An Ocean of Stars

A Maldives Beach Awash in Bioluminescent Phytoplankton Looks Like an Ocean of Stars While vacationing on the Maldives Islands, Taiwanese photographer Will Ho stumbled onto an incredible stretch of beach covered in millions of bioluminescent phytoplankton. These tiny organisms glow similarly to fireflies and tend to emit light when stressed, such as when waves crash or when they are otherwise agitated.   Emptied Gestures: Physical Movement Translated into Symmetrical Charcoal Drawings by Heather Hansen Splayed across a giant paper canvas with pieces of charcoal firmly grasped in each hand, Heather Hansen begins a grueling physical routine atop a sizable paper canvas. Her body contorts into carefully choreographed gestures as her writing implements grate across the floor, the long trails resulting in a permanent recording of her physical movements. Part dance and part performance art, the kinetic drawings are a way for Hansen to merge her love for visual art and dance into a unified art form.     Amazing Video Clips Visually Isolate the Flight Paths of Birds Artist Dennis Hlynsky, a professor at the Rhode Island School of Design, wondered what would happen if he could better trace the flight paths of individual birds, what kinds of patterns would emerge from these flying social networks? In 2005 Hlynsky began shooting gigabytes of bird footage in locations around Rhode Island and then editing the film to create brief visual trails of each bird. The result is a fascinating and beautiful insight into the complex movements of these animals.   A Lion Made from 4,000 Pieces of Hammered Metal Created from nearly 4,000 pieces of metal scraps, Aslan (Turkish for Lion), is a recent sculpture by Istanbul-based artist Selçuk Yılmaz. The piece took nearly a year of work and involved hand-cutting and hammering of each individual metal piece. The final work weighs roughly 550 pounds (250kg).   Architectural Renderings of Life Drawn with Pencil and Pen by Rafael Araujo At a technology-free drafting table Venezuelan artist Rafael Araujo deftly renders the motion and subtle mathematical brilliance of nature with a pencil, ruler and protractor. Araujo creates complex fields of three dimensional space where butterflies take flight and the logarithmic spirals of shells swirl into existence. He calls the series of work Calculation, and many of his drawings seem to channel the look and feel of illustrations found in Da Vinci's sketchbooks. In an age when 3D programs can render a digital version of something like this in just minutes, it makes you appreciate Araujo's remarkable skill.   The Incredible Underwater Art of Competitive Aquascaping No, these aren't exactly your childhood goldfish bowls. The world of competitive aquarium design, or aquascaping, is just as difficult, expensive, and cutthroat as any other sport but requires expertise in many different fields to guarantee success. Aquarium designers possess large amounts of expertise in biology, design, and photography. Designers must also excel in the art of patience, as individual aquascapes, such as the award winning design by Japanese aquascaper Takayuki Fukada pictured above, can take months or even years to fully mature.   Severe Skies: The Photography of Storm Chaser Mike Hollingshead Just a cursory glance at a few storm photos by Mike Hollingshead and it's clear this guy has probably seen it all, and probably put his life at risk to do so. The intrepid storm chaser has been enduring foul weather since the late 90s, clocking some 20,000 miles a year in his car as he stalks thunderstorms and other extreme weather occurrences waiting to capture the perfect shot. Back in Stock: Planters and Lights from Revolution Design