Terra Flamma

Terra Flamma: Stunning Long-Exposure Photographs of California Wildfires by Stuart Palley The news of deadly wildfires ravaging California has been as awe-inspiring as it is terrifying. For the last few years, Los Angeles-based photographer Stuart Palley has been shooting these fires as they rage across Southern California as part of a series he calls Terra Flamma. By utilizing long exposure techniques he incorporates trails of sparks, the lights of firefighting aircraft, and even the stars above to create images that speak more to the strange beauty of wildfires than simple editorial documentation.   The Incredible Pencraft of Jake Weidmann, the World's Youngest Master Penman When in school, artist and penman Jake Weidmann watched as his classmates typed their notes in laptops. Weidmann instead took the old-fashioned approach and wrote everything longhand with pen and paper, using every opportunity to practice and perfect his exquisite penmanship. The hard work quickly paid off he's now one of only a dozen people designated as a master penman—not to mention the youngest by three decades.    A Pair of Butterflies Photographed While Sipping on Turtle Tears in Ecuador Apparently if you're a thirsty butterfly, one option available to you is a refreshing sip of turtle tears. No, this isn't a staged photo masquerading as science, it's an unusual behavior known as lachryphagy (tear drinking), and is one of several ways butterflies obtain moisture and nutrients. Captured here by Ama la Vida TV, this photo shows two Dryas iulia drinking tears from the eyes of a few turtles.   Sidewalk Paintings of Gargantuan Gummy Bears Wobble to Life When Viewed From Above Alongside the Malta Street Art Festival, artist Leon Keer decorated a boardwalk with bright, elongated gummy bears that appear skewed when up close, but tower in height when viewed from above. This band of nine realistic candy bears seem to interact with the passersby, their slanted shapes appearing to be the same height as those who stop to take a closer look.   The World's Oldest Multicolored Printed Book Has Been Opened and Digitized for the First Time The earliest example of multicolor printing is now available for the public eye, digitally available through Cambridge University Library's Digital Library site. The 17th century book, Manual of Calligraphy and Painting (Shi zhu zhai shu hua pu), is so fragile that it was previously forbidden to be opened, its contents a total mystery before its recent digitization. The book was created in 1633 by Ten Bamboo Studio and is the earliest known example of polychrome xylography, a technique that acheives the appearance of a hand-painted watercolor.   A Pyrotechnic Artwork by Cai Guo-Qiang Explodes into a Blossom on the Steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art In 2009, Cai Guo-Qiang was commissioned by the Philadelphia Museum of Art to create a site-specific explosion event on the front facade of the museum. The project, titled Fallen Blossoms, used a gunpowder fuse, metal net, and scaffolding to activate a blossom pattern for 60 seconds, temporarily setting the columns of the building ablaze.   Earth View: A Curated Selection of the Most Striking Satellite Images Found on Google Earth Earth View is a giant collection of 1,500 curated images that represent the most striking images found through Google Earth. You can can click or swipe randomly through the far flung reaches of the planet as captured from satellites. All the images are available as wallpaper images for mobile and desktop, and they even have a Chrome app that loads a random image for each new tab.   Artist Charles Young Completes Work on Daily Paper Model Project After Designing 365 Structures It's daunting to witness the labor poured into a 365-day creative project, be it taking a daily photo, doing a quick sketch, or even writing a few lines. Edinburgh-based artist Charles Young gets particularly high marks for completing his daily paper model project that he started a year ago today as a way to explore design, architecture, and model building. Every single one of his 365 models were designed, cut, and assembled daily using 220gsm watercolour paper and PVA glue, with many of the structures incorporating moving components that Young photographed to create quick animations.   New in the Colossal Shop: Exquisite Playing Cards from Theory11 Founded in 2007 by 11 individuals, Theory11 began with the singular mission of advancing the art of magic by sharing their secrets and expertise. They quickly realized that, like any artist, they needed tools that matched the high quality of their skills. With this in mind, Theory11 began producing some of the finest decks of cards in the world. As visually intriguing as the sleight of hand they were produced for, their sharp looks are no trick. Theory11 uses only the highest quality inks, sources exceptional papers from sustainable forests, and gives each card a silky smooth finish. Their hard work has not gone unnoticed, with cardists and magicians considering their decks to be amongst the best ever produced.