PAVEMENT DRAWINGS

                  The perspective of Art is widening, I’ve posted about Art being done on Paper as well as on Trucks but Julian Beever has expanded the scale……Pavement Drawings! The Drawings were given the illusion of being 3D while being done only on a flat ground by this English chalk artist.

Be Amazed &  Get “Ilusioned” with his works! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check Out the video below to see the "Transformations" of Pavements using Chalks by the Pavement Picasso!

TRUCK ART

        It is Arts in another form, on a Larger Scale, basically adorning the trailers of real trucks with Creative designs!

       In 2005, a Rhino Rolling Advertising award was held in Germany where several individuals/ Companies took part in Displaying & Adorning their trucks with their Ads/ Designs!

Enjoy the photos of some of the real-life versions that were on display that night!

Pepsi cases stacked on the ceiling, making the bottom of the trailer look empty

The "inside" of the Pringles-Hot & Spicy trailer appears as though it has been “Fried”

An aquarium with fishes in it

A canvas tote bag

The driver has been painted in the driver's seat looking over his shoulder to appear like he's driving backwards

And Coming in 1^st place that night………….was the Pepsi Design!

For Further Reading, do get Linked to:  2005 Rhino Rolling Advertising Award, Rhino Award - 2005 Winners

OrIgAmI

             Recall our Younger Days of folding papers into various shapes and sizes as a favourite past-time? Well….if you don’t, this art is called ORIGAMI!

            “ORI” means to fold & “KAMI” means paper, when put together, it is the wonder of it transforming from a flat sheet of material into a finished sculpture through paper folding without Cutting or Gluing! If cutting and gluing is needed, it is usually considered as “Kirigami”. 

            It is of Japanese origin but its not mere plain folding, rather, can be said as a unique sculptural art, containing both composition and performance as expressions of the art. The best known model we all know would most probably be the Japanese Paper Crane.

           Being lighter than normal paper enables it to suit a wider range of models but “Washi” is the traditional origami paper used in Japan,  made from wood pulp & is tougher than normal paper but the easily available ones are coloured on one side and white on the other ranging from  2.5 cm – 25 cm.

            An interesting story I happen to stumble upon is about Won Park, the “Master of Origami”, also dubbed as the "money folder"! He not only folds & does Origami with Money but his “house” is Great too as he lives in a converted garbage truck!

    

 

 I shall let a part of his Work take its spot & speak for themselves…… :)

 

One Dollar Butterfly

One Dollar Fish

One Dollar Camera

     

            Two Dollars Battle Tank

Two Dollars Chinese Dragon  

 One Dollar Crab

                   

             Two Dollars Jacket      

  Two Dollars Spider

  One Dollar Scorpion  

One Dollar Toilet Bowl

             One Dollar Penguin     

One Dollar Shark

         

  

THE EXTRAORDINARY “COAL”

             Charcoal will just be regarded as a fuel for barbecue grilling by most of us but….wait! Let’s dig deeper into the past…..back dating to the reign of Ming Dynasty in Guangzhou (China) during 1486 A.D; it provides a whole new picture and perspective to this natural source as it was at this time that bamboo charcoal was documented. 

            Also known as “Takesumi” or “Chikutan” in Japanese or even Black Diamond simply means deodorize which is exactly what Bamboo Charcoal does but this charcoal does function in many more ways than just deodorizing by exhibiting its property as a charcoal but with a lot more benefits or in other words, it is an all rounder! It can be applied domestically due to its Absorption & Deodorizing properties which absorb Odors and prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. 

            Industrially, it is used in the Food sector; Health-care sector for medicinal purposes to absorb Toxic, Harmful & Poisonous substances as well as in Hair & Skin care products; it absorbs Radioactive ions such as Xenon & Krypton as it releases -ve ions to balance the +ve ones. 

Now, help yourselves to some Healthy Bamboo Charcoal Treats!

Bamboo Charcoal Swiss Roll

Bamboo Charcoal Mooncake

Bamboo Charcoal Nuts

       

Bamboo Charcoal Twirl

    
         Lastly, it is also used in the agriculture sector due to its ability to change the soil structure, eliminate negative effects of pesticides on plants, increase soil temperature and amount of water content. All of its ability is attributed to the pores, gaps and cavities in its structure.

         Its process is as simple as taking pieces of bamboo & burning them inside an oven at temperatures over 1000° C.

         This puts everyone especially Environmentalists at ease as all can be rest assured that this product is environmentally friendly because bamboo is a grass, thus when the stalks are cut down, it re-grows from the existing root structure and are only taken from plants that are five years or older. Moreover, it benefits the environment by reducing the residues pollution as they are burned inside an oven unlike the conventional ones.

LUSCIOUSLY STUNNING!

         Ever wondered what’s a girl’s best friend or what can’t you leave home or do without, or the secret to Stunning & Outstanding lips? Lipstick’s the answer! That’s right, as synonym as it sounds but we have Queen Elizabeth the 1st and Cleopatra to thank for bringing about the birth of this product where they used cochineal (red carmine dye) which was made by boiling up cochineal beetles to boost their seductive charms. This product has revolutionized over time and is now mainly made up of a mixture of chemicals.

       Various brands & types are available in the market but what goes into the making of lipstick are basically the same which can be divided into 5 major groups, namely; 

Wax	Enables the mixture to be molded into that recognizable lipstick shape.
Pigments & dyes	Provides various colour shades. They can be a soluble dye which stains the lips and insoluble dyes and pigments will only coat the lips surface.
Oils & Fats	To give it a strong, shiny film when it dries up after usage as well as to keep the lips soft, moisturized, and protected.
Fragrance	To disguise the odour of the fatty base used as well as to impart a pleasant scent to the lipstick.
Alcohol	Used as a solvent, mainly for the wax and oils used to deter these two ingredients from forming two layers
Preservatives & Antioxidants	Keep the lipstick fresh and prevent it from becoming rancid

       In general, by weight, wax and oil make up about 60 % of the lipstick, with alcohol and pigment accounting for the other 25 %. Fragrance only accounts for one percent or less of the mixture.

Now, coming to the dark hidden secrets of this beauty product would be the harmful ingredients classified as:

1) Lead- Pigments used to make red lipstick

2) Coal-tar derived C&D colouring – Due to the colorants D&C (petroleum-based dye),

3) Carmine - A natural food coloring agent

4) Lake colours - Highly toxic artificial coloring agents 


A Brief Overview Of the Manufacturing Process is as Pictured below but do check out the video for a more Detailed Process Flow!

   

   

       A point to note here is that for brands that claim their lipstick stays on longer means that the content of lead is higher. This can be determined by a very simple test by putting some on your hand then rubbing it with a gold ring, if it turns black, then the theory has proven itself.  

       Due to the harmful substances used to make this product, it poses threats to our health where the major effect can be attributed to Lead as it is cancer causing.

       To draw a conclusion, do not be fooled into thinking that the expensive ones are better than the cheaper ones because their basic ingredients are very much the same because through a test, it was found that well known labels such L'Oreal, Cover Girl and Christian Dior had higher than the permitted level of harmful substances.


       A woman consumes up to 4 pounds of lipstick in a lifetime, so will you choose health over beauty or are you willing to pay the price for luscious lips?

TAKE YOUR PICK

       Life certainly has its ups and downs, trials & Tribulations as well as Trying Times but if we let the downs get in the way, the ups might never come to us as we tend to give up, stop fighting and struggling. The little story below will be of great help & reflection in our life’s journey as it is said "Buy the ticket, Take the ride"……

       Three pots were filled with water, placed on high fire & the pots came to boil. In the 1^st, Carrot was placed. In the 2nd was an Egg, followed by Ground Coffee Bean in the last pot. They were boiled for 20 mins, taken out & placed in a bowl.

      The results; the Carrot turned soft. For the Egg, after pulling off the shell, a hard boiled egg was observed & the Coffee had a rich aroma to its taste.

       Each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water, but each reacted differently as the Carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting but after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

       The Egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside hardened. The Ground Coffee Bean changed the water after they were boiled.

       Thus, when trouble starts, when trials are their greatest, or when things go wrong, which category do you choose to be in?

Take Your Pick, Will You Choose To be the:

1) Carrot that seems strong, but wilts, softens & loses strength?

2) Egg that hardens & Stiffens after undergoing trials?

3) Or the Coffee Bean where the bean actually changes the hot water, representing the trials  

    & pains, releasing the fragrance and flavour when the water gets hot and when things are at 

    their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.

 Just Make the Most of Everything that Comes Along our Way, We Don't Need the Best of   Everything!