Denver Art Museum - DAM Fine Art

A visit to the Denver Art Museum (DAM) was pure joy to the heart and soul. I expected to see an amazing work of architecture by Daniel Libeskind for the Hamilton Building and it was. What I did not expect was the fine collections housed in the Denver Art Museum. The collection had a strong emphasis on Western art from historical to modern. The museum showcased a nice collection of classics and contemporary works. The museum dedicates several areas to design and furniture and is home to the AIGA collection. The design areas are well displayed and reminds me of a visit to the MOMA. A nice surprise are "reading / exploration rooms" throughout the museum. These spaces allow you to relax and look at a book about the subject you just viewed. The museum is also very children friendly with actives and exhibits just for them. The Denver Art Museum was a pleasant surprise just East of the Rockies with a collection that will fill your needs and inspire. When you are in the Denver area, you must put the Denver Art Museum on you must see list. You will love this happy surprise of an art museum.

Arches National Park

This past week, we had the joy of visiting Arches National Park in Moab UT. The park with the largest concentration of natural arches in the world is full sights that amaze. The view of Delicate Arch is pristine and the natural colors of the sandstone takes your breath away. Try to experience the park at sunset for colors that inspire and awe.

Shea Hembrey - How I became 100 Artist

Have you ever said to yourself, "I know I can do better." Shea Hembrey, an artist from Arkansas, did so and made his own BiAnnual Art Exhibit made up of works of art he created with 100 artist he invented. The TED talk is humorous and has some great work showcased. The talk makes one wonder about all that is the "art world" and how silly it actually is at times.

Spring 2011 Portfolio Show

This week marked the end of another quarter at the Art Institute of California - Orange County where I teach one of the final Portfolio classes. The students presented their years of hard work to the public this last Wednesday at their Portfolio Show. The work was well presented and just as well received. I wish the graduates all the best in their futures as designers and look forward to hearing about the great successes that they achieve. Good luck!!!

Show Me Mo Money

We could all use some extra cash to help us get away this summer. I would like to showcase Will's Online World Paper Money Gallery as a source for inspiration for your travels or to make some play money for those iou's to friends. The site has a vast collection of bills from around the world with good scans to get your designs going. If you seek out additional resources please follow up with link to an earlier post.

Letters by van Gogh

We all think of Vincent van Gogh for his paintings but taking a look at his life really helps to express his passions and motives. A website van Gogh's Letters - Unabridged has posted Vincent's writings in a searchable format. Included with the letters are sketches that van Gogh completed. If you are looking for some summer reading this is a site worth the bookmark. Enjoy.

New! Improved! Retro!

In an effort to appeal to us folks that actually lived through the 70's, products are showcasing the past. Retro has been a design trend for a while but has seen a huge boost in the last few months with such major companies as General Mills and Pepsico going old school. The thought behind the retro look is to help their products standout and let us relive time. It appears to be working based on an article recently in the Wall Street Journal. So take a clue from the past, take it retro on your next design. The appeal and response seem to be strong with this never gets old style.

Beer Revenue Stamps

We think of stamps as a means to send a letter but stamps have also been used as a means to pay taxes on items such as beer. The detail that goes into these stamps no less then would be for postage to show that the tax was paid. See additional beer revenue stamps at this link on Arago.

The Hidden Power of Smiling

Smiling can help you live longer and with lower stress. Smile and have a great weekend.

The Colour Clock

Unsure what time it is? Check of this website that displays your current time in hexadecimal color value. The colorful site also has a screensaver for fellow Mac users that you can download. Brighten your life and stay on schedule.

Eames Chair

Enjoy this archival video on how an Eames shell chair is build. The film show how a simple form becomes a design classic.

Illustrated Type - Gallery Nucleus

Gallery Nucleus has an outstanding show of Illustrated Type running through June 6th at 210 East Main St, Alhambra CA. The show features work by Ed Fella, Jessica Hische, and Takashi Iwasaki among others. So if you are here in the LA area click here to get further info on hours or to make a purchase online.

Yosemite National Park, a visit

A visit to Yosemite National Park (@YosemiteNPS) is a pleasure at anytime of the year but Spring brings not only Dogwoods blooming but falls that overflow with the Spring melt. Yosemite National Park is one of America's greatest parks and showcases the beauty of the country. Surrounded by granite cliffs and formations formed over the ages, your breath is taken away upon entering the majestic valley. A trip to Yosemite will refresh and inspire your soul. You start by getting everyday life to float away on a mountain stream. Soon you can smell the fresh pines, hear the falls thundering and feel the breath of mist on your face. Now you are in Yosemite. You gaze up high as you round a corner on a trail and see Yosemite Falls peaking through the branches and glance below to see a delicate mountain flower pink with delight. This is Yosemite, a place of beauty, life and wonder. I awoke the next morning to a Spring snow on the valley floor and cliffs dusted with beauty. This place has inspired over the years and the naturist John Muir spoke of this place of wonder and peace,

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves."

Come experience this wonderful cathedral of nature, a place of such wonder that you will dream and understand what really is important in life.

Learn more and plan your visit to Yosemite National Park at this link. Words and images can not explain her beauty, it must be experienced for oneself.

instagr.am

The quality of iphone photography is growing leaps and bounds on a daily basis. One of the leaders is a great fun and free app instagr.am. instagr.am is a combination of photography program that lets you add several filters and effects to your photos and social meet up. You can download the app from the iTune store and get started right away. The app suggest followers from you twitter and facebook so you can see what your friends are shooting. The app allows you to upload to your Flickr and link to twitter. You can follow me @danielgross and I look forward to seeing your creative photography soon.

What is Your Camera Setup?

I found this interesting set of post that asked photographers "what is your camera setup of choice and why?" There are two parts, Part 1 and Part 2, to gain an understanding and inspiration.

(via NotCot.org)

F*ck You. Pay Me.

2011/03 Mike Monteiro | F*ck You. Pay Me. from SanFrancisco/CreativeMornings on Vimeo.

Enjoy and learn from this informative video from the CreativeMorning - San Francisco talk by Mike Monteiro of Mule Design Studio. Now go out and do some work so you can get paid.

Happy Cinco de Mayo

Wishing you a happy Cinco de Mayo.