Art and Design

Wonders Of Dubai

2007-09-02T12:04:00.000-07:00

7. Dubai Ski Resort

Ski Dubai in Dubai Emirates Mall started in December 2005 is the worlds third largest indoor ski slope, measuring 400 meters and using 6000 tons of snow. Ski Dubai resort is the first Dubai indoor ski slope to open.

A second Dubai indoor ski slope is the Dubai Sunny Mountain Ski Dome in Dubailand which is due to open in 2008. It will provide a great attraction, featuring a revolving ski slope, an artificial mountain range, an ice bridge, a cable lift, a snow maze, an ice slide, polar bears cold water-aquaria and special sound and light effects.

6. Dubai Mall

This light vibrant space will be the largest mall on the planet, as extraordinary in scale as it is in design. With an impressive array of leisure pursuits, including a world-class aquarium, fashion show arena, gold souq and ice rink. The Mall will revolutionize the modern shopping experience.

5. The World Islands

The World will consist of between 250 to 300 smaller private artifical islands divided into four categories - private homes, estate homes, dream resorts, and community islands. Each island will range from 250,000 to 900,000 square feet in size, with 50 to 100 metres of water between each island.

The development is to cover an area of 9 kilometers in length and 6 kilometers in width, surrounded by an oval shaped breakwater. The only means of transportation between the islands will be by marine transport.

4. Hydropolis - Luxury Underwater Hotel

The project is divided into three section. The "land station" is the complex where visitors are first greeted. It is a large building with a roof that dips and rolls like the crest of a wave. From there, people enter a tunnel to begin their journey to the hotel, itself. The tunnel is 1,700 feet long and carries a train beneath both the land and the sea. The destination, of course, is the hotel itself.

Mimicking natural forms, it is shaped like a collection of bubbles and curves designed to provide maximum resistance against the everyday pressures of the sea water as well as the occasional typhoon that may stray into this area. It has already been compared to both a jellyfish and a sea turtle. It features a pair of observation domes which allow an expansive view of the water and the creatures that live in it. They are large enough to emerge above the waves, and one is planned with a retractable roof allowing people to be surrounded by the ocean while looking directly into the sky.
3. Dubailand - the largest amusement park

Dubailand is the vision of Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The development is expected to be a full featured city divided into six theme worlds. Attracting 15 million tourists to Dubai by 2010, Dubailand is set to accomplish this goal by being the ultimate creating a tourism, entertainment, and leisure destination that will attract visitors not only from surrounding countries but also from Europe and Asia.
On a longer term basis Dubailand is seen as a way to phase out Dubai's dependence on oil revenues by establishing a sustainable economy through higher value added services. The venture is expected to attract approximately 200,000 visitors daily and cost $20 billion.

2. Palm Island

The Palm Islands, also referred to as The Palm Dubai and The Palms, are the three largest man-made islands in the world, which are being built on the coast of the emirate of Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Its concept was announced in May 2002 and the three resort islands are expected to maintain Dubai's position as a premium tourist destination. The Palm Islands is also the self-declared "Eighth Wonder of the World".

1. Burj Dubai - The Tallest Building In The World

The Height of Burj Dubai is being kept private, and will not be told until it is complete. According to the developers, it will be the tallest building on earth. However at the end of June 2006 a height of 2650ft (807.7m) has been made public by some of the firms involved in this project.

When anounced in early 2003, the Burj Dubai's design was the same as the 560 meter Melbourne Grollo Tower design. However, in May 2003 a new design by SOM was released.An observation deck will be located on the 124th floor. Will have the fastest elevators in the world with a speed of 700m/min (42.3 kmh / 26.1 mph).

The total budget for the Burj Dubai project is about $4 billion US dollars and for the entire new 'Downtown Dubai', $20 billion US Dollars. Work on the foundations started in January 2004., Scheduled to be opened on 30th December 2008.

Habitat Of The Future

2007-08-11T12:30:00.000-07:00

Habitat Type A

Habitat Type B

Habitat Type C

Create Objects With Wire And Other Stuff

2007-07-19T09:40:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's a real quote from Abraham Lincoln. As the U.S. battles terrorism, there has been a tendency to trade freedom and rights for safety. That's what this image is about.

Well, these pics stink, but I'm kinda excited about being done (I think), and I wanted to post some images of her. The "A" on her dogtag is the last initial of the family who commissioned me to make her. Why do I know it's a female? 'Cause female mosquitos are the ones that bite!

The theme word for this week (and this pic) is "ghost".

Yeah, I said I wouldn't be posting for a few, but we don't leave for Chicago til the morning, so here's one more. While my wife was driving around town today, I rode along and made this Scissor Bird, but it reminds me a lot of those bird things Marvin Martian ordered around in old Warner Brothers Cartoons.

Photography Guy

Made out of lots of photography related refuse. And, of course, some wire!

Irony in Pill Form

Having terrible motion sickness, my wife took her share of these pills when expecting our little girl. They didn't always work. So, this is for the Mrs. It's the best I could do to try and get even with the little buggers!

22 gauge dark annealed wire. The hammers is about 6'' tall.

Mask was this weeks word to illustrate, and it was more challenging than I anticipated. Not from an idea standpoint, but simply creating it for some reason. Thanks for any comments in advance.

The Old Widow

The key has been lost for many years now.

My wife the art director worries that I may be getting in a rut with some of these provocative objects. I have a few "safer" things to post in the next few days. So, I'll try to be good for a while...

No matter how bad your job is, it pales in comparison to these guys. While I worked on this, one of them leaked all over my wire spool, and I had to send him packing.

I was going to add some little condom warriors, but I think I'll stop now. We'll see if I think differently later.

This wicked fellow managed to possess the most powerful power tie on Earth. He ruled his domain in ruthless fashion, until one day his reign came to an abrupt end.

As his tie was destroyed, so was his power. He grew weaker and weaker, until one day he totally dissappeared... Almost sad, really.

The Creation Myths

2007-07-16T17:34:00.000-07:00

Hammer of the Gods: Norse Mythology

With its bounty of brawny, barrel-chested gods and buxom goddesses, the ancient Norse religion of the Scandinavian and Germanic countries is truly the creation myth for fans of both pro wrestling and heavy metal music. According to Norse lore, before there was Earth (Midgard), there was Muspell, a fiery land guarded by the fire sword-wielding Surt; Ginnungagap, a great void, and Niflheim, a frozen ice-covered land. When the cold of Niflheim touched the fires of Muspell, the giant Ymir and a behemothic cow, Auohumla, emerged from the thaw. Then, the cow licked the god Bor and his wife into being. The couple gave birth to Buri, who fathered three sons, Odin, Vili, and Ve. The sons rose up and killed Ymir and from his corpse created from his flesh, the Earth; the mountains from his bones, trees with his hair and rivers, and the seas and lakes with his blood. Within Ymir's hollowed-out skull, the gods created the starry heavens. What can we say: Pure metal magic!!

Zoroastrianism, the Religion of Ancient Persia

The Bundahishn of the Middle Persian era tells of the world created by the deity Ahura Mazda. The great mountain, Alburz, grew for 800 years until it touched the sky. From that point, rain fell, forming the Vourukasha sea and two great rivers. The first animal, the white bull, lived on the bank of the river Veh Rod. However, the evil spirit, Angra Mainyu, killed it. Its seed was carried to the moon and purified, creating many animals and plants. Across the river lived the first man, Gayomard, bright as the sun. Angra Mainyu also killed him. Ouch! The sun purified his seed for forty years, which then sprouted a rhubarb plant. This plant grew into Mashya and Mashyanag, the first mortals. Instead of killing them, Angra Mainyu deceived them into worshipping him. After 50 years they bore twins, but they ate the twins, owing to their sin. After a very long time, two more twins were born, and from them came all humans (but specifically Persians).

By the Rivers of Babylon

The Babylonian creation myth, the Enuma Elish, begins with the gods of water, Apsu (fresh), and Tiamat (salt), spawning several generations of gods, leading to Ea and his many brothers. However, these younger gods made so much noise that Apsu and Tiamat could not sleep (a complaint still common today amongst apartment-dwellers). Apsu plotted to kill them, but Ea killed him first. Tiamat vowed revenge and created many monsters, including the Mad Dog and Scorpion Man. Ea and the goddess Damkina created Marduk, a giant god with four eyes and four ears, as their protector. In tangling with Tiamat, Marduk, bearing the winds as weapons, hurled an evil wind down her gullet, incapacitating her, and then killed her with a single arrow to her heart. He then split her body in half and used it to create the heavens and the earth. Later he created man to do the drudge work that the gods refused to do, like farming, telemarketing and accounting.

Spirits of Ancient Egypt

The ancient Egyptians had several creation myths. All begin with the swirling, chaotic waters of Nu (or Nun). Atum willed himself into being, and then created a hill, otherwise there'd be no place for him to stand. Atum was genderless and possessed an all-seeing eye. He/she spat out a son, Shu, god of the air. Atum then vomited up a daughter, Tefnut, goddess of moisture. These two were charged with the task of creating order out of chaos. Shu and Tefnut generated Geb, the earth, and Nut, the sky. First they were entwined, but Geb lifted Nut above him. Gradually the world's order formed, but Shu and Tefnut became lost in the remaining darkness. Atum removed his/her all-seeing eye and sent it in search of them. (Just how all-seeing it was, and what did Atum do without, remains a mystery.) When Shu and Tefnut returned, thanks to the eye, Atum wept with joy. (Presumably he/she re-inserted the eye first.) Where the tears struck the earth, men sprang up.

South of the Border, Down Mexico Way: The Aztecs

The earth mother of the Aztecs, Coatlicue ("skirt of snakes,") is depicted in a fearsome way, wearing a necklace of human hearts and hands, and a skirt of snakes as her name suggests. The story goes that Coatlicue was impregnated by an obsidian knife and gave birth to Coyolxauhqui, goddess of the moon, and to 400 sons, who became the stars of the southern sky. Later, a ball of feathers fell from the sky which, upon Coatlicue finding it and placing it in her waistband, caused her to become pregnant again. Coyolxauhqui and her brothers turned against their mother, whose unusual pregnancy shocked and outraged them, the origin being unknown. However, the child inside Coatlique, Huitzilopochtli, the god of war and the sun god, sprang from his mother's womb, fully-grown and armored (talk about a C-section!). He attacked Coyolxauhqui, killing her with the aid of a fire serpent. Cutting off her head, he flung it into the sky, where it became the moon. That was supposed to comfort Coatlicue, his mother--some comfort!

China, the Middle Kingdom

A cosmic egg floated within the timeless void, containing the opposing forces of yin and yang. After eons of incubation, the first being, Pan-gu emerged. The heavy parts (yin) of the egg drifted downwards, forming the earth. The lighter parts (yang) rose to form the sky. Pan-gu, fearing the parts might re-form, stood upon the earth and held up the sky. He grew 10 feet per day for 18,000 years, until the sky was 30,000 miles high. His work completed, he died. His parts transformed into elements of the universe, whether animals, weather phenomena, or celestial bodies. Some say the fleas on him became humans, but there is another explanation. The goddess Nuwa was lonely, so she fashioned men out of mud from the Yellow River. These first humans delighted her, but took long to make, so she flung muddy droplets over the earth, each one becoming a new person. These hastily-made people became the commoners, with the earlier ones being the nobles the first example of mass-production!

Japan, this Island Earth

The gods created two divine siblings, brother Izanagi and sister Izanami, who stood upon a floating bridge above the primordial ocean. Using the jeweled spear of the gods, they churned up the first island, Onogoro. Upon the island, Izanagi and Izanami married, and gave forth progeny that were malformed. The gods blamed it upon a breach of protocol. During the marriage ritual, Izanami, the woman, had spoken first. Correctly reprising their marriage ritual, the two coupled and produced the islands of Japan and more deities. However, in birthing Kagutsuchi-no-Kami, the fire god, Izanami died. Traumatized, Izanagi followed her to Yomi, the land of the dead. Izanami, having eaten the food of Yomi, could not return. When Izanagi suddenly saw Izanami's decomposing body, he was terrified and fled. Izanami, enraged, pursued him, accompanied by hideous women. Izanagi hurled personal items at them, which transformed into diversions. Escaping the cavern entrance of Yomi, he blocked it with a boulder, thus permanently separating life from death.

Hindu Cosmology's Rendezvous with Brahma

The Hindu cosmology contains many myths of creation, and the principal players have risen and fallen in importance over the centuries. The earliest Vedic text, the Rig Veda, tells of a gigantic being, Purusha, possessing a thousand heads, eyes, and feet. He enveloped the earth, extending beyond it by the space of ten fingers. When the gods sacrificed Purusha, his body produced clarified butter, which engendered the birds and animals. His body parts transformed into the world's elements, and the gods Agni, Vayu, and Indra. Also, the four castes of Hindu society were created from his body: the priests, warriors, general populace, and the servants. Historically later, the trinity of Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver), and Shiva (the destroyer) gained prominence. Brahma appears in a lotus sprouting from the navel of the sleeping Vishnu. Brahma creates the universe, which lasts for one of his days, or 4.32 billion years. Then Shiva destroys the universe and the cycle restarts. Relax everybody, the current cycle has a couple billion years left.

The Greeks and the Titans

The early Greek poets posited various cosmogonies. The best-preserved is Hesiod's Theogony. In this hymn, out of the primordial chaos came the earliest divinities, including Gaia (mother earth). Gaia created Uranus, the sky, to cover herself. They spawned a bizarre menagerie of gods and monsters, including the Hecatonchires, monsters with 50 heads and a hundred hands, and the Cyclopes, the "wheel-eyed," later forgers of Zeus's thunderbolts. Next came the gods known as the Titans, 6 sons and 6 daughters. Uranus, despising his monstrous children, imprisoned them in Tartarus, the earth's bowels. Enraged, Gaia made an enormous sickle and gave it to her youngest son, Cronus, with instructions. When next Uranus appeared to copulate with Gaia, Cronus sprang out and hacked off his father's genitals! Where Uranus's blood and naughty bits fell, there sprang forth more monsters, the Giants and Furies. From the sea foam churned up by the the holy testicles came the goddess Aphrodite. Later, Cronus fathered the next generation of gods, Zeus and the Olympians. And, boy, were they dysfunctional!

The Genesis of the Judeo-Christian and Islamic Faiths

Genesis, the first book of the Jewish Torah and the Christian Bible, contains two origin stories, both of which are accepted as the creation of the world by today's Jewish, Christian and Islamic faiths. In the first, God says, "Let there be light," and light appears. In six days, he creates the sky, the land, plants, the sun and moon, animals, and all creatures, including humans. To all he says, "Be fruitful and multiply," which they do. On the seventh day God rests, contemplates his handiwork, and gives himself a good evaluation. In the second story, God creates the first man, Adam, from the earth. He makes a garden in Eden for Adam, but forbids him to eat fruit from the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil." Adam names the animals but remains lonely. God anesthetizes Adam and makes one of his ribs into the first woman, Eve. A talking serpent persuades her to eat the forbidden fruit, and she convinces Adam to do likewise. When God finds out, he drives them from the garden and makes man mortal. They should have stuck with apricots!

Charicatures Of Famous People

2007-07-13T12:04:00.000-07:00

Here are some from Pulp Fiction movie

Today is the deadline of the NCN (national Caricaturists Network) Pulp fiction the animated series character desgin contest. Here is my final entry and Im keeping my fingers crossed because the competition was TOUGH!!

Pulp Fiction The Animated Series

The judges wanted me to do a more “literal” interpretation of John Travolta’s “Vincent” character, so I chose to draw the scene from the movie where he’s getting hosed down in Quentin’s backyard. That kicked my funnybone into gear and I was able to nail this likeness after seven tires. It still has that streamlined look that i so necessary for animation , and I believe other artists can easily draw him which is also a concern in developing a characracter for a series.

This is some other famous people who are not strange to you.

Lets face it folks, As much as I love the art of caricature, subwaysurfing etc. One of the major reasons I do this is because I’ve developed this annoying habit of wanting to eat every day, and stay warm and dry in the process.

It’s about business folks, this is how I make my living.
The reason why I hope you’ll hire me, is because you like the way I draw, and also my ability to get a likeness.

Snoop Dogg and Snoopy an unbeatable combination. I thought putting Snoopy in there would tone down the gansta image a tad…

Suddams Insane! hey! what can I say? I drew this caricature during a really slllllooooooowwww period in Battery Park Noo Yawk, while waiting in the hot sun for a customer to come along. Good thing they didnt or I never would’ve gotten this great likeness.

He has speed, power, charisma, and good looks! Although Bruce Lee is applauded for his martial arts ability, I personally consider him to be the “first” Chinese American Sex Symbol. A shame he died young.

Charles Bronson was “macho” before it became vogue. He didnt get a face lift, a nose job, or a “cool hair style” but Bronson pulled it off and had undeniable star power in his day.

I was having a caricature contest with a friend and we both were doing “old school ” stars from the sixties. I loved James Coburn in “Our Man Flint” and thought he was a great “Yankee” answer to Sean Connery’s British James Bond.

Every caricaturist pays homage to “The King”. I was having trouble actually drawing his face and gave up on it. I was in Starbucks and unconciously doodled this piece as is! Man! what have they got in that coffee?

This is a promo illustration that I was commissioned to do for the movie, “The Cookout” starring Queen Latifah, Ja Rule, Tim Meadows, Danny Glover , Meagan Goode, Eve, and Storm P. The movie flopped, but hey! The Caricature was GREAT!!

This is former President hopeful, John Kerry… MAN! I’m gonna miss drawing his face!

I was watching the movie, Hitch, and tried to catch Will Smith, the Fresh Prince

Gov of Cali, Arnold the Governator

Thats why this celeb page exists to show you that I CAN get a likeness.

Besides…. Celebs are just plain fun to draw!

Hope you like what you saw, and maybe next time, i’ll be drawing you!

Bonsai Trees

2007-07-08T12:06:00.000-07:00

Bonsai Plant is an ancient oriental art based around growing miniature trees in artistic pots or planters. In Japanese the term bonsai translates literally to "tray planting". The art of bonsai involves far more than just growing a tree in a small pot, the trees must be carefully trimmed, pruned, and trained to specific visually pleasing shapes.

There are four sizes of bonsai: miniature, small, medium, and average. Miniatures range up to only 2 inches (5 centimeters) in height. Started from seeds or cuttings, they mature in about five years. Small bonsai are from 2 to 6 inches (5 to 15 centimeters) and take from five to ten years to train. Medium bonsai are from 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters), and average bonsai are up to 2 feet (0.6 meter); both sizes can be produced in as little as three years.

Chinese were the first to miniaturize container-grown trees in Penjing around CE 200.The art form may have been derived from the practice of transporting medicinal plants in containers by healers. Its early focus was on the display of stylistic trunks in the shape of animals and mystic figures.From China, the practice spread to Japan around the Heian period.

During the Tokugawa period, landscape gardening attained new importance. Cultivation plants such as azalea and maples became a pastime of the wealthy. Growing dwarf plants in containers was also popular, but by modern bonsai standards the container plants of this period were inappropriately large.

The period term for dwarf potted trees was hachi-no-ki, "a tree in a pot." The term "bonsai" probably didn't come into use until the late 19th century during the Meiji period.Bonsai originated in China more than 1,000 years ago, but it has been pursued and developed by the Japanese.

A bonsai industry of considerable size exists in certain sections of Japan. It has also become popular in many parts of the world.

The period term for dwarf potted trees was hachi-no-ki, "a tree in a pot." The term "bonsai" probably didn't come into use until the late 19th century during the Meiji period.

The art of raising bonsai--dwarfed potted trees--has enabled the Japanese to admire nature in an indoor setting. Bonsai are able to bear fruit and to drop their leaves in season, thus reproducing nature in miniature. A skillful bonsai artist can prune, bend, and shape branches to suggest trees standing tall and upright in a field or bent and gnarled by age or weather. The beauty of a natural landscape is evoked in the viewer's imagination.

Sand Sculptures

2007-07-06T03:38:00.000-07:00

The simple answer is that each little grain of sand is attached to several other little grains of sand by the surface tension of each tiny droplet of water. In fact, it is the water that is the most important element in sandcastle construction. Adding water to sand, and hoping that they are mixing together is usually a recipe for disaster at some later stage when you are attempting to carve delicate details in a block that is not properly constituted. Much better to start adding sand to water right from the first shovelful.

All sand is not the same. The most common "problem" with ocean sand is that it has been surf-rolled (that is rolled back and forth with the tide) for centuries and becomes rounded. Even proper mixing with enough water will not allow you to build an eight-foot castle out of a pile of ball bearings. Salt, shells and seaweed add further complications to the purity of the sand and its ability to stick together.

Some ocean beaches, such as Seal Point, California, are located near the mouth of rivers that regularly deposit fine silt grains on the beach to combat surf-rolling. A few miles down the coast, the finer grains have all been deposited and the sand has an entirely different consistency. The older the coastline (e.g. the US East Coast), the more surf-rolled the sand is.

At Harrison, the sand on the beach has been dredged from the bottom of Harrison Lake where the current has gently deposited it since the last Ice Age. It is highly angular and extremely silty. (So much so that Master Sculptor, Larry Nelson of California calls it "Mud".) It is this combination of circumstance that allows sculptors to regularly build central pieces that are over 12 feet tall in competition and has seen three, progressively-higher Guinness World Records for the World's Tallest Sandcastle set on the beach in Harrison Hot Springs.

Most professional sand sculptors use the West Coast technique of compressing sand and water in different sizes of plywood forms. Start with a sheet of 5/8" plywood and cut it into 2-foot widths. A sheet will thus yield four, 4-foot pieces. Attaching the pieces of plywood to each other is usually accomplished by adding two, 2" x 4" stringers to the top and bottom of each piece. Make the stringers a foot longer on each side so that you can nail or pin them together. A little forethought and your design will allow you to interlock any piece with another, so that you can make boxes 4' x 6' or 2' x 8'.

Planning your entire sculpture is extremely important so you can establish exactly how big your base must be to support the entire height of the piece. Each level of the piece is normally a foot shorter on each side than the one below it and you must recognize that you will probably have to carve up to a foot of sand away from the outside of each formed block.

Making each stage a foot smaller all around will allow you to have a 6" step to climb the entire structure and provide a firm base for you to stand on to start carving several feet in the air. SAFETY NOTE: Even the most experienced carver has "forgotten" where they were and stepped backwards into space! Make certain that the area around your sculpture is clear of shovels, forms, buckets, sharp tools and pieces of wood if you need to safely "bail-out" from on high.

Take the time to level your first form . Dig the high end into the sand and then, making sure you have your bottom form firmly locked together, start by thoroughly soaking the sand inside the form before you start shovelling sand. Normally, you should try to start as far away from the form as you can, so that you are throwing sand the farthest distance when you are freshest and the form is the lowest. Continually add buckets of water and ensure that all your sand is wet.

When you have built up a foot of wet sand, it is time to start compacting. A compactor can be constructed of almost any solid material, but the most effective is a base of 1" steel plate with a 4-foot pipe welded to the center of the plate. SAFETY NOTE: Slamming a compactor on your foot (or someone else's) IS NOT RECOMMENDED ! Similarly, team captains must ensure that team members are adequately spaced when shovelling and that they continually aware of where other team members are.

Team members packing buckets of water into the plot should normally be dumping them on the opposite side of the form from where the shovellers are working. Shovelling fifteen tons of sand and dumping 1500 five gallon buckets of water is HARD WORK! Make sure that team members take rest breaks, are rotated from left-hand to right-hand shovelling and that you have adequate supplies of water or Gatorade, etc. Fill your first form completely and add enough water to puddle the top (which becomes the bottom of your second form.).

Add your second form and repeat until you have reached the designed top of your structure. Plastic garbage cans with the bottom cut-out or plastic traffic cones may be added to the top form for additional height or definition. Most Master Sculptors leave the completed forms alone for a short time to allow excess water to percolate from top to bottom. Excess water from each form will percolate downwards, but only through water. That is, it will follow the easiest path through wet sand. It will not wet a patch of dry sand that you have left in the middle of your sculpture!

You are now ready to start carving the sand sculpture of your dreams. If you are at any height at all, only one or two team members can safely climb the structure and start removing forms. Other team members may be assigned to clear the base of the sculpture, receive the disconnected form pieces and take a well-earned rest break before starting to form other elements of the entire sculpture. A new safety note is now introduced as you have some sculptors working up top concentrating on carving, while other team members work below them.

As you will have appreciated by now, sand sculpture is an art form that is based on engineering. What you carve will have been predetermined to some extent, by the shape of the forms that you have constructed. It will be further defined by the quality of the sand and the quality of construction! Only years of experience will allow you to develop the carving techniques of the Master Sculptors in terms of narrowness, verticality, cut-throughs and overhangs that you can see in the Photo Gallery.

Similarly, sand sculpture will not allow you to produce a proportional human figure that is standing upright or with their hand pointing straight-out from the body, etc. Many sculptors who have worked in wood, bronze, marble, etc. have considerable difficulty in recognizing the limitations of sand sculpture. Again, only experience will allow you to complete the sculpture of your dreams. Practice, Practice, Practice is a good maxim for any sculptor.

If you want to enter the family in a local contest, go down to the beach and erect progressively larger sculptures that you will be able to complete within the time frame of the contest. The more you practice, the more confidence each team member will have and the easier the whole piece will come together. Build yourself a sandbox beside the carport and practice carving on small pieces at home.

Unusually Innovative Modern Furniture

2007-07-03T01:50:00.000-07:00

1.Tree Chairs

-A Tree Thrown

This first piece is some amazing art/furniture. Created by Nirandr Boonnetr, who started shaping trees about 1983, these chairs are one of a kind. Boonnetr describes his techniques in the book Arborsculpture- Solutions for a Small Planet

-Pooktres Sculptures

Other sculptors, like Peter and Becky of Queensland, are growing and shaping extremely detailed and balanced arborsculpture.They call their trees Pooktres.

2. Earth Furniture

-Lawn Chair

Our next piece is some amazing lawn furniture that is actually alive. The following shows a great way to do some quick and dirty Topiary Gardening yourself. The Grass armchair is easy to create. You will need about 240 litres of soil, to fill in the frame. Spread grass seeds evenly over the dirt, press them in and water slightly so that the soil is humid. After 10 days the grass starts to grow. Once the grass has reached 10cm, cut it down, and you've got a really impressive, not to mention practical, place to sit.

-Lawn Couch

How much oxygen did your furniture produce today? Unlike your standard-issue sofa, this one can be brought to life. Note: Couch may require mowing.

3. Futuristic Furniture/Rooms

-Multi Functional Spinning Wall

At first glance, TurnOn is reminiscent of a human-size hamster wheel. The arrangement would consist of several revolving modules linked together. Each module's interior would be outfitted for a specific room or function, such as a kitchen, bedroom, or exercise room. The wheel literally turns, and as the positioning of the module changes, so does its function. For instance, while cooking, the couch becomes the ceiling, the dining table a wall. The Wet Cell is the module that would house the bathroom, including the toilet, shower, and bath. One would simply rotate the module to utilize one of the facilities. This seems like an ingenious invention for those lacking space.

4. Chimera Furniture

-Ten Legged Rocking Chair.

This amazing design features point-to-point linear rocking. In the form of Contraforma's Ku Dir Ka plywood rocking chair, there's something quite unnatural. It makes one want to sit just to see if the thing actually rocked like one would expect.

-Three Way Rockin' Reader

I'm not really sure why ,but this sort of thing really strikes me as a bit creepy. Oh well, who am I to judge. I guess for parents of more than one kid, this chair would probably come in very handy at reading time.

5. Amazing Beds (If you have seen this already, I'm sorry. It was too cool to not include)

-Magnetic Levitating Bed

This amazing bed is held up 40cm by a permanent magnetic force due to elements in the floor as well as in the object. Thin steel cables assure it's position and the smart use of steel plates and air make the object userfriendly by strongly decreasing the magnetic force where it's not neccesary. Different possible uses such as a bed, sofa, Japanese dining table, display for objects or as a base for a floating pavilion can be used of since the bed can carry a load of 900kg.

-Floating Free Bed

This innovative bed design comes from German mathematician and designer Max Longin. The Float bed is suspended from a ground-based structure made of wood with metal hardware. This bed was also designed to be easily assembled and transported.

6. Lounging Around

-Sushi Lounger

Designer Sascha Akkermann has devised an ingenious aid for summertime relaxation. His Poissonmobile functions both as a mat (organic picnic anyone?) and a chaise lounge. The inspiration for the piece came from the little reed mats used to make sushi. Sascha’s goal was to use a flexible surface to achieve a stable body. perfect for using in your preferred outdoor envirornment. And when you’re done, roll it up and just tuck it away next to your beach towel. It’s that compact.

-Loungin by a vine

This chair is made of Liana (vine) and painted steel frame. Every one of these chairs is 100% unique and take on an awesome shape. Its definitely not your mama's chair....

-Y Bench

This innovative bench allows you to transcend the ephemeral park bench with an endless selection of forms and shapes that can be realized by a adjusting a series of interlocking wooden boomerang Y's.

7.Innovative Storage

-Dual Use Divider

Multi-usage piece of furniture that anyone can use as a screen in the middle of a room to separate places, and at the same time it could be used as space for storage if you turn some of the individual shelves. If you don’t want it to be in the middle of the room you can just push it to the side and close it in order to work as a decorating piece or with some open shelves as storage.

-Crazy cartoon furniture.

Crazy cartoon furniture. This sort of thing might make me feel like I was on drugs, so although this probably doesn't appeal to most adults, it would be pretty cute in kids rooms.

-Barnacles

Inspired by the type of marine crustacean, These BARNACLES are adaptable storage vessels. Nothing is lost in their one-piece design. I'd definitely put these in my room.

8. Furniture that comes to life

-Peeing Table

It's pretty gutsy to give your piece of furniture a negative name like "Bad Table" but then again the people at Straight Line Designs seem to have guts to spare. Who else would make a table that's lifting up its leg and peeing on your floor? I don't know how much of a market there is for this kind of, er, creativity, but give them points for trying.