accelerate our commitment to create a more sustainable […]
Dale Wayne
The amazing Dale Wayne turns plastic bottles into shimmering joy… Plastic Bottle arrangement, close-up. The plastic bottle wreath Dale made for her mom & dad. dalewayne.com First Place at the Festival of Trees, Orlando Museum of Art, 2011. Dale conceives a large project, then asks the community to assist as to craft skills. Students from […]
Banksy’s Environmental Message
Banksy is the pseudonym of an English graffiti artist, political and environmental activist, film director, and painter. His true identity is unknown. These images are very powerful. The statement sinks as the ice keeps melting… Near the Oval bridge in Camden, north London. www.makechoice.tumblr.com “Reconditioned dolphin ride with crude oil and tuna net” Do we […]
Rock Sculptures
If rock wasn’t the first medium of sculpture, what was? Today’s artists are bringing this traditional art back. Nga Uri o Hinetuparimaunga 2005. Hamilton Gardens Entrance, New Zealand. Five huge columns are covered with a rock blanket or Kakahu, a protective woven pebble cloak. 12,000 quartz pebbles from Southland and 1000 greywacke pebbles from Kaiaua form […]
Tire Art
Over 1 billion tires are manufactured annually, made of synthetic rubber, natural rubber, carbon black, polyester fabric, and steel wire. Tires stay in the environment a long time. Green-thinking artists are doing something with them. The Best Tire Art Tire Frame by Chakaia Booker Pic: newcambridgeobserver.com chakaiabooker.com Male Torso that left his path by Chakaia […]
Willow Tree Sculptures
Living willow structures or fences start with live cut rods or withies. Once inserted in the ground, they take root. Willow sculpture may use green wood but the rods are not planted, so the sculpture can be preserved if you want. The Most Amazing Willow Tree Sculptures Wicker Sculpture – Queen at Faulkland Palace, 2012.by […]
Coin Art
There’s always something both startling and exhilarating about seeing an everyday object like a coin turned into art. The Best Coin Art Detail of Manhattan Mettle, below, by Ann Carrington. For more close-ups see: www.anncarrington.co.uk Manhattan Mettle by Ann Carrington. Mixed media: metal punching, dollars, dimes, subway tokens, spanners, nails, pins… 8m x 5m, www.anncarrington.co.uk […]
Succulent Art
Just a spritz of water here and there and succulents take care of themselves. These artistic sculptures utilize wireframes and other methods to keep succulents in place. Succulent Topiary, created by Pat Hammer, Director of Operations of the San Diego Botanical Garden. Image ©Inspiration Green. “Succulent People” with clay faces and a bit of metal […]
Recycled Glass Art
Repurposed glass dishes become an apple tree.By Alison Fox. alisonsstainedglass.com Repurposed glass. “A Sprite’s Garden” $595, 28 x 15″By Alison Fox. alisonsstainedglass.com ‘Downtown’ 27″ x 20″ repurposed glass.By Alison Fox.alisonsstainedglass.com Glass dishes and vase.By Alison: alisonsstainedglass.com A geode path with carnival glass, depression glass, a lamp base and a unique blue furniture coaster. 22″ x 19″ $595. alisonsstainedglass.com Vintage crystal window […]
Fairy Houses
Supply a home to our ethereal friends in your backyard, in a park, or in your city apartment. Great fun with kids, as the activity is usually outside in nature, and sparks imagination and creative play. Fairy Houses Fairy House on Monhegan Island, Maine. fairyhouses.com Fairy House. saras-toy-box.blogspot.com Fairy House by Aviary. pinterest.com Fairy House at […]
Omo Valley Tribes
Imagine growing up without artwork on the walls, minimal paper and no pens but surrounded by bodies, nature, colored minerals and all sorts of animals with amazing designs. The Ultimate Canvas: The Human Body In the remote Omo valley in Africa, where the earliest known Homo sapiens remains have been found, indigenous tribes have been […]
Upcycling Dinner Plates And Old China
Reuse of old plates, china, porcelain, and dishes. Yvonne Ellen homeware. Yvonne paints or decals contemporary and quirky illustrations on vintage plates and other china. Each piece is original and no two designs are alike. www.etsy.com Yvonne Ellen homeware. www.etsy.com Yvonne Ellen homeware. Antique plates with decals. www.etsy.com Yvonne Ellen homeware. Combining vintage items with contemporary […]
Terrace Farming
Farmland shaped into terraces are built for long-term success. When it rains, instead of washing away the soil, the soil stays in place. Nutrients are also held in place or carried down to the next level. Terrace Farming In China Terrace rice fields in Yunnan Province, China. Rice paddy cultivation has been in use for […]
Urine Powered Generator
Girl Power! Four young Nigerian girls have invented a generator that runs on urine. The invention was first displayed in Lagos, November, 2012, at the 4th annual Maker Faire, a pan-African innovation fair. Three 14-year-olds, Duro-Aina Adebola, Akindele Abiola, Faleke Oluwatoyin and 15-year-old Bello Eniola are the inventors. How The Urine Powered Generator Works The […]
