CBrajkovich Ramblings

There has been one specific picture from NASA that has always spoken to the deepest depths of my soul. It’s the awe-inspiring image of our beautiful world as taken by Apollo 8 above the faraway surface of the moon. With all of the inspirational images that have been taken by NASA and by our various space agencies over the years (I love them all), this one image gave birth to my love for outer space which is still alive and well today. I’ve always been held spellbound by our moon, and can gaze at it for hours at a time while wondering what it would be like to walk on its surface and see just this sight.

My inspirations have grown to encompass a wide range of images and interests, and yet to this day Earthrise causes me to gasp anew at the world that opened up before my very eyes. To me, space is not the final frontier. It’s the beginning of an incredible journey that started on this wonderful pale blue dot we all call home.

Books carry a life within them, driven by the story. All it takes to release that spirit is to open up the cover and dive right in. Su Blackwell is an incredible artist who takes those books and brings them to life literally by using its main elements to tell the story with dimensionality. Take her depiction from Little Red Riding Hood: by placing our innocent little heroine within the forest where she meets her antagonist in the shape of a wolf. By using light on his figure, he gains a sense of being larger than life which is exactly as he appears in the story by being everywhere at every time.

And once again, here’s an artist that proves that art is truly creative destruction if it is to be true to its nature. There’s absolutely nothing that is docile about art’s intent, and yet it’s in this act of destruction that new life leaps into existence that indeed builds upon its predecessor in a most beautiful way. To me, that’s the highest form of respect.

– thanks again My Modern Met

It is bigger than us, yet it fills us with its wonder. It holds power over us, yet allows us to do what drives us from within. It’s an instinct that is older than time itself because it is born on the alter of our nature. It captivates us. It moves us. It fills us with something bigger than us. We do what compels us in order to bring that world into us, so that we might also share in its splendor. And when that feeling flows through and becomes power itself, we become one with it until it changes us…incrementally. Yet, what we are to become is solely up to how much power we give it over us. This is our existence on the alter of (our) nature.

– this gorgeous graphic from this isn’t happiness -> ymutate

Clicking on a Reddit tweet, I came across this amazing piece of (dream) collaboration of Pixar and Marvel, but done by artist Victor Hugo. He’s the artist who created the main character in the short Impossible Present, as well as turned superheroes into babies. There’s something about his characters that get me every time I see a new piece that he’s done.  And it’s especially incredible when he manages to turn a dream combo into reality. Love his work!

I just saw this incredibly adorable series of Avengers meets Winnie the Pooh treatment by Charles Paul Wilson III. Honestly, I don’t think that I could have ever pictured the Hulk as being “cute” and yet Charles has not only managed to do that, bu he’s also given the entire Avengers team a new twist that kids and adults would adore.

Charles is already the well-known illustrator and co-creator of the graphic novel series called The Stuff of Legend which takes the story of war as seen through the eyes of your toys. Go check out his Deviantart page to see what other incredible sweet images his mind has concocted to lighten our day.

– Awesome find, DesignTaxi

Jump rope. It’s something that we’ve all done as kids. Watching the rope go full circle, looking for your chance to jump in and live the game for as long as you can.

Around and around it goes…  Changing speed…  Wait, you’re not?!?… Changing direction…

oh, LOOK, there’s your opening! Will you make it??? So close, so close, so…

OWWWWW!!! It’s wrapped around me, and everyone’s shaking their heads and laughing. Game over?!

Nope, not yet.

The rope is moving again, and you can live full circle for just a while longer.

Just like this video, only there’s something different?! I’ve never played THIS game before. Callum Cooper, how did you do this? John Cassab, long time no see! (you all remember John from Cabbit Y Tutelary, right?) Klezinski – that was brilliant!

p.s. And let’s thank Vimeo for this wonderful weekend full of amazing talent and wonder. Creativity at its finest, always inspiring!

Chill out today with a sweet song featuring a Heartbreaker who really does some damage in a roller derby club. Steve Aoki, Lovefoxxx, Danny Masterson, Cobrasnake, and a lot more talent is involved with this love story that has an explosive story line that somehow belies the smooth sweet beats that swell the heart.

And don’t forget to thank the filmmakers, Brewer, for bringing such a tantalizing tune to sweeten your weekend just a little bit more.

p.s. Check out Marooned – Dream Cop –  WOW, more mesmerizing music!!!!

And if you want to end your day with a Good Book and some crazy ramblings that help a seriously good cause (a book store where all profits go to charity), then look no further than this video, Good Books – Metamorphosis, by Buck. This collaborative collective has done a wide swath of design work that covers a diverse range of brands, but with such a flair for metamorphosing style. If you don’t believe me, then check out this amazing short story done for Scion, Tower of Grantville:

That is one wicked story that they tell, and I do like the tone of gloom. Not something you’d expect for Scion. But so effective, don’t you think?

p.s. Don’t forget to check their site to see some more details from each of their projects, including some amazing concept art.

It’s the weekend, and what better way to get it going than this adorable intro to the characters Cummulus and Nimbus by we think things, the motion graphics duo of Pascal Monaco and Felix Meyer from Germany. I’ll bet that you never really thought that a cummulus cloud could have such a colorful personality (or that a sheep could be smitten). These two quick minded designers (who seem to really love coffee) manage to tell vivid tales in a really short span, but with such panache. Enjoy the story about a cloud, and then delve into some of their other offerings. In particular, Der Traum (The Dream) really gets your heart pumping with a mysterious voice and high voltage action.

Watch Pascal and Felix so that you’ll be inspired to play during your weekend. Because every weekend is a well-deserved play day (or make day, or relax day, or whatever you want it to be). Enjoy!