Iceland is cool. (pun intended)

Sorry it's been so long, folks :( I've been trying to find stuff to show you what I find really inspiring and tie them together in a nice little package for you :)

So here's a topic that keeps surfacing for me: Iceland! It seems to me that everything I see coming from that little corner of the world is so damned aesthetically pleasing! The design, the street art, the music... even the freaking landscape is beatiful!

It looks like a fractal with those unreal colors. Here's an oldie combining the stunning natural beauty with Björk's "Joga" and some awesome video processing:

And I just saw this while looking for some street art samples. It combines a painted wall piece with projected images. So cool.

It's all got a very unique style that I think draws so well from their environment in such a beautiful way. The colors I see used in buildings and art; the sparse and haunting chords and vocals of the music (traditional and contemporary) all seem to to be taken directly from the local pallette. I love seeing art as a mirror that shows our immediate perceptions and reactions to our habitat. Even their economy is very self-sufficient in their long use of geothermal energy to heat and power their homes and even run their cars! Never ceases to amaze me.

Outta the way, jerk-ass!

Yet another victim of civil prosperity :( An entire corner is coming down in Murray this week to make way for another [enter corporate chain name here], and down came a Greek retaurant that I remember going to from childhood. Soon to follow is one of Utah's oldest (if not original) sex shop, the French Lady. When the first building was demolished, there was revealed some interesting ads painted on a long-hidden wall.

Check out the sweet hand-painted lettering! I love those old fonts. On the top image in the upper-left corner there's a funny juxtaposition between the tail of a Coca Cola "C" and someone's lame tagging. And the thing that initially caught my eye was the wicked circus poster!

It's sad that historic districts are being plowed, but in a bittersweet turn we get to see some art we may have never seen. Doesn't mean we have to like it though... >:(

'Nuff sed.

Finally, some new Banksy pieces. Take that society! I wish we had a little more social mischief in Salt Lake :( If anyone has any pics of street art you've seen around or just catches your eye, leave a comment: I'd love to see it!

God is in the details... Sometimes there's a kickass demon in there too.

I ran across Vania Zouravliov 's work in an issue of Computer Arts a few months ago and just recently stumbled on it again through random web browsing. The incredible detail in these pieces is staggering and just plain ridiculous! It's great to see such handiwork with pen and ink (my weapon of choice). They're reminiscent of 18th century anatomical and scientific drawings which I find nice and morbid :#

As if skeletons aren't cool enough, I remembered Vania had done work for Beck's last album and an article for Fader on Kanye! Sweet!

The Reflex Blue Show!!

Here's my favorite podcast and weekly source of encouragement and entertainment: The Reflex Blue Show! Head over to 36 Point and check out Nate and Donovan shoot the breeze about all things design. They always crack me up and have awesome guests. This week's show is with Sean Adams: the current prez of the AIGA. I've been listening to these guys since their days at the now defunct Be A Design Group podcast (R.I.P.) and they've shown me that design isn't all insurance ads and focus groups! Great for students to get a peek into the day-to-day of successful designers.

Hello!

Hiya, folk(s)! I'm really looking forward to sharing all the awesome little pieces of flair from around the world/web/life that inspire me. I'll also be doing my best to share my sketches and other doodles with you as I go along. Hope you enjoy =3