A man of many faces, artist James Kuhn creates some of the most incredible and bizarre masks ever seen. The eccentric face painter calls his creations "self-portraits" because he uses his own face as the canvas for his artwork.
The 46-year old artist is halfway through his project to create a design for his face every day for a year, which he began in March after he was snowed in by 12 inches of snow and had to miss work.
James got the inspiration from photo exhibitions of a picture a day. His 365 creations range from cartoon characters and animals to his favorite foods. Kuhn uses real popcorn to add more realism to his popcorn box creation. Mr Pineapple Head. Kuhn even adds a real pineapple to the top. "I really have become totally obsessed with face painting and I think about what I can do next all the time." James says on his blog.
The artist says the worst part is painting the inside of his nostrils, as he ends up spitting them for hours.
He says he's been an artist all his life, and even drew pictures in his oatmeal as a child.
It’s the beginning of another year, when who knows what’s going to happen, what adventures we’ll have and what ground-breaking news will hit the headlines. It’s the perfect time to reminisce over events of the previous year and ponder new discoveries. At Environmental Graffiti because we’re besotted with the natural world it was good to see National Geographic’s list of their most read stories of the year include seven best animal finds of 2008. We thought we’d share them with you in case you missed them. Elbowed Alien-like Squid Caught on Film
There was great excitement in November 2008 when a remote control submersible was investigating a deep oil-drilling site and captured the image of a long-armed and ‘elbowed’ Magnapinna squid. One had never been caught on camera before in their natural habitat.
Vampire Moth has Fruity Past
Researchers reported in October that a previously unknown population of vampire moths in Siberia could have evolved from solely fruit eating species. Vampire moths have hook-and-barb-lined tongues, which they tunnel into their prey to feed on blood. Researchers say there is only slight variations in wing pattern compared to a common species of moth found in central and southern Europe called Calyptra thalictri that eats only fruit.
Italian Wall Lizards Evolving at Lightening Speed
Not exactly an animal find but a new discovery nonetheless. In April 2008, researchers studying Italian wall lizards that had been introduced to a small island off the coast of Croatia have evolved in ways that would normally take millions of years in just a few decades. Records dating from 1971 show that the tiny lizards have developed a completely new gut structure, larger heads, and a harder bite.
Worms Go Supersize in the UK
A new breed of ‘superworms’ that feed on lead, zinc, arsenic, and copper were found at disused mining sites in England and Wales. It’s thought that the newly evolved worms and their toxic eating habits could help cleanse polluted industrial lands as their excretions produce different versions of the metals, which allows plants to grow. Scientists believe their ability to tolerate extremely high metal concentrations has affected their evolution.
Dog-size Deer Rediscovered in Sumatra
In October last year a tiny dog-sized deer was catapulted into the limelight when anti-poaching conservationists released a photograph of the animal caught in a trap in Sumatra. The Sumatran muntjac had not been photographed since 1930 so had almost completely been forgotten about by science. The mountain-dwelling deer is now on the global Red List of Threatened Species, so doubtful it will be neglected again.
Half-ton Colossal Squid Reveals Secrets of the Deep
In 2007, a 30 ft-long (10 m) squid was caught on a fishing line in Antarctic waters. The colossal squid was taken to New Zealand where an autopsy was performed on the half-ton female last August. The dissection revealed the squid was “a ‘giant gelatinous blob’, would have been sluggish and highly vulnerable to predators”, and was carrying partially developed eggs. Scientists believe she may have been feeding from the fishermen’s nets rather than hunting naturally because of her condition.
The same squid was found to have eyes the size of soccer balls – the biggest recorded – which were rimmed with light-emitting organs thought to play a role in cloaking the animal from prey.
Gizmo the Gremlin Hiding Out in Sulawesi
Many people may be familiar with this animal as it’s been likened to a cute’n’cuddly Gremlin (before the water). A group of three pygmy tarsiers were discovered on an expedition in Indonesia last summer. The tiny 57 gram (2 oz) carnivorous primates were last seen alive in the 1920s, so were thought to be extinct. Logging in the forested mountain slopes of Lore Lindu National Park, Sulawesi has destroyed much of their natural habitat and population. Lead researcher Sharon Gursky-Doyen, who found the primates, is hoping the find will inspire the Indonesian government to do more about protecting their native species.
Darwin claimed the appendix was useful for digestion during our early plant-eating years; it's dwindled down to little since we started eating more digestible foods.
No. 3 - Wisdom Teeth
Back in the day, when we ate mammoth meat off the bone and didn't floss afterward, our teeth tended to fall out. Therefore, when those reserve molars, aka "wisdom teeth," came in they were welcomed. Nowadays, fluoride and dental plans have just made them a huge pain.
No. 4 - Erector Pili
When were hairier (see No. 9), the erector pili made the hairs stand on end when we needed to appear bigger and scarier. Now, it just gives us goose bumps.
No। 5 - Coccyx
More useful as a game-winning Scrabble word than part of the anatomy, the coccyx, or tailbone, is several fused vertebrae left over from the olden days when we had tails.
No. 6 - Tonsils
Also prone to swelling and infection. If you have them by your 30s, it's almost an accomplishment.
No. 7 - Adenoids
Adenoids trap bacteria, but they're also prone to swelling and infection. Just ask any 7-year-old. Luckily, our adenoids shrink with age and are often removed, along with ...
No. 8 - Sinuses
Doctors don't really know much about sinuses, only that we have a lot of them. Possibilities for their function range from insulating our eyes to changing the pitch and tone of our voice.
No. 9 - Body Hair
You may not know it, but you have a third eyelid. Pull open the two more noticeable eyelids and take a look - it's located right in the corner by the tear duct. The third eyelid is left over from what's known as a "nictitating membrane," which is still present in animals like chickens, lizards and sharks.
No. 10 - Plica semilunaris (third eyelid)
You may not know it, but you have a third eyelid. Pull open the two more noticeable eyelids and take a look - it's located right in the corner by the tear duct. The third eyelid is left over from what's known as a "nictitating membrane," which is still present in animals like chickens, lizards and sharks.
Fire dancing (also known as, "fire twirling," "fire spinning," "fire performance,"or "fire manipulation") is a group of performance arts or disciplines that involve manipulation of objects on fire. Typically these objects have one or more bundles of wicking, which are soaked in fuel and ignited.
Some of these disciplines are related to juggling or baton twirling (both forms of Object Manipulation), and there is also an affinity between fire dancing and rhythmic gymnastics.
Fire dancing is often performed to music. Fire dancing has been a traditional part of cultures from around the world, and modern fire performance often includes visual and stylistic elements from many traditions.
The 46-year old artist is halfway through his project to create a design for his face every day for a year, which he began in March after he was snowed in by 12 inches of snow and had to miss work.
Kuhn uses real popcorn to add more realism to his popcorn box creation.
Mr Pineapple Head. Kuhn even adds a real pineapple to the top.
"I really have become totally obsessed with face painting and I think about what I can do next all the time." James says on his blog.
