Showing posts with label home decor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home decor. Show all posts

Artistic Recycling: Amazing Furniture Made From Old Bicycles

Stylish and unique furniture made from bicycle wheel rims, handle bars, and frames.

Where do bicycles go when they die? Andy Gregg transforms these unwanted vehicles into contemporary furniture. Using the stainless steel and aluminum frames, wheel rims and handlebars from old bikes, Gregg creates chairs, tables and barstools.
This lounge chair is made from old bike parts, using inner tubes to creates springy rubber upholstery.

 Gregg has been creating recycled bicycle furniture since 1990, refining his designs and adding more pieces to his inventory. Each piece has a slick, clean look; a positive image that one would not expect from old bike parts.
His creations also include recycled items from other locomotives. Windows from trains and cars become glass table tops and seat belt webbing is used for upholstery.
Windows from old cars are reused as glass table tops for coffee tables and bar tables made out of old bicycle wheels. You can just see the spokes of the bicycle wheel through the glass top of this table; an interesting talking point for anyone who's seeing the furniture for the first time.

Many of these designs can weather a life outdoors as practical and attractive garden furniture. Certainly a topic for conversation, the furniture offers both aesthetic value and functionality.
The Loveseat is a chair made for two people to sit side by side; a perfect relationship gift for bike-loving couples. To make the arms of the couch, the artist has bent bicycle wheel rims to create a more comfortable shape.

Gregg offers custom-made options, so a buyer may choose the type and color of upholstery; material variations include rubber inner tubes, leather, clear or colored acrylic, cork and vinyl. Customizable furniture allows the buyer to choose the material of the armrests and the color of the seating. Recycling takes many forms and exciting artworks made from old, unwanted items is becoming more popular. Andy Gregg’s designs are certainly a unique and functional use of old bicycles.
Located in Marquette, Michigan, on the shores of Lake Superior, Bike Furniture Design Headquarters continues to create new and interesting recycled furniture. For more info and designs, or to buy recycled furniture online, visit Bike Furniture Design.

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3-D Graffiti Sculptures Hit the Streets

Graffiti has moved into a new dimension with these stunning 3D graffiti sculptures.

 Graffiti, a popular urban art form, has taken on a new style in the shape of 3-Dimensional designs. Many of these pieces have been conceptualized with 3D polygonal modeling programs; a relatively new artistic resource. The pieces stand apart from traditional graffiti styles, yet incorporate many aesthetic traits of classic graffiti pieces such as the use of perspective and color.


Peeta Sculptural Graffiti

These stunning artworks by the artist Peeta are made from a variety of materials. Some are made from polyurethane and then spray-painted. Other materials that the artist uses include cardboard, wood, fabrics, graphite and cellulose actetate.
"Poly" 2005 by Peeta. Even in the 2-dimensional medium of photography, this graffiti art work has a distinct 3-D effect. This is created by the presence of highlights and shadows in the sculpture.
"Untitled" 2008 by Peeta. Some 3D graffiti pieces use cardboard as the basic structure for the design, with colorful fabrics stitched over the framework. The abstract appearance of graffiti tagging alphabets convert well into 3D art installations.
"S" 2003 by Peeta. This piece was created using hand-made cellulose acetate which lends the sculpture a slick, shiny feel.
"Rock" 2005 by Peeta
Traditional graffiti artists often gambled with unlikely and unusual perspectives. These pieces are based on the visual depth created by graffiti artists, bringing the perspective of classic graffiti art to life in beautiful twisting sculptures. Check out Peeta’s site

German Artist DAIM 3-D Graffiti

DAIM, a German artist, dabbles in many forms of art, but has received global recognition for his 3-Dimensional graffiti art style. Using a well-known graffiti look, DAIM takes his art one step further, pushing a traditionally 2-Dimensional art form into the third dimension. This artist has been producing graffiti works since 1989, expressing his graffiti talents in many mediums, including etching, spray-painting and 3D sculptural graffiti. His urban artworks appear in built-up areas across Germany and in art galleries. Visit DAIM Gallery for more info on DAIM.





Truth 3D Cubist Graffiti

Using colored Polystyrene blocks, artist Krystian "truth" Czaplicki creates 3-Dimensional artworks that are inspired by the cubist movement. Standing in stark contrast to the building, these pieces create an attractive and colorful diversion from the dull brickwork of modern architecture. Visit Truth’s website.


Delta Sculptural Graffiti

Considered one of the pioneers of the European graffiti art movement, Delta creates complex 3D graffiti pieces that hang suspended above the viewer on wires, or which fit snugly against a wall. See more of Delta’s work here



3D Graffiti as a New Artistic Style

Art based on the classic graffiti style is growing in popularity and graffiti style innovations are appearing with more regularity. As pioneers for a new dimension of graffiti, these artists are often commissioned to create 3D sculptural pieces for business and shop owners. Graffiti needn’t be an illegal art form anymore, and it is refreshing to see these talented artists making money from their work.

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Lord of The Rings Inspires Real Hobbit Houses

JRR Tolkien wrote his epic fantasy novel, The Lord of the Rings, between 1937 and 1949. Since then it has inspired a huge amount of fan art, focusing on Tolkien’s detailed characters. Lord of the Ring fanatics have even recreated scenery from Tolkien’s Middle Earth, such as these Hobbit houses.


Hobbits

Tolkien describes hobbits as being humanoid in appearance, measuring between 2 and 4 feet. They have curly brown hair on their feet, which have leathery soles. Hobbits are not as stocky as dwarves, yet have a stout build. Their ears are slightly pointed.
Hobbits live in ‘hobbit-holes’, homes that are dug into the earth banks and feature round doors and windows. Hobbits are renowned for their hospitality and invented the custom of giving away presents on their birthdays. Their culture revolves largely around food, as hobbits eat several times a day and have enormous appetites. It is said that hobbits invented the art of smoking “pipe-weed”.
Artist’s depiction of a Hobbit House by Guy Sheperd


Real Hobbit Houses

Although Tolkien’s fantasy realm does not exist on our planet Earth, it has been a source of inspiration for fans of the fantasy genre. Some of these folk have followed the example of the hobbits and designed homes based on Hobbit Holes.

Peter Archer

Architect Peter Archer designed the hobbit house, below, on a larger scale so that it’s human inhabitants could comfortably live there. Archer incorporated the round doors and windows of hobbit houses into his design.



Simon Dale

Simon Dale built this hobbit house for his family in Wales. The house was built using natural materials found in the area, and has been dug into a hillside to create a Hobbit Hole effect.


 


Matamata, New Zealand

The original set for the Lord of the Rings trilogy still exists on farms around Matamata, New Zealand. This area has become known as Hobbiton, and attracts numerous visitors from around the world each year. Film director Peter Jackson chose this area as a setting for the movie trilogy because of its rich, pastoral farmlands.





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Vinyl Records Find a Second Life as Art

For decades, vinyl records were a way for music recording artists to share their music with the world. When cassette tapes and then CDs and MP3 players were invented, vinyl records were shelved. Now, artists are giving vinyl records a second life as art pieces.

Clocks

With their circular shape and central hole, vinyl records can easily be converted into clocks. To add a bit of flair, shapes can be cut into the record or it can be painted with an attractive design.


Vinyl Records Recycled as Bowls

Vinyl records become pliable when heated, which means that they can molded into a variety of shapes. The most common shape is a serving bowl.

Vinyl Records become Kinetic Sculptures
South African artist William Kentridge created this kinetic sculpture, Phenakistascope, in 2000. When the handle is turned, the two vinyl records spin in opposite directions, created an optical illusion of animation.

Utilitarian Upcycled Records

Old LPs as Musical Decor
Shaped records create colorful, textured wall decorations; perfect interior decor for the music lover’s home.

Recycled Records become Wearable Music

The glossy black color of vinyl records creates an eye-catching piece of jewelry. Records can also be used as jewelry stands for earrings.


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The Art of Living Plant Sculptures

Live plant sculptures give any garden a sense of surrealism, bringing interest to areas that would otherwise be quite dull.

The Art of Topiary

Topiary is the art of trimming and pruning plants to create a spcific shape. These plants are usually perennials, which means they will live for several years, sometimes even decades. Plants popularly chosen for topiary art are fast-growing, bushy shrubs that can withstand heavy pruning.

This form of garden art dates back to Roman times in Europe, with popular topiary shapes resembling obelisks. Obelisks were large standing stones that were carved to have the shape of a pointed egg or elongated water drop. This shape is still popular even today. Hedges are a simple form of topiary, as are small trees that are trimmed to be round or square in shape.

Training the plants over a wire frame allows the artist to create a number of shapes, even humanoid figures such as the wizard topiary design, shown below. The base of the wizard’s hat is part of the wire frame and is probably made from wood.


Different types of plants create different effects in a topiary design. In this design of a little girl running, the girl’s hair has been created with a long-leafed plant.


Using plants of differing colors can add interest and appeal. Note how the plants used for the elephants body are a different color from the elephant’s tusks.


Topiary art often takes the form of geometric shapes. Straight lines are not often found in nature, so square, rectangular or triangular topiaries can give a garden a unique geometric appeal, especially when offset by round or oval topiary shapes.


Topiary designs can follow any form that the artist chooses. This spiral design, created by continuously pruning the shrub into a spiral shape, can be an attractive show piece in a garden landscape.


Topiary artworks are a popular attraction in public gardens and garden centers. The shapes and designs are based on the imagination and creativity of the topiary artist. Below are some more pictures of gardens and parks that include plant sculptures in their design.


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