Shards of Turquoise Ice Jut Out of the World's Largest Lake

Lake Baikal, located in the southern part of eastern Siberia in Russia, is an incredible natural wonder of the world that one can only hope to visit at least once in their lifetime. It's not just the oldest freshwater lake on Earth, at 20 to 25 million years old, it's also one of the largest and deepest, holding an astounding one-fifth of the world's freshwater.

In the winter, for about five months or from January to May, the lake freezes over but the water is so clear that, from the surface, you can see an astounding 130 feet below you. A photographic worthy natural phenomenon occurs around a very specific time of year, March. Wind, temperature differences, frost and sun in the ice crust cause cracks and ice hummocks to form. Transparent and shining in a turquoise color, these masses of broken ice look like shards of glass rising into the sky. They are caused by the slow and unequal pressure in the main body of the packed ice as well as by the unequal structure and temperature. Now that's one for the bucket list.

Above photo by Alexey Trofimov

Photo by Valery Chernodedov

Photo via Baikal Nature

Photo via Valery Chernodedeov

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Photo by Mikki Fox

Photo via Jeffersons Opinion

Photo via Adventour

The Keyboard Monument

Russian artist Anatoly Vyatkin installed a giant replica of a Cyrillic QWERTY keyboard made of 86 stone blocks, each weighing up to 1,000 pounds. The Keyboard monument (which in some circles also goes by the name "Claudia") is a permanent outdoor sculpture located in Yekaterinburg, Russia, where it remains a prominent tourist attraction.

The landmark, which was designed to mimic an IBM PC keyboard, incorporates a piece of technology into the natural landscape, promoting the idea of integration and inviting passersby to interact with it. Pedestrians in the area often find themselves playfully hopping onto the "keys" of the installation, despite knowing it serves no immediate function. The installation provides a whimsical bit of art for the public that is still very relevant. It will be interesting to see how future generations perceive it once keyboards have become obsolete.

Top image by SparkleStarCat

Image by Andrew Sebrant


Image via publiciti


Image by Hope Zaostrovnyh


Image via 1001chudo.ru


Image via English Russia


Image via English Russia


Image via publiciti

Surreal Floral Portraits

Japanese photographer Sayaka Maruyama creates art that explores, recreates, and redefines the classic definitions of beauty. She challenges her viewers to look with a fresh perspective and to see beauty in every element of our surroundings. In Sakura, the London-based artist draws on classical Japanese references and Surrealist motifs to explore what she describes as "contradictory contemporary understandings of Japanese notions of beauty, from both Western and Eastern perspectives."

The conceptual art project features images that are soft and aged, with tinges of vibrant and unexpected color blending across the surfaces. Maruyama layers her subject together with textured flowers and gradients of color to form her captivating and mysterious abstract portraits. Viewers are encouraged to find their own definitions of beauty within Maruyama's unique visual manipulations.

Gorgeous Liu Wen Joins the Circus

New York-based fashion photographer Will Davidson shot a stunning editorial featuring Chinese model Liu Wen titled On With the Show for Vogue Australia's March 2013 issue. In the spread, the beautiful model has taken the nomadic route and joined a traveling circus, all while maintaining a fashion forward look, draped in garments by Tommy Hilfiger, Chanel, Alberta Ferretti, and Emperio Armani.

The circus is no place for glitz and glamour, yet this set of images add a sense of romantic adventure to the arduous task of packing up and transporting a circus to the next town. En route to her next show, the stylish damsel is seen making the best of the sun beating down on her. Liu's journey translates through the camera. She's hot and tired, but the show must go on…

Inside the Painter's Studio

Jackson Pollock

When we see an artist's work, it's incredible to think about all of the details that went into the creation process, from collecting the right materials to actual physical labor of production. So, what better way to get to know an artist than to see him or her inside their own personal studio. This was exactly the thought of Brooklyn-based artist Joe Fig, and so he developed a series of miniature dioramas, entitled Inside the Painter's Studio, that show artists at work in their own studios.

One review explains, "A desire for firsthand references led Fig to approach contemporary artists for access to their studios. Armed with a camera and a self-made 'Artist's Questionnaire,' Fig began a journey through the workspaces of some of today's most exciting contemporary artists." Based on photographs and his own eye-witness, he produced 24 mixed media pieces that range in size from just 4 inches to 60 inches. The tiny details portray the personalities and work of each person and, as a result, we get a rare and tiny glimpse into the world of many famous artists including people like Jackson Pollock, Jasper Johns, Willem de Kooning, and Andy Warhol.

Henri Matisse

Willem de Kooning

Matthew Ritchie

Chuck Close

Ross Bleckner

Inka Essenhigh

Malcolm Morley

Brancusi

Jasper Johns

Andy Warhol

Jim Rosenquist

Will Cotton

Roy Lichtenstein

Self-Portrait

Mysterious Spirits Already in Trees

Sculptor Keith Jennings carves wise faces into trees, revealing each wooden tower's inner spirit. Jennings first embarked on hisTree Spirits project back in 1982 when he decided to creatively manipulate a tree in his backyard with a few hand tools. Starting out as a way to kill time on a budget, the artist wound up honing his craft. Jennings was later commissioned to apply his wood sculpting skills on a series of trees throughout St. Simons Island, located right off the coast of the state of Georgia.

Jennings took two to four days to sculpt each serene face throughout the forest, allowing them to intriguingly blend into their surroundings. (Of course, once they're spotted, it's hard not to notice their faces.) Each sculptural portrait emerges from its wooden post like a haunting sage, ready to impart some knowledge. The artist says that each face he carves into the wood is created entirely according to the tree. He insists, "I don’t have that much to do with it. The wood speaks to you, ya know?”

Jennings' Tree Spirits project is on display throughout St. Simons Island (along private and public property) and the artist has conveniently tracked each one on Google Maps.