Can you find the iPhone in this 350-year-old painting?

Just when you think you've seen everything, you spot an iPhone in a 350-year-old painting.




Hmmm. It's either time travel or...

11-year-old wins 7th annual Doodle 4 Google competition

11-year-old Audrey Zhang of Long Island won the 2014 Doodle 4 Google competition with her drawing of a futuristic water purifier.

The folks at Google helped Audrey turn her doodle into a moving animation. She was rewarded with a $30,000 college scholarship and a $50,000 grant for her school.

Read more here.

Barbie without makeup

Barbie has been criticized for giving young girls an unrealistic image of beauty. Perhaps the critics are right. Artist Eddi Aguirre shows us the real Barbie, sans makeup:

Happy little birthday to Bob Ross

Google is celebrating the 70th birthday of painter Bob Ross with a happy little doodle.

Woman who botched painting restoration seeks royalties

All for charity, of course. The Telegraph reports:

Cecilia Gimenez, who is in her 80s, made headlines across the world after attempting a DIY restoration that left the 19th century fresco of Christ at her local church in Borja resembling a monkey.

The altered image of Ecce Homo – Behold the Man – became an internet sensation and sent thousands of curious sightseers to the Sanctuario de Misericordia to laugh at her handiwork.

Authorities threatened to sue Mrs Gimenez for her unauthorised attempt, which she insisted had been carried out with only good intentions because the painting was in need of repair.

But popularity for the modified masterpiece grew with even budget airline Ryanair offering cheap deals to nearby Zaragoza airport encouraging "pilgrims" to visit the work that was quickly dubbed "Ecce Mono" – Behold the Monkey.

An internet petition to keep the repair job garnered widespread support and seizing an opportunity to swell its coffers, the church began levying a 4 euro (£3) entrance fee on visitors, earning 2,000 euros in the first four days.

Lawyers acting for Mrs Gimenez now insist she should be entitled to a cut of the profits, which she wants to go towards a charity of her choice.

Charity or not, why does money always seem to be the preferred prescription for public humiliation?

Mark Twain made of LEGOs

(via The Mark Twain House & Museum's Facebook page)

Artist responsible for Obama "Hope" poster facing prison

Shepard Fairey, the artist responsible for creating the iconic Obama "Hope" poster, will be spending time in prison if federal prosecutors get their way. Fairey was convicted of a misdemeanor when he admitted to destroying and fabricating documents in connection with a civil lawsuit over the image that was based on an AP photo.

Does anyone else see the irony in this story?

How not to restore an old painting

A prized fresco of Jesus Christ has been on prominent display in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza, Spain, for more than a century. The painting had deteriorated over time, and one elderly parishioner took it upon herself to restore it. The result was less than stellar:

It reminds me of Mr. Bean's ill-fated attempt to restore "Whistler's Mother":

Famous scenes recreated using Star Wars action figures

David Eger uses Star Wars action figures to recreate film posters, movie scenes, album covers, paintings, and famous moments from history.

View more here.

Barack Obama: Man of "Change"

Artist Eric Wondolowski created this portrait of President Obama out of pennies:

(via 22 Words)

Anatomy of a Lego man

Informative sculptures from artist Jason Freeny.

(via Colossal)

Artist turns dead cat into helicopter

In 1981, cartoonist Simon Bond gave us 101 Uses for a Dead Cat. In 2012, artist Bart Jansen has given us one more.

When Jansen's beloved cat, Orville, was hit by a car, the Dutch artist wanted to honor the feline by doing something special. So, he turned him into a remote control helicopter:

(Photo via BuzzFeed)


It would seem "hovercat" is now more than just an internet meme.

Beautiful abstract art from a broken Polaroid camera

You may want to think twice about throwing out that old, broken Polaroid after seeing these:

(via Co.Design)

Painting with shadows and light

Artist Rashad Alakbarov from Azerbaijan creates works of art using shadows and light. It's really quite amazing.

(via Colossal)

Image of Mary appears on restaurant wall (sort of)

There's been another Virgin Mary sighting, this time on a sheet of stainless steel on the wall of a restaurant in Tampa, Florida. The acting manager at Hamburger Mary's admits that it does look like the Blessed Virgin from certain angles.

More of a mystery to me is how something like this would even get noticed in a restaurant known for its gay karaoke and drag queen bingo nights. Besides, I think the image bears more of a resemblance to another iconic figure.

Children's drawings painted realistically

That crayon drawing of a cat your four-year-old gave you on your birthday might look cute hanging on your refrigerator, but if it were re-interpreted as a more realistic painting, chances are it would look rather creepy, if not downright disturbing.

Artist Dave Devries took simple drawings made by children and gave them a more realistic rendering in a book entitled The Monster Engine. Here are a few samples:






Proof that our kids are quite possibly more deranged than we ever imagined.

(via Amusing Planet)

Walkable roller-coaster

"Tiger & Turtle Magic Mountain," by German artists Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth

This isn't your typical roller-coaster ride. It's a sculpture, and you have to walk it yourself. Just make sure you get a running start at that loop.

(via Gadget Lab)

Libertarians are scary!

(painting by Anthony Freda, via LewRockwell.com)

Authors: Van Gogh died in a shooting accident

Vincent van Gogh died in an shooting accident and not as the result of suicide. That is the claim made by Pulitzer-winning authors Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith in an upcoming biography of the artist.

The book, Van Gogh: The Life, is the result of 10 years of research. Relying on previously untranslated letters belonging to Van Gogh's family, it also features dozens of new photographs. It is set to be published in Britain today.

There is nothing noble or virtuous in suicide, so this is good news for Van Gogh fans.

Exploding house art

Not quite as awesome as it sounds, but still pretty cool. From the Daily Mail:

At first glance, these houses looks like they could have been the victim of a dramatic gas explosion.

But the beat-up homes in Houston, Texas, are in fact an elaborate traffic-stopping work of art using the homes' own wood siding.

Artists Dan Havel and Dean Ruck smashed the interior walls of the homes, before nailing the wooden planking at strange angles to complete their project.

Featuring several horizontal and vertical vortices which appear to 'rip' through the interior of the first house, the designs offer a unique view out of each of the buildings.

(via Now That's Nifty)