News

Well, it's been awhile since an update, I personally have been busy with finding new roommates, finding new jobs and looking for a new website designer and programmer. If you know of anyone, please forward them along, there's going to be some changes to the site that I hope you enjoy! Leather issue will be coming out shortly...after the leather issue, we'll be on a bit of a hiatus due to the redesign, but don't worry, we'll update you on the latest news for all of our previous issues weekly, so stay tuned!

-Jasmine

Interview with Carole Meckes

Hey there, the interview with Carole Meckes is posted! Hope you enjoy reading and learning about what others are doing to increase awareness on bamboo!

Click here for interview

Bamboo

The Bamboo issue is out. Enjoy.

Interview

Hey all,
Just received an interview from Stephanie Weber for the aluminum issue. Should be posted either tomorrow or the day after! Thank you all for your support!

Aluminum Issue

Hey all, the aluminum issue is out! Enjoy!

Wolverine Latex Paint

Who would have thought that rubber and clay could get along so well, but recent studies suggest that by incorporating clay nanoparticles in latex paint, the paint will then become much more fire resistant and overall much hardier. The professors over at Warwick, UK have discovered that when they add in laponite clay with latex, the resulting effect allows the paint to be much more scratch resistant and eventually may even heal itself it it does scratch (kinda like Wolverine). Healing paint? What will they come up with next? [Story Via Materials World]

New Designer

For all of you that don't know, Teddy has left Pieces to pursue his clothing line. He has been with us since the very first issue and his talent and skills will be greatly missed.

We have brought on Andrea, whose bio you can read on the about section. We are very excited to have her on board an believe that her talent will bring Pieces to a new level. Check out her portfolio.

Potters for Peace

Remember that article about clay filters? The organization Potters for Peace assist in the production of ceramic water purifiers around the world. The organization is part of the World Health Organization and teaches people in developing worlds how to create these simple clay water purifiers. Like the old saying goes, give a man a fish and he'll eat for one day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime...by spreading the knowledge of these water purifiers, we are one step closer to having clean, drinkable water worldwide.

Cool feather ring

If you're looking to stand out in the crowd with a bit of elegance, then this feather ring is for you. Handmade with sterling silver and a guinea hen feather, this ring will surely stun the crowd and even make these socialites jealous of your style. With this ring you won't need any other accessories, just wear it and enjoy having all eyes on you. You can pick it up at etsy

Sonia Wentser, Master Painter with Feathers

Painters are always looking to create the ultimate masterpiece. Many experiment with oil paint or water-color, but very few use organic materials to imitate paint strokes. Sonia Wentser, however, took a cue from the Chinese and Pre-Columbian civilizations and used feathers, in lieu of paint, to create her background. Born in 1920s in Russia, Sonia grew up during the rough times of WWII, though her and her husband were able to avoid much entanglement by moving to Brussels and eventually emigrating to Canada. While Sonia had always been an artist she didn't create her first feather painting until 1960, entitled "The Fire Bird". From that first painting til now, she has created over 200 works of art, three of of which are kept at the Musée d'Art Contemporain of Montreal.


This technique is much more than just gluing feathers to the background. As canvas the artist uses a thin wooden board covered with fabric. Not only does the artist have to precisely place feathers on the canvas to create the background, they also have to understand the structure of the feather. Because of their tri-dimensional structure, feathers have their own way of reflecting light and of course the various shapes and sizes adds to the complexity of the painting. Without oil paint or water-color, the artists have to create the effect of paintbrush strokes with feathers. Sonia Wentser still resides in Canada and has a book scheduled for release on these feather paintings.

images copyright Sonia Wentser

Ian Davie, Feather Painter Extraordinaire

We've all marveled about the beauty of feathers and have used them as part of our fashion, but very few people have decided to take it upon themselves to make feathers even more beautiful. Ian Davies is one such person. While the idea of painting on feathers is not new, the level of detail and intricacy in Ian Davie's feather paintings are what make them amazing. Inspired by the Maori feather drawings, Ian Davie took his outdoor and taxidermy experience and combined it into his art. Surprisingly, Davie had never picked up a paintbrush before he was 40, guess that means he must be one talented individual! Hopefully, we can get an interview with him in the next couple weeks! You can see some of his pictures after the break. You can view his site at featherart.net

[Story Via Mail Online]


All images copyright Ian Davie

Feather Artist Club Razor

Sure, it's not actually made of feathers (who can shave with a real feather anyway), but for all you guys out there looking for a close shave, this little baby definitely does the trick. The Feather Artist Club Razor is great for barbershops, salons or even at home. While it doesn't come with the blades, you can purchase them in a 20 pack. And hey, ladies dig guys that shave with a straight-edge, makes you seem more like Crocodile Dundee. You can then show your male friends your razor and tell them, "That's not a razor, this is a razor..."

RIP Michael Jackson

It's a sad week when the King of Pop dies...RIP MJ, we loved you in Thriller.

Official Photo Contest - May 2009

Starting today is the official photo contest for Pieces. Rules are listed below. The theme of the first contest is Magnets.

Rules

1. All photos must be original and not copyright materials
2. All photos must deal with the theme in some manner (whether actual pictures of magnets, or the idea of magnetism)
3. All photos must not contain any illegal activities (judges will decide on a per photo basis)
4. Any photos containing nudity must be done tastefully (judges will decide on a per photo basis)
5. Entrants can submit up to three photos
6. Winning pictures will be announced 6/7 via pieces-zine.com news section
7. Contest ends 5/31 at 11:59pm

To send in photos please:
1. Do not send anything larger than 1 MB
2. email photos to jasmine@pieces-zine.com
3. In the subject of the email enter: May Photo Contest.

Prizes

The winner of the contest will receive:

1. magnetic poetry kit via Magnetic Poetry
2. six unique magnets from Joy Abella
3. $50 prize money

Cotton Issue

Hey there,
For all who aren't aware, the cotton issue is out!

Hemp V. Cotton

Nice little teaser for the cotton issue, a PSA from the 1940s promoting farmers and members of the 4-H club to grow hemp. Original article can be found at BoingBoing.

Daily Show and Large Hadron Collider

Hey, remember when we wrote about the Large Hadron Collider in our magnet issue? Well the Daily Show covered the project not too long ago. You can watch it after the break. [Article via Gizmodo]

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Large Hadron Collider
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis First 100 Days

David Kappel's reaction to Twitter Magnetic Poetry

You may remember that we interviewed David Kapell for our magnetic issue. Well after our last post, we wanted to know how he feels about the Twitter magnetic poetry. He states:

"I sometimes feel like a dimwitted parent who gave birth to a kid who spontaneously started speaking French and doing calculus at age three. I love my kid and I'm proud of her, but really can't take a lot of credit for how cool she turned out. She was just born that way."

David Kappel has also been kind enough to send a magnetic poetry kit for our upcoming photo contest.

Twitter Magnetic Poetry

Something for all you poetry and twitter lovers out there. The company +Good launched Twitter Magnets, which allow users to create a 140 word poem from an assortment of words for their twitter status. You can submit your poems to Tweetmagnets channel, or you can post it on your own account. Looks like David Kapell's song-making invention has truly become a cultural phenomenon.











[Source via The Inspiration Room]

Cool magnet site

Hey since the site isn't updating at the moment, here's a cool site for all your magnet needs.

Everything Magnetic - great source