Source Colossal   Vibrant, amorphous shapes intersect with squiggles and occasional geometric lettering in the murals of Chicago-based artist Emmy Star Brown. She describes her studio practice as a space where her inner child emerges, paring down her expressions to formal qualities of line, shape, and contrast. In her large-scale installations on urban buildings, which draw…

Source Colossal   It’s all things avian at Bird Photographer of the Year, the world’s largest contest dedicated to images of feathered creatures planet-wide. This year, the program welcomed more than 24,000 entries from photographers around the globe, capturing diving penguins, urban denizens, mating rituals, dramatic flights, and more. Highlighting birds of all kinds, the competition…

Source Artsy Shark  Featured artist Nancy Smyth creates delightfully whimsical pastel portraits of pets and wildlife. Enjoy her portfolio. The post Featured Artist Nancy Smyth appeared first on Artsy Shark.

Source Colossal   In our era of digital screens and virtually endless images and videos, it’s a challenge to imagine the time before photography existed. Two centuries ago this year, French inventor Nicéphore Niépce successfully captured the first known permanent image. He called his new process héliographie, or “sun writing,” employing light-sensitive bitumen dissolved in lavender oil,…

Source Colossal   Through vivid collages layering fragments of paper and fiber, Clotilde Jiménez echoes his own mélange of experiences and histories. The Mexico City-based artist was born in Honolulu to a Puerto Rican mother and African-American father, and he grew up in Philadelphia, before attending university in Cleveland and London. Both his heritage and ties…

Source Colossal   On the International Space Station (ISS), a module known as the Cupola allows astronauts to float into a small, window-filled viewing area. It’s used for observing high-tech exercises, spacewalks, and incoming vehicles, but it’s also a spectacular place to view what’s right outside: Earth. Astronauts often take thousands of photos and videos of…

Source Artsy Shark  Discover the portfolio of painter Katrina Lubbecke, who creates incredible landscapes filled with memories. The post Featured Artist Katrina Lubbecke appeared first on Artsy Shark.

Source Design You Trust  In 18th-century Europe, childbirth was often dangerous for both mother and baby, especially in rural communities with little access to skilled care. Angélique Marguerite Le Boursier du Coudray, a French midwife born in 1712, set out to change that. h/t: vintag.es At a time when women had few opportunities for formal…