Penny Hardy - Metal Sculpture

The picture of "Blown Away" recently surfaced in my Facebook news feed and it really stuck with me. I'm not always a fan of "junk art" but the simplicity and sense of freedom from this piece really did blow me away.

The mental imagery of standing tall while the wind blows your mundane problems off into the ether, leaving you light as a feather and dancing in the grass is just so emotionally appealing. It reminds me of the sense of freedom that I feel standing near crashing ocean waves and realizing how insignificant all my little life dramas really are.

A trip to Penny Hardy's website brought more wonders in metal and is now making me look up metalworking classes over at Long Beach City College. Like I need another hobby.....

Enjoy the beauty!

Penny Hardy - Blown Away - Metal Sculpture

Penny Hardy - Shield 2 - Metal Sculpture

Penny Hardy - Angels in Harlem - Metal Sculpture

Singing Ringing Tree - Musical Sculpture

More Earth Day specials of lovely things that interact with nature to make art...

This wind-powered sound sculpture was created by architects Mike Tonkin and Anna Liu and installed in Lancashire, England. It creates these lovely sounds in the wind that you can hear in the video below. One thing I found interesting was the scale of the build, in the pictures the Singing Ringing Tree looks HUGE but the video shows it with people next to it and it's much smaller than it appears.

Singing Ringing Tree - Tonkin Liu Architects

Singing Ringing Tree - Tonkin Liu Architects

Wisteria Tunnel - Kawachi Fuji Gardens, Japan

When this popped up in my feed the other day I rushed to show it to a friend in the landscaping business and it sparked a 20 minute discussion of the pros/cons of Wisteria for home landscaping.

I covet Wisteria vines but jeesh you need a lot of space and a nuclear bunker support system for the weight and I already have a massive bougainvillea vine about to swallow my yard & house.

So, bask in the loveliness of what you can do with Wisteria in the landscape when you have lots of room and structural support.

Wisteria Tunnel - Kawachi Fuji Gardens, in Kitakyushu, Japan

Wisteria Tunnel - Kawachi Fuji Gardens, in Kitakyushu, Japan

Wisteria Tunnel - Kawachi Fuji Gardens, in Kitakyushu, Japan

Wisteria Tunnel - Kawachi Fuji Gardens, in Kitakyushu, Japan

Wisteria Tunnel - Kawachi Fuji Gardens, in Kitakyushu, Japan

Original images found here.

Aeolus - Acoustic Wind Pavilion

How cool is this?

Aeolus Wind Harp - Luke Jerram, Artist

What is it? A giant Aeolian Harp (wind harp.) Artist Luke Jerram describes how the idea came to him from desert wells in Iran and hearing that the air vents for the tunnels "sing."

To hear the sounds that the Aeolus makes, watch the video below from the artist.

Interactive musical art. It doesn't get any better than this!

Aeolus Wind Harp - Luke Jerram, Artist

Aeolus Wind Harp - Luke Jerram, Artist

Aeolus Wind Harp - Luke Jerram, Artist

Beach Art - Andres Amador

Oh, fleeting moment of art! I honestly can't imagine creating something on this scale and then watching it wash away a few hours later.

Yeah, I know there's an analogy to our temporary spiritual visit on this planet, but still! Only a few hours.... The whole idea pains me as a creator.

At least we have the pictures!

Andres Amador - Beach Art

Andres Amador - Beach Art

Andres Amador - Beach Art

Andres Amador - Beach Art

Andres Amador - Beach Art

Art Photography - Alexandre Deschaumes

I've been falling down on the job of blogging, haven't I?  Eye candy for today in the form of stunning art photography from French photographer Alexandre Deschaumes.

I love his eye for natural beauty and texture. Especially something as simple as water droplets on a leaf.

Art photography from Alexandre Deschaumes

Art photography from Alexandre Deschaumes

Art photography from Alexandre Deschaumes

Art photography from Alexandre Deschaumes

Temporal Distortion from Randy Halverson

Well worth 4 minutes of your time to watch this stunning time-lapse video.

Temporal Distortion from Randy Halverson on Vimeo.

Sea Ranch Chapel - James Hubbell, Architect

There can just never be too much James Hubbell in my world, so today we are going to explore the Sea Ranch Chapel in Sea Ranch, CA. If I do ever manage to get married, it will be here, surrounded by art and beauty.

Of all the James Hubbell stained glass work that I've had a chance to view, the leaded art glass at Sea Ranch Chapel is amongst my favorite of Hubbell's designs.
The amazing roof design comes in a close second.

Sea Ranch Chapel - James Hubbell, Architect

Doors to the Sea Ranch Chapel - James Hubbell, Architect

Art Stained Glass - James Hubbell, Architect

Glass Work, Sea Ranch Chapel - James Hubbell, Architect

Ceiling and Glass Work Sea Ranch Chapel - James Hubbell, Architect

Stone Church, Karuizawa - Kendrick Kellogg, Architect

Today's bit of organic architecture goodness is another of Kendrick Kellogg's wonderful architecture. The Stone Church in Karuizawa is created around the 5 elements of stone, wood, sunlight, green, and water to bring the church into harmony with nature.

What I love about this is the way light has been used to fill the chapel and create different moods depending on time of day and season. The stonework is aesthetically breathtaking, as is the use of greenery in the chapel. I especially like the way the Stone Church blends comfortably into the surrounding forest. This is organic architecture at its finest!

Stone Church in Karuizawa - Kendrick Kellogg, Architect

Front Entry to the Stone Church - Kendrick Kellogg, Architect

Stone Church in Karuizawa - Kendrick Kellogg, Architect

Stone Church Lighting - Kendrick Kellogg, Architect

Rainbow Hill II - James Hubbell, Architect

Today, some more of my personal pictures from Rainbow Hill in Julian, CA. A former Bed and Breakfast now privately owned. James Hubbell worked on this residence for 10 years in the process of completing it.  For me, the master bedroom on the 2nd floor is the crowning jewel of the residence. The windows on the 2nd floor are located so that the sun wakes you up at sunrise with light pouring into the room (the preference of the previous owner - certainly not mine, I like to sleep in!)

There is a small fireplace in the master, as well as a bathroom and sitting area.

The master bedroom at Rainbow Hill - James Hubbell, Architect

Morning sun streams through these windows to start the day

The upstairs fireplace at Rainbow Hill

Previous James Hubbell post: http://www.eclectitude.com/2011/12/rainbow-hill-james-hubbell-architect.html

Hubbell and Hubbell website.

Art Lighting FIxture - Phillippe Malouin, Designer

I find myself really visually jazzed by this artistic lighting fixture by Philippe Malouin, part of an entire set using brass grids and concrete.  It has an architectural/structural quality that would make it a perfect sconce for modern applications.  Rather a bit of a departure from my usual taste that leans toward organic curves, but beauty comes in many forms!

I imagine this on a darker background wall as a focal point to define a space.

Lighting sconce by Phillipe Malouin

Designer website.
Reblogged from Dezeen.

Boston Treepods - Decarbonize Beautifully

Because I (a) am a sucker for beautifully lit sculptural art and (b) love "green" technologies -- these decarbonizing trees designed for SHIFTboston really appeal to me.  The design challenge called for a tree-like product that would perform the same functions (carbon dioxide removal, oxygen release) as natural trees but be usable in locations unfriendly to real trees (lacking soil and water.) Designers Mario Caceres and Cristian Canonico grew Treepods in the collective imaginations to fill the need.

Not only do the Treepods decarbonize, they also generate solar energy and harvest kinetic energy from integrated see-saws.

Treepods - Boston 

Treepods - Boston 

Treepods - Boston

Found on Inhabitat.
More info here.

Rainbow Hill - James Hubbell, Architect

My interest in organic architecture springs from visual "wow" reaction to the work of James Hubbell, architect and sculptor, about 13 years ago when I lived in San Diego where James Hubbell is a local fixture and architecture celebrity.  I had no idea what I was looking at the time and who had created it, I was just so very drawn to the work.  I would run across pictures of his work in various places and never put the name to the work until one day I realized that these pieces were all the work of single artist - James Hubbell.

I'll be showcasing the work of Hubbell and Hubbell here on this blog regularly. Many of these are my own personal photos taken on the yearly Open House that James Hubbell and his wife host each year on Father's Day at their Julian, CA compound.

Today, I'm going to feature Rainbow Hill in Julian, California.  This structure was originally built out of friendship in 1991 and became a famous local Bed and Breakfast.  The house was sold to a private party in 2010 and is no longer available for rentals.  I was lucky enough to have stayed there in 2004 and it was an unforgettable experience.

Rainbow Hill - James Hubbell, Architect

Master Bathroom of Rainbow Hill - James Hubbell

Top of Water Feature at Rainbow Hill - James Hubbell

Hubbell and Hubbell Website.

Flylight - Lighting Art

My future home will not be complete without an interactive lighting display like this breathtaking sculpture in light designed by Studio Drift in Amsterdam. Flylight is composed of over 180 glass tubes that light up in what seem to be random patterns ...but are not at all random.  Flylight contains a computer simulation that reacts to a viewer drawing close, adapting flock behavior into spectacular patterns.

Video of a Flylight installation:

Images:

Flylight by Studio DRIFT

Flylight by Studio DRIFT

Studio DRIFT website.

Nautilus House - Javier Senosiain, Architect

Today's we go off into the wonderful imagination of architect Javier Senosiain, mastermind of this shell shaped bit of organic confection in Mexico City. Built for a couple with young children, I can only imagine what a thrill it must be to grow up surrounded by this creativity.

Nautilus House - Javier Senosiain

Nautilus House - Javier Senosiain

Video slideshow with more images:

Via Beautiful Life.

The Most Beautiful Video Of Our Planet You’ve Ever Seen

Reposted from Buzzfeed.

This is some of the most stunning photography from Tom Lowe you will ever lay your eyes on.  Enjoy!

LA Police Academy Gardens

A gardening tour of Los Angeles should include this lovely specimen!

Elysian Park Police Academy Garden

Elysian Park Police Academy Garden

Elysian Park Police Academy Gardens

Today is a gift of beauty and nature.