illustration friday

Hello there!

It's been a while since I've been taking part in Illustration Friday and it felt like it was time I got back into it. It's a great concept and a great community. This weeks theme is 'star gazing' so I thought this watercolor would fit nicely.

{click on image to enlarge}

Have a great weekend!

© Copyright 2010 by Vanessa Boer. All rights reserved.

No part may be reproduced without written permission.

THINGS I LIKE: Dalton Ghetti

I am a fan of all things tiny and artist Dalton Ghetti has taken miniature to a whole new level. Ghetti started carving bark as a kid, then moved on to soap and chalk before settling on pencil graphite. He uses only three tools for his teeny-tiny sculptures: a sewing needle, an exacto and a carpenter's pencil. Without the use of a magnifying glass he carves these incredible Lilliputian works of art.

THINGS I LIKE: La Cueva de Los Cristales

I know sci-fi tries to tell us otherwise, but I think we definitely lucked out with this planet of ours. It's the coolest! Have you ever seen images of crystal caves? Not just hippie-dippie street vendor crystals meant to re-align your chakras while simultaneously emptying your wallet. Seriously awe inspiring, giant crystals, people!

Here are pictures (from our brainy friends over at National Geographic) of the most incredible crystal cave discovered as of yet. It took hundreds of thousands of years to grow these crystals and some are as tall as 36 feet! Incredibly, these aren't photoshopped. Behold!! La Cueva de los Cristales!

p.s. By the way, I love that everyone in the pictures looks like a sort of bored construction worker while they are probably some sort of genius / scientist just trying to look cool.

THINGS I LIKE: The Mighty Eyjafjallajökull

Iceland has been the object of my affection for many years. The natural beauty there is wild, vivid and unparalleled. Here is a beautiful time-lapse film of (the icelandic volcano with an ice-cap hat) Eyjafjallajökull by filmmaker Sean Stiegemeier. This is the infamous volcano that was getting so much bad press due to the wild amounts of ash whirling around the planet and lots of stranded travelers. But if you take a moment to appreciate it for what it is, a mountain with smoke and lava pouring out of it while our planet's plates shift, it's pretty incredible.

I saw this film a couple months ago but I think about it all the time so figured I ought to share it. The soundtrack is a beautiful and perfectly apt song by the Icelandic singer Jonsi (of Sigur Ros). It feels like that song was meant to score a volcano. See for yourself.

Iceland, Eyjafjallajökull - May 1st and 2nd, 2010 from Sean Stiegemeier on Vimeo.
p.s. I definitely recommend you watch this in full-screen. Just click on the 4 arrow icon at the bottom right of the video.

Photograph by Rakel Osk Sigurda, NordicPhotos, Getty Images

THINGS I LIKE: Ben Javens

I recently came across the work of English illustrator Ben Javens. It was an unlikely spot but I was stopped in my tracks while buying soymilk at the market. Ben was hired to completely redesign 8th Continent soymilk packaging and man, oh man, it worked! I wish everything in my fridge was this awesome!

He has a definite 60s influence but there's something all his own. He has a great palette and clean design but manages to keep the handmade quality in each print. I really love his work so here are a few more for you to enjoy!

For more of Ben Javen's work, check out his site or his agency Unseen Agency

who happen to represent a whole slew of really great artists!