finding cain

What if our favorite cartoon characters succumbed to the perils of old age? What would they look like? Russian digital artist and animator Andrew Tarusov imagines the later years of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Bugs Bunny and others with hilarious results. [h/t: Really Shit !]

I don't know how practical this is but if given the green light, this apartment block in Astana, Kazakhstan would be the world's first residential building that doubles as an outdoor ski slope. Designed by Shokhan Mataibekov Architects, the 21-story Slalom House will feature shops and restaurants on the ground floor, 421 two-bedroom residences on the upper floors, and a 1000-foot-tall artificial slope descending from its roof.  Unlike at your average ski resort, House Slalom's track could be used during the entire year, because the slope will be powered by artificial snow. Skiers could even use it at night, because the track would be brightly lit. In case you're wondering, the project will cost roughly $70 million.  [h/t: Architectural Digest ]

When I first discovered  Adonna Khare's large-scale drawings of animals, I had a hard time keeping my eyes away from all the immense carbon detail woven into the perfect textures for skin, fur, feathers, etc. She pays extremely close attention to details, creating an amazing contrast between realistic figures and their more stylized surroundings.  Adonna earned a master of fine arts degree from California State University Long Beach in 2006, and her work has been collected by distinguished public and private collections throughout the world. In 2012 she won the ArtPrize, competing against more than 1500 artists. Her winning piece titled Elephants is a triptych, measuring 36 ft wide by 8ft in height.  "The idea came to be because of my daughter," she told the  West Michigan Woman .  "It's that idea of the connection elephants have with each other and their history. I got really involved in reading about elephants and I decided the elephants theme woul...

With their intricate and flawless detail, these images of icebergs look like the work of a talented photographer. But these amazing pictures are actually the work of Zaria Forman and are in fact hand-drawn pictures.  Zaria has a distinct style of creating art. In an interview published in Juxtapoz , the Brooklyn-based artist stated that when she travels, she takes thousands of photos and creates small sketches. Once she's back in the studio, she draws from memory, as well as the photos to create large scale compositions. She adds layers of color onto the paper, smudging everything with her fingers and hand. From her website : "The inspiration for my drawings began in my early childhood when I traveled with my family throughout several of the worlds most remote landscapes, which became the subject of my mother's fine art photography. I developed an appreciation for the beauty and vastness of the ever-changing sky and sea. I loved watching a far-off st...

Combining mannequins and discarded pieces of technology into stunningly intricate sculptures, Magnus Sebastian has created an array of surreal artworks. The Florida-based artist makes what he calls "post industrial trans-human sculptures. Look at one of his pieces from one angle and you'll see a human form. Look at it from a reverse angle and you see an effigy filled with old machine parts and electronic components. Sebastian's artist statement explains, "I want those who inspect my work to see the beauty of form and be intrigued by the mechanical foundations. I want the viewer to be drawn to the illusory patinas and mechanisms – to walk the line between dream and reality and experience the loss of humanity that technology has wrought." Sebastian offers more personal insight behind his art at his website .

I am pretty sure my Chuck Taylor-obsessed friend would be gaga over this Converse Andy Warhol collection . She owns at least a dozen pairs of Chucks, and she wears them almost every day— with jeans, shorts, leggings, skirts, even dresses.  The new Warhol collection finds inspiration in the pop artist's Cow wallpaper, as well as his Flowers piece. Each style has a glow-in-the-dark element that pays homage to Warhol's black light paintings. The new collection is now available at Converse stores and online at Converse.com , retailing for $80 to $85.

It wouldn't be surprising if you mistook these images for photo-realistic oil paintings. Moscow-based photographer Andrey Yakovlev and art director Lili Aleeva are behind the gorgeous shots. These images really capture my attention not only because of the stunning models and inventive sets, but also of the duo's flair in producing dramatic effects. Find out more about their work at their Behance page .

This toilet roll holder made me smile.

The sketchbook has always been a really amazing tool for artists to capture their journey. And these drawings by Spanish illustrator Juan Díaz-Faes prove you don't need color to breathe life into a sketch.

I first came across Soey Milk 's work online a few years back, and her art stuck with me. The figures she paints are exploding with sexuality. The graphite sketches and oil paintings of mysterious young women are dark, erotic and contain an air of melancholy. They're truly mesmerizing. I would love to hang them in my house.  Here's a video of the Korean-born, Los Angeles-based artist at work.

This floating bonsai tree is amazing. Called Air Bonsai , the miniature plant uses the same magnetic floating trick similar to the Air 2 Levitating Speaker . I've always wanted a bonsai tree for my home. The time has come!

Children can be incredibly creative and inventive. Did you know that the popsicle, ear muffs and the trampoline were invented by kids? Artist and inventor Dominic Wilcox traveled to his hometown in Sunderland, England and asked brilliant young minds to draw an invention . He then picked the best sketches and brought them to local manufacturers to turn their designs into real products. "The aims of the project are to inspire and encourage children to believe in the power of their imagination, find some great ideas and create some wonderful objects. At the beginning of the project Dominic led 19 inventing workshops for children from age 4 to 12 that lasted 2 hours each. During the workshops he showed his own designs and inventions such as the Reverse Listening device and Cereal Serving Head Crane. He then asked the children to think of their own invention ideas and draw them down. The ideas could be crazy or useful and functional. Dominic asked the children to start by thin...

I can't stand laptop loungers: those who stay in Starbucks all day with their computers plugged in, sipping their obnoxious drink as they write that all-important blog post. This guy is worse. He brought his entire recording studio in the coffee shop and took up a table normally reserved for four people. The photo was posted on Reddit about a week ago, and dmizz says it was taken at a Starbucks in Los Feliz, California.

Fender just launched its first ever line of in-ear headphones, which are targeted for musicians and audiophiles. The headphones include five different models, with the DXA1 being the cheapest of the bunch ($100), and the FXA7 ($500) being the most expensive. It's a bit weird to see the iconic guitar brand stamped on a pair of in-ears, but I'm still curious to give them a try.