Posts by Anna Gragert

Art
September 18, 2015

Self-Reflective Artist Uses Thousands of Buttons to Form Iridescent Installations as Meditation

Button connoisseur Ran Hwang uses her distinct style both as a form of expression and as a form of meditation. When designing large installations made solely of buttons, beads, crystals, pins, and thread, Hwang becomes completely immersed in the project at hand and allows her work to consume her thoughts. “I create large icons such as a Buddha or a traditional vase, using materials from the fashion industry,” she writes.

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Travel
September 17, 2015

Grandiose Baroque Library in Prague Is a Stunning Kingdom for Books

Prague's Klementinum library was opened in 1722 and has easily become one of the most beautiful libraries in the world. Aside from housing over 20,000 novels for your reading pleasure, this location showcases absolutely stunning Baroque architecture. As you're perusing various timeworn bookshelves, you can take a moment to look up and see Jan Hiebl's heavenly, Renaissance-style ceiling paintings. Hiebl employed trompe-l'oeil techniques—popular at the time—to open up the ceiling to the heavens.

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Art
September 14, 2015

Giant Paintings of Roses Covered in Dewdrops Capture Every Tiny Detail

Artist Gioacchino Passini takes an ordinary blank canvas and transforms it into a larger-than-life garden of dewdrop-covered roses. The petals appear soft and supple, an effect that is heightened by the flowers' brilliant coloring. Passini's large-scale paintings not only offer audiences an in-depth look at the beauty of nature, but they're also a way for the artist himself to explore the minute details that tower above him as he paints.

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DIY
September 3, 2015

Thoughtful Dad Finds the Perfect Way to Repurpose Restaurants’ Leftover Crayons

Bryan Ware was inspired to create The Crayon Initiative while watching his two sons color during a birthday dinner. “I wondered, ‘What happens to these crayons after we leave if we don't take them with us?'” the dad told The Mighty. Later, he asked a restaurant employee this same question and was upset to hear that all the crayons are thrown out after they leave–even if they're left untouched.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.