Some photos from yesterday. The fluorite belongs to Dustin’s brother Cody, who collects mineral specimens like crazy. It’s sitting on a dissecting microscope I salvaged from a university lab equipment liquidation and gave to him.
As seen through my new macro lens, this is the test (calcium carbonate structural shell) of a small sea urchin that was unknown to science until one was purchased on eBay in 2006 and subesqently described by Natural History Museum scientists Simon Coppard and Heinke Schultz. I bought this test on eBay right around that time, unaware of this fact.
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Sea urchins are members of the phylum Echinodermata, which also includes sea stars, sea cucumbers, brittle stars, and crinoids. Like other echinoderms they have fivefold symmetry (called pentamerism) and a mouth locatted ventrally. This species is from New Caledonia, and this particular test is about 1.6cm wide.
A week ago my parents, Dustin and I went to a mid century modern warehouse sale in the Chicago suburbs. Through some clever dealing, my parents acquired me this George Nelson Eye Clock. I have wanted this clock since I learned of its existence. This particular picture of someone’s collection of Nelson clocks stuck with me too:
This clock is now hanging near our Hang-It-All, with some space left for an art poster Dustin has his eye on. So, more pictures in situ I’m sure will be forthcoming.
My dad just got a George Nelson Pill Clock that I’ve seen pictures of but can’t wait to see in person. I love these clocks, so many of them are amazing. I wish Vitra was still producing more of the designs. George Nelson’s wiki page claims he designed nearly 300 wall clocks, I wonder if that’s true? Someone needs to make a book about them, if there isn’t one already…
Lots of things going on at work, but I’m still trying to make the time to take pictures often, even if it’s just via Instagram.
I have big news about a new addition to the mid century collection — post about it soon!
I took more house photos today, though it was in the late afternoon so the light isn’t as good as I would have wanted. Better than nothing though — I’ll redo them soon maybe.
Things are going on every night this week. This was Tuesday night at a local restaurant.
I’m really happy about that. This absence from my camera has really helped ramp up my appreciation of it.
In the meantime, have a look at this amazing photographer and illustrator I just discovered today from Portugal, Joana Rosa Bragança.
This new year means new creative efforts for me. One of my Christmas gifts from my parents was a macro lens for my Canon T2i (!), and another gift I’m giving myself is a short course in working with art clay silver starting at the end of this month.
I managed to leave my camera with its new lens at my parents’ house in the madness of packing to return home after two weeks there, so the “creation” part of my creative effort is off to a stunted start… the silver lining is that I enjoy creative limitations. My iPhone-photo tumblr blog onion of infinite leaf is going strong, I still have the Lumix LX-3, and of course there is always drawing.
Our house is also sort of an ongoing expression of joint functional creative design too, as much as we can given limited space and budget anyway. I’m planning to do another set of photographs of the current state of our place, as any new (or vintage in some cases) things have found their way in here somehow and it’s looking pretty different than the last house tour I shot. So, look for that once I get my camera back!
