Underwater Photos

Underwater Photos, originally uploaded by nrillustration.

Nadia Moro is an incredibly talented photographer who also happens to take these breathtaking (a pun, ha, ha) underwater shots. See more of her work here.

3D Sidewalk Chalk Drawings

Sidewalk Chalk Drawings, originally uploaded by nrillustration.

English artist Julian Beever (aka 'Pavement Picasso') creates these shockingly realistic 3-D chalk drawings on sidewalks around the world. When viewed from the right angle, his drawings pop right out of the ground-or fall into it depending on the subject. The temporary nature of the drawings add to their appeal as they're eventually destroyed by pedestrians and weather.

See his website here.

NokHoo Web Updates

screen, originally uploaded by nrillustration.

I've been working on updating the NokHoo website with some long awaited changes. Finally the nav bar has moved to the top, we have model photos on the front page and the pages are longer to accommodate new info. What probably looks like tiny changes actually took a lot of time, so please humor me and go check it out! Thanks :)

They Draw and Cook!

If you love to cook and/or you like great art, check out this blog: They Draw and Cook. A cool website and fantastic business idea started by sister/brother design team Salli Swindell and Nate Padavick, they post a new recipe with original art each day. Artists submit from all over the world and they intend to create a book out of the project in the future.

My favorite is this squirrely French toast recipe by Jennifer Valvert. Check her blog at: bitacoradelaardilla.blogspot.com

Work is Beautiful...

geat office spaces, originally uploaded by nrillustration.

Inspired by my last post on Etsy's corporate office, I did a little searching on other creative office spaces. All of these pictured can be found on the blog Office Snapshots.

Clockwise from top left:
Urban Outfitters-LOVE the open design space and high ceilings.
Pixar-those little huts on the left are individual offices.
Facebook-please note the skateboarders!
The Nothing-a design firm in Amsterdam. Their offices are entirely made from cardboard!! Not sure how this works but it's just plain amazing.

Etsy's Corporate Office

Etsy Corporate Office, originally uploaded by nrillustration.

Take a look at Etsy's corporate office space! Of course it would be über-cool. I could definitely work in a space like this one. I found the photos via Lifehacker but they originally came from the Hangar Design Group (who I assume designed the space). Check out either site for more photos!

A Case to Covet

I have a new favorite iPhone case. The folks at Grove in Portland (of course) make cases out of bamboo. What's more? They ENGRAVE them with beautiful designs and will even apply your own design if you do that sort of thing. This definitely goes on my birthday short-list.

Happy Birdies

I love this necklace from Bellissima. With my favorite color combination (red and turq) topped off by little singing birds I think this could be the perfect necklace.

Pretty Kitty

I've been looking at the gorgeous illustration work of French artist Florian Nicolle. She creates beautiful portraits using mixed media and paint. Some of my favorites are these drawings of kitties. I'm inspired to paint my cats... I will post the results if this occurs!

Lovely Logo

New_Javelines_Logo_by_Javelines_rus, originally uploaded by Indian Ragas.

I ran across this beautiful logo art on Flickr (posted by Indian Ragas). The artwork is by a Siberian Graphic Designer/Photographer called Javelines and he uses it as a logo for his design business. Check him out on deviantART or his website (which is in Russian... but has lots of pictures).

Who wants a free laptop bag?

owlish mystery, originally uploaded by nrillustration.

I know I posted this before but the deadline is looming... Enter NokHoo's contest to win a free laptop bag!! Check out the bags here (if you're not already familiar with the fabulous NokHoo brand).

Contest rules are simple: 1) Draw (or somehow compose) a picture of an owl. 2) Go to NokHoo's Facebook fan page, become a fan and post your image in the 'photos' section. That's it. Fans will vote on their faves next week. Deadline is midnight the 19th, which is Monday night. Second and third prize will be a $5 iTunes gift certificate and a 50% off coupon for a NokHoo bag.

I've gotten a lot of feedback from people saying they'd like to enter but 'can't draw'. Since drawing is my job, I guess I didn't realize how scary it can be. If you want a bag, please enter! Don't take the drawing too seriously-it can be silly, you can use a crayon, whatever. It's meant to be fun!

NokHoo's Sirrush bag visits Summermash!

summermash, originally uploaded by Weber Shandwick Seattle.

At Mashable's recent Summersmash stop in Seattle, the folks at Weber Shandwick gave away an amazing prize package including two round-trip tickets on AA, a Powermat wireless charging mat, an LG Ally Android Phone... and a Sirrush bag. NokHoo is proud to have been part of the great prize package at such a cool event!

Ascending Turtles

A few weeks ago I mentioned a site called Ripple that's raising money for animals affected by the Gulf oil spill. I've actually started volunteering to help upload the artwork and am happy to report that Ripple's efforts have already raised over $8,000... that cleans a lot of birds.

I feel fortunate to have purchased the piece above, "Ascending Turtles" by Mathew Mossman, for a $10 donation. Mathew is an incredibly talented artist and seeing this little painting up close is a real thrill. His work can be found here. Thanks for donating, Mathew!

Hanzo's Yakuza Tattoo from Predator

Hanzo from new Predator movie, originally uploaded by nrillustration.

I am often forced to watch war and alien movies on the night they debut. With the release of the new Predator movie, today was no exception. All in all it was a well done movie with creepy predators popping out of nowhere and plenty of blood and guts to go around. But my favorite part of the movie was the fight scene with Hanzo, the Japanese Yakuza warrior. [No worries, this is not a spoiler]. By far the coolest character in the movie, he also sports a fantastic tattoo covering his chest and back. The photo above is the best I could find on the internet (from Beyond Hollywood) but I'd love to see it up close.

The Yakuza are basically the Japanese mob and many wear full-body tattoos (irezumi). A lot of the tattoos seem to have that empty space down the middle like the one Hanzo wears. Apparently the Yakuza rarely show their tats in public, covering up with high neck and long sleeve shirts. If you want to learn more, there's some good info at Dreadloki and more photos at Body Adorned.

Islamic Geometry

Dome in Mahan, Iran, originally uploaded by nrillustration.

This stunning dome is located in Mahan, Iran. I found the photo on the Broug Ateliers site, featuring Islamic geometric design. The site is well worth browsing if you're fascinated with this beautiful artwork, especially the 'learn' section which describes, in simple terms, the approach and techniques used in geometric design.

Witching Hour

artwork by Nicoletta Ceccoli, originally uploaded by nrillustration.

Today's favorite artist is Nicoletta Ceccoli. She paints a lot of dreamy and slightly spooky wide-eyed girls in fantastic situations. The one above is called "Witching Hour". You can find her website here and read a nice little interview here.

Peruvian Belts

peruvian belt, originally uploaded by nrillustration.

Eye candy... I love the colors and handwork in these belts! Photo is from Peruvian Knitwear's Facebook page.

An Incredible Hat

Incredible Hat, originally uploaded by nrillustration.

The drawings of Sveta Dorosheva remind me of the Erté's beautiful fashion sketches with their simple lines and use of scale for emphasis. Check out this great collection of "Incredible Hats". The one (above) with the opium cat is my favorite.

Enamored Owl

Enamored Owl, originally uploaded by nrillustration.

I've managed to destroy the case for my iPhone so was looking for something interesting to cover it with. This lovely "Enamored Owl" by Alberto Cerriteno can be had for $14.95 at GelaSkins. They have lots of other great artists as well and covers for a variety of devices, not just the iPhone. The best news is that you can send in your OWN artwork and they'll print it on a skin for you. I may have to do this just because I can. I'll report back with results if I do...