Nonpareil Pet Portrait. One Sweet Beagle Made of 221,184 Colored Sprinkles.

What began as a university fine arts project on Pointillism and Georges Seurat by student Joel Brochu, evolved into a remarkable artistic idea.



What looks like an image of a beagle getting a bath (above) is actually a 4’ by 1 ½’ high definition photograph covered in 221,184 nonpareil sprinkles, each placed painstakingly by hand.



At a distance of 16 feet, the sprinkles blur, tricking the human eye into believing that it is looking at a large photograph. Only when you closely examine the work do you realize that it has been created entirely with tiny spheres of rainbow nonpareils.







Meticulously placed by hand using jewelry tweezers, the sprinkles adhere to the board with the help of double sided tape and a thin layer of glue.




Using only 6 colors of sprinkles (Red, Orange, Green, Blue, Black, and White), a myriad of hues was created.




Joel used a customized computer program, in which a template was created from the original image which guided the placement of each sprinkle. Taking just under 8 months to complete, once finished, it was permanently preserved with a clear acrylic resin.

Sweet, huh?

A big shoutout to Betsy Wills and her wonderful blog, Artstormer, for bringing this unique piece to my attention. Most images courtesy of Joel Brochu

Fleabag Photography Lends A Paw With Their Pet Portraits.

There are many talented pet photographers out there, but what charmed me about this one is that a portion of your payment will go to the rescue organization of your choice.




A couple of Los Angeles-based female photographers simply wanted to merge their talents and knowledge of photography with their love for animals and pets. And from the looks of their images and happy customers, everyone wins.




For every package (except The Basics package) that is booked, a portion of the package price will go directly to the rescue organization of your choice. Fleabag Photography will make the donation under YOUR name and will give you a copy of the receipt/proof of donation.




You can even feel free to call the rescue to confirm your donation has been received. Donation amounts are based on the package chosen, ranging from $50 - $100, and is completely tax-deductible.


View their site for details regarding photo shoots.


Los Angeles, Ca
T: 323 599 3709
T: 818 795 5503
E: fleabagphotography@gmail.com

Lions And Tigers And Buttocks, Oh My! Body Painting By Craig Tracy

Along with the likes of Joanne Gair, Emma Hack, Verushka, Guido Daniele and M.A.C. make-up body artists I have featured, Craig Tracy is another individual who creates art with body paints on the human form.



Born and raised in New Orleans, Craig Tracy, shown working above, first started body painting in 2002 and opened his Louisiana gallery, Painted Alive Bodypainting, in early 2006.

Using a traditional paintbrush, an airbrush, sponges and finger-painting, Tracy's body paintings each take approximately one full day to complete. He uses a different model's body (and in some cases, multiple models) for each image.


above: " Toes" by Craig Tracy

His work has been used in several ads and other commercial applications. Being from New Orleans, it's not surprising that he has many jazz related images, but my favorites, without a doubt, are his nature and animal works.


above: "Elements" by Craig Tracy

The images of his work in this post are actual photos of body art in which Photoshop was NOT used.

Eminence (Lion):

the process:


Tiger (on breast):

the process:


Twee Fwog (his title, not mine):

The process:


Shelter (Elephant):

the process:


"O":

before and during:


South Side:

the process:


Koi:

the process:


Inferno:


Inclement:


His stunning illusory image of a tiger was created with three models to increase awareness and benefit a cause that is near to the heart of the artist:


Tigers have always been his favorite animal and when asked to aid in the effort to protect, repopulate and re-wild this the most endangered tiger in the world, Craig immediately said yes. "Only 100 South China Tigers are reported to remain alive and if my body painting can help increase that number by one then I'll have lived with purpose." states the artist.

the process:

Craig with the final work:




Please visit http://english.savechinastigers.org/ and help support this effort if you can.

See much more of his work here.
©2009 Craig Tracy, Painted Alive Bodypainting Gallery, All Rights Reserved.
827 Royal Street, New Orleans LA 70116.

Humane Society's 3rd Benefit Photo Auction

the above photo by Marco Glaviano is included in the auction

The Humane Society of New York is having their Third Benefit Photography Auction later this month.



The photographs included in the auction are a wonderful selection of everything from animal portraits and action shots to celebrity photos and more by well-known and well-respected artists. You can view all the participating photographers list here.

Below are a few of the photos that will be up for auction, in no particular order:

Alen Mac Weeney:

Carl Fischer:

Deborah Turbeville:

Firooz Zahedi:

Gosta Peterson:

Nick Brandt:

Raymond Meier:

Richard Phibbs:

Slim Aarons:

Andrew Zuckerman:

Steven Sebring:

Sylvia Plachy:

William Wegman:


You can preview the rest of photographs which will be available for auction here. You can register here and begin bidding in advance. For auction bidding guidelines, go here.

Auction info:
On Tuesday, April 27, 2010 the Society will host its Third Benefit Photography Auction at the DVF Studio, 440 West 14th Street , NYC. The event, from 6:00 – 9:00 pm, will include live and silent auctions of the photographs, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Honorary Chairs are Grace Coddington, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Adrien Brody. Cornelia Guest is the Chairman and we are pleased to announce that Jamie Niven, Vice Chairman of Sotheby’s will preside over the live auction.

The evening will honor Martha Swope, legendary photographer of dance, theater & music.

100% of proceeds will benefit the Humane Society of New York's veterinary clinic and Vladimir Horowitz & Wanda Toscanini Horowitz Adoption Center. For ticket information please call Sandra DeFeo at (212) 752-4842.

Humane Society of New York Mission Statement:
Since its founding in 1904, the Humane Society of New York has been a presence in New York City, caring for animals in need when illness, injury or homelessness strikes. Today our hospital and our Vladimir Horowitz and Wanda Toscanini Horowitz Adoption Center help more than 30,000 dogs and cats annually, and their numbers continue to grow. The Society has long been noted for its innovative, highly individualized approach to animal care; its pioneer attitude is now reflected in programs coming to the fore nationwide. On any given day the Society is responsible for hundreds of animals with diverse needs. For many, the Society is the only place they will find help.

Humane Society of New York
306 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022
tel: (212) 752-4842
EIN: 13-1624041