World’s Largest Mud-Brick Building

“The walls of the Great Mosque are made of sun-baked mud bricks called ferey, a mud based mortar, and are coated with a mud plaster which gives the building its smooth, sculpted look. The walls are between 16 in. and 24 in. thick – the thickness varying with the wall’s height. Bundles of palm branches were included in the building to reduce cracking caused by frequent drastic changes in humidity and temperature and to serve as readymade scaffolding for annual repairs. The walls insulate the building from heat during the day and by nightfall have absorbed enough heat to keep the mosque warm through the night. Gutters, made of ceramic pipes, extend from the roofline and direct water drainage from the roof away from the walls. To protect the Great Mosque from water damage, in particular flooding by the Bani river, the entire structure was constructed on a raised platform 3 meters high. A set of six stairs, each decorated with pinnacles, leads to the mosque’s entrance.” w/ photos. LINK

Unbelievable Snow "Crop" Circles

Dude…aliens. Well, not aliens, but an artist named Simon Beck. LINK

Presenting Kevin Bacon Made From Bacon

Clever Art. LINK

European Wildcat

The European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) is a subspecies of the wildcat that inhabits forests of Western, Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, as well as Scotland, Turkey and the Caucasus Mountains; it has been extirpated from Scandinavia, England, and Wales. Some authorities restrict F. s. silvestris to populations of the European mainland, in which case populations of Scotland, Mediterranean islands, Turkey and Caucasus are regarded as separate subspecies.

The physical appearance of the European wildcat is much bulkier than that of the African wildcat and the domestic cat, although its weight is similar to the average housecat, as males of the species weigh an average of 5 kg (11 lb) and females 3.5 kg (7.7 lb), with strong seasonal weight fluctuations of up to 2.5 kg. The wildcat's thick fur, size and non-tapered tail are its distinguishing traits; it normally would not be mistaken for the domestic cat, although in practice, it is less clear whether the two are frequently correctly distinguished, as one study showed an error rate of 39%. Predominantly nocturnal, the wildcat is active in the daytime in the absence of human disturbance.
LINK

Blue headed Parrots (Pionus menstruus)

In South America, the Blue-headed Parrot is mainly an Amazonian species, including in the southeast the neighboring Araguaia-Tocantins River system as its eastern limit; a disjunct population lives southeastwards on Brazil's South Atlantic coast, a coastal strip from Pernambuco in the north to Espírito Santo state in the south, about 1500 km long. In northwest South America the range continues into Central American Panama to Costa Rica. It avoids the northern Andes cordillera spine, and a smaller contiguous area of central Venezuela and northern Colombia. A Pacific Ocean coastal strip continues the range, from southern Ecuador, north to Caribbean areas of northwestern Colombia and western Venezuela.
LINK

Are you in the Crowd?

Brazilian artist Guilherme Kramer has spent a year hand-painting faces onto office walls. It obviously took him a lot of time and dedication to finalize the piece, but the end result is really good!
LINK

Milan's Glass Covered Street

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Connecting two of Milan's most famous landmarks (The Duomo and La Scala) is the famous glass-vaulted arches of the Galleria. Formally known as the 'Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II', the street is covered by an arching glass and cast iron roof. A landmark in its own right, the Galleria is a sight to behold.
LINK: The Presurfer

How Does A Spider Spin A Web Between Two Trees?

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If you look up in a tree, you might see a spider web that spans a distance of several feet or more. How is the spider able to reach between this distance? How do they do that?
LINK: The Presurfer

Vincent van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ Painting Made from 7,067 Falling Dominoes

Industrious domino artist FlippyCat recreated Vincent van Gough’s famous Starry Night painting using 7,067 dominoes stacked vertically and horizontally to create an impressive chain reaction that seems to sprawl in the same direction as the artist’s brushstrokes. The video above contains some pretty heartbreaking outtakes as well. See also his Domona Lisa from 2007.
LINK, Via: neatorama, Via: Youtube

New Carved Book Landscapes by Guy Laramee

Artist Guy Laramee (previously) has recently completed a number of new sculptural works where he transforms thick tomes into incredible topographical features including mountains, caves, volcanoes, and even water. Many of the works are part of a new project titled Guan Yin, a series of work dedicated to the forces that enable individuals to endure grief and pain, or in his words “the mysterious forces thanks to which we can traverse ordeals.” If you happen to be near Quebec, a number of Laramee’s works are currently on view at Expression gallery in Saint-Hyacinthe through August 12.
LINK

How To Shoot Liquid Flow Photographs

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Corrie White is an Ontario, Canada-based photographer who specializes in water drop photography. In this tutorial she will share how she makes 'liquid flow' photos - smoke-like abstracts done by dropping cream colored with food dye into a small tank of water, then rotated 180 degrees.
Via: The Presurfer
About the author: Corrie White is an Ontario, Canada-based photographer who specializes in water drop photography. Visit her website here. This post was originally published here.

Amazing Cross-Continental Collab Between Beatboxer ‘Hikakin’ & Legendary Dancer ‘Non-stop’

By Christopher on June 29, 2012
Since flailing around and screaming at my computer upon discovering dancer Non-stop last year I’ve been itching to post another clip of his wobbly, boneless yet exquisitely controlled movements. And there hasn’t been a shortage. He’s since appeared in numerous commercials, performances, and other clips including this wonderful cross-continental collaboration with beatboxer Hikakin.
LINK, Via: the awesomer

Watch Part Motorcycles

Artist Dan Tanenbaum constructs these amazing miniature motorcycles using nothing but watch parts. You can see much more of his work over on Facebook, and if you liked this also check out the work of Natsumi Honda.
LINK

Experimental Animated GIFs by RRRRRRRROLL

Wow these are great! Back in May a couple in Japan started a new project called rrrrrrrroll, using photography to explore beautifully minimalist animations based on objects and people turning on a single axis. According to twitter the group makes roughly two animations a week (there’s 34 already), so it’s probably worth your time to tune in. If you liked these, also check out Stellar by Ignacio Torres.
I can't get the gif to work when I post it so you will have to go to the LINK, my apology.
LINK, Via: ignant

Feathered Skull

Feather, a sculpture by Joel Dugan. The 7.5" x 11" x 7" piece was made using vellum, gesso, and watercolors.
Via: Lustik, Via: JazJaz

'Angel Wings' Bookends Look Heavenly

These ethereal looking bookends are some of the most gorgeous.They are laser cut from metal, and powder coated using glossy white paint. The ‘Angel Wings’ bookends are available for $10 at Etsy.
Via: Lustik, Via: JazJaz

Interactive Murals By Ernest Zacharevic

These awesome murals by Ernest Zacharevic really make the buildings on which they’re painted come alive, and add a whimsical touch to the town. Ernest’s paintings range from entire walls to subtle little pieces, and they all look like they’re interacting with the environment, and objects, around them.
Link –Via: Hi Fructose, Via: Neatorama

Miniature Worlds By Takanori Aiba

You may remember John Farrier’s post about the Bonsai Tree Castle, which was created by Japanese artist Takanori Aiba. Well Takanori’s art certainly doesn’t stop there, and would you believe that the rest of his miniature worlds (structural sculptures) are even more fantastic than the tree castle?! With a style ripped straight from mythology and every minor detail accounted for, these tiny kingdoms look like a great place for fairy folk to call home.
Link –Via: Booooooom, Via: Neatorama

Sculptures create shadow faces

NYC artist Kumi Yamashita, whose thread/nail portraits Cory posted about previously, also creates head-spinning artworks from carefully-placed objects, a single light source, and shadows. "Light & Shadow".
LINK: Boingboing

The Thief Who Stole A Dali Then Sent It Back

A brazen art thief recently stole Cartel de Don Juan Tenorio by Salvador Dali, valued at over $150k, from the Venus Over Manhattan Gallery in New York by distracting the guard and walking out with the piece in broad daylight. Then he sent it back. The gallery put the word out about the thief, but didn’t expect to get the work back, until they received an anonymous email saying it had been sent back, and it was delivered to the gallery later that week via Express Mail. Why would someone do such a thing? Your guess is as good as mine…
LINK, Via: Neatorama