Paper Sculptures

how to make paper sculptures artists Jeff Nishinaka These astonishingly detailed Masters of Paper Art and Paper Sculptures are a far cry from basic origami... they can take months to create and sell for thousands of pounds.

And Incredible most amazing paper sculptures the intricate work of Jeff Nishinaka is created using just paper, glue and a sharp knife origami paper cutting art.

In one of his works, Mr Nishinaka has painstakingly created a bustling city complete with a family eating at a bar and a couple cycling through the streets.

In another, famous landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, Sydney Opera House, Egyptian Pyramids and the Great Wall of China all appear, modelled in stunning detail.

Many of Mr Nishinaka's pieces, which usually measure from 2ft in height, are snapped up for around £5,000. But one tree sculpture, which measures an incredible 20ft high, was sold to the five-star ANA Hotel in Tokyo for nine million yen - or £66,000.

The piece, which was commissioned to celebrate the hotel's fifth anniversary, took four months to complete.

Mr Nishinaka, who lives in Los Angeles, California, began experimenting with paper as part of a project during his student days at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.

The 52-year-old said: 'We could choose any type of medium, like matchsticks, nails and clay. I chose paper and made a fish sculpture - it was an 'ah-ha!' moment for me.

'After that I quickly developed a feel for working with paper. I began experimenting with different papers, finding ways to shape, bend, and round edges on it. I knew I was destined to make paper sculptures.'

The process, which can take between one week and four months depending on the complexity of the piece, involves making a rough thumbnail sketch of an idea before refining and enlarging it.

Mr Nishinaka then cuts the design with craft knives and uses simple paper glue to stick it all together.

He said: 'I enjoy the part when I can start gluing it together. That's where it begins coming together and starts looking like a paper sculpture.'

Although the final pieces appear three dimensional, Mr Nishinaka explained this isn't actually the case. The effect is actually achieved by the careful layering of the paper and lighting.

Made out of 100 per cent cotton, acid free paper, the pieces will not deteriorate or yellow with age.

Mr Nishinaka admitted showing people his finished sculptures was 'nerve wracking' but they were generally well received. He said: 'Most people say "I've never seen anything like this before!." For the most part the reaction is very positive.'































Source :- Daily Mail Via Telegraph

Giant Hailstones

A Giant hailstone in South Dakota smashes US record, ahem, hailed as the biggest ever.

What’s more, the man who found the ginormous icy object said that it had melted a bit while it was evaluated.

America’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration committee declared that the hailstone, found in the town of Vivian on July 23, measures a whopping eight inches in diameter and weighs a hefty one pound, 15 ounces.

The committee says the South Dakota ice chunk breaks records set by hailstones discovered in Nebraska and Kansas.

Ranch hand Leslie Scott says the hailstone was about three inches bigger when he found it. Scott says he put it in the freezer but that he couldn't prevent some melting because of an hours-long power outage that followed the storm.



Source :- Metro

Flylashes

The Flylashes are actually quite an odd alternative to fake eyelashes. Artist Jessica Harrison takes dead flys legs and attaches them onto the eye for what are aptly called ‘flylashes.’

The inventive looking false eyelashes are sort of on the grosser side of beauty. The crooked and bent lashes are glued onto the eye and are meant to look like luscious eyelashes. They’re definitely interesting.

Source :- Trend Hunter

The Oldest Species on Earth

The oldest species on earth - Cephalocarida is a Horseshoe shrimp, ironic given the connotations of its name in the English language.

Rather than being the runt, the squirt and the general nobody its name implies, this little guy, (the Horseshoe shrimp to friends but Triops cancriformis rather more formally) has staying power. It is almost the same now as it was two hundred million years ago.

Cephalocarida is a class inside the subphylum Crustacea that comprises only about nine shrimp-like benthic species. and are commonly referred to as horseshoe shrimps. Although a second family, Lightiellidae, is sometimes used, all cephalocaridans are generally considered to belong in just one family: Hutchinsoniellidae. Even though there is no fossil record of cephalocaridans, most specialists believe them to be primitive among crustaceans.

These crustaceans are from 2 to 4 millimetres (0.079 to 0.16 in) in length, with an elongate body. They have a large head, the hind edge of which covers the first thoracic segment. They have no eyes, presumably because of their muddy natural habitat. The second pair of antennae is located behind the mouth; in all other crustaceans the antennae are in front of the mouth at the adult stage, and only their larvae have antennae that have the same location as adult cephalocaridans.

The mouth is located behind the large upper lip, flanked by mandibles. The first pair of maxillae is very small, and the second pair has the same structure as the following thoracic legs: a large basal part, equipped with outgrowths on the inner side, used in locomotion, a forked inner branch and two outer lobes - referred to as the "pseudoepipod" and the "exopod". The structural and functional similarity between the maxillae and the legs may be a sign of primitive organization; the maxillae are not specialized, as they are in other crustaceans.

The thorax consists of 10 segments, and the abdomen bears a telson but no other appendages.

Cephalocaridans are found from the intertidal zone down to a depth of 1500 m, in all kinds of sediments. Cephalocaridans feed on marine detritus. To bring in food particles, they generate currents with the thoracic appendages like the branchiopods and the malacostracans. Food particles are then passed anteriorly along a ventral groove, leading to the mouthparts.

Source :- The Ark In Space Via The Presurfer

Crab Robot

The Crab Robot (Cybernetic Autonomous Remote Barricade) Droid, is a revolutionary robotic sentry system designed by Jamie Martin.
"Robot design, modelling and animation by Jamie Martin. Modelled and animated in Maxon Cinema 4D. Edited in Final Cut Pro."
"Policing has been revolutionised with the introduction of the C.R.A.B. robotic sentry system, due to soon be trialled live on the streets of London, England.
The advanced robotics technology behind the C.R.A.B.’s artificial intelligence have been secretly developed over the past 12 years as a joint venture between weapons manufacturer Dalton/Stanley and megacorporation Omni Consumer Products.
The results of their historical collaboration has been to produce the most advanced robotic defence system ever constructed, featuring next-generation weaponry and armour protection. The C.R.A.B. is set to pave the way for all future Police and Military automaton technology from here onwards, and will be found on patrol in the public domain very soon.







Source :- Jamie Martin Design

Most Stunning Bridges

World's Most Stunning Bridges (PHOTOS) From the epic expanse of the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge suspension bridge in Japan to the timeless grandeur of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, the world is covered with bridges that are not only marvels of engineering but also of beauty and inspiration.

In honor of these achievements, we present 12 stunning bridges from around the globe which are both wonders of design and icons of the creative spirit. And, perhaps best of all, they're of invaluable use.

See pictures of some of the world's most impressive bridges here and vote for your favorites. We tried to shy away from picking such instantly recognizable ones as, say, the Brooklyn Bridge, but let us know if we overlooked some true gems.

Millau Viaduct -- France

Gateshead Millennium Bridge -- England

Hangzhou Bay Bridge -- China

Bosphorous Bridge -- Turkey

Coronado Bridge -- U.S.A.

Confederation Bridge -- Canada

Sunniberg Bridge -- Switzerland

Khaju Bridge -- Iran

Helix Bridge -- Singapore

"Golden Horn" Bridge -- Norway

Alamillo Bridge -- Spain

Banpo Bridge -- South Korea

Giant man swimming in grass

A gigantic, life-like statue of a man swimming through the pavement on the bank of the River Thames was unveiled.

The fixture, near Tower Bridge, was commissioned by The Discovery Channel to advertise its newest reality show, London Ink, and will be unveiled by the show's star, Louis Molloy.

Mr Molloy is best known for being David Beckham's personal tattooist, and is responsible for the famous 'guardian angel' tattoo on the footballer's back.

The Scubster - Pedal Boat Submarine

The Scubster A team of engineers plan to venture where no man has gone before after unveiling ,a pedal-boat submarine on the French Riviera.

Nicknamed "the Scubster," the 3.5 metre-long one-man yellow submarine has echoes of the fancy gadgets from fictional spy James Bond.

Powered by twin propellers connected to a pedal belt, the mini-sub can reach speeds of 8 km an hour (5 mph) if its pilot is in good shape, and can reach depths of 6 metres (20 ft).

"I've been up in the air by pedalling, underwater with my bike and now underwater with a submarine," Stephane Rousson, the man behind the invention, told Reuters.

The vessel managed an hour under water in the Mediterranean waters off the Cote d'Azur this week and is entirely controlled by hand or pedal. Hermetically sealed, the passenger breathes with a mask and a bottle of oxygen.

Whether it will have commercial success remains to be seen, but Rousson believes it may capture the attention of an emerging high-end market of yacht owners with "pocket submarines."

"And if it doesn't take off, I'll race it," said the 40-year old from Nice, who plans to take part in the 2011 International submarine race in the United States.