Look up “gorgeous” in the dictionary and I imagine you will find these Stars by Seb Lester prints (right next to a photo of George Clooney of course.) Sparkling gold ink screen printed by hand on royal or midnight blue paper, the dreamy Van Gogh quote is beautiful from a distance. But, upon closer look, the word stunning doesn’t seem to do justice to Seb’s typography made up of ‘hundreds of thousands of tiny stars’. Limited editions of 100 prints, both colours are sold out which kind of shows that you should never drag your feet when buying art! I will dull the pain by dreaming of a second edition…

(photographs via keep calm gallery)

The On This Day Calendar looks like a geometry and rainbow-happy wall calendar with room for regular ol’ reminders but magic lurks among those handsome shapes. Each day features a black, heat-sensitive square that reveals a historical fact when touched. Once the square cools, the trivia fades away. I’m pretty sure this would brighten any morning and probably make you the hit of the office (if you don’t mind line-ups to fondle your calendar that is…)

(images via luckies)

While there is traditional beauty in black, stainless steel and wood handle knives, I am finding it hard to resist Kuhn Rikon Colori Paring Knives. Love the Kuhn Rikon Mini Cleaver and rather clever Watermelon Knife too. Designed by Swiss designer Philipp Beyeler, they feature unbelievably sharp, non-stick Japanese high carbon steel and ergonomically designed handles. See? Brightly coloured tools and gadgets can have technical chops too! Oh the palettes that could be created with a colourful knife and some vivid fruits and vegetables…

(photographs via kuhn rikon, williams-sonoma, cookworks and sur la table)

I spotted a painting by Santiago Salvador on design for mankind and was instantly smitten. I had to find out more about this intriguing artist. Upon my arrival at Santiago’s Flickr page, I think my head exploded with hue happiness. Holy sublime use of colour and pattern! Santiago has many handsome pieces but it is the collections of vibrant people that I am in love with. I would love to hang that gradient of blue people on my wall. I can’t seem to find much information on Santiago but I’m hoping to dig around and learn more. His fantastic eye for pattern, unique style and exquisite use of a hues makes Santiago one colourful and intriguing artist to watch…

(photographs via santiago salvador)

Is there anything more disturbing than children shoved into adulthood just to sell fashion? Not really. At the opposite end of that spectrum is this great campaign by kicokids. Great concept, styling and colour palette. Giant whimsical sea creature balloons and a dreamy haze creates fantastic fashion photography that is chic yet innocent. I only wish kicokids had an adult line! Well, to be honest, I wouldn’t mind that giant octopus hat or anchor either…

(photographs via kicokids; campaign spotted on designmom)

Curaçao is a brightly hued island country surrounded by the sparkling turquoise of the Southern Caribbean Sea. It recently became an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands but the architecture and design soul of its native country remains a distinct characteristic. In fact, Curaçao is often called Caribbean’s “Little Netherlands”. The neon blue liqueur “curacao” is probably the first thing that comes to mind when the country name is mentioned but aside from insanely bright booze, it is an absolutely stunning country. The island is covered in gorgeous natural hues from uniquely vibrant flowers to a lush green landscape edged with a vibrant blue sea. In addition, the capital city of Willemstad is full of beautiful historical buildings that feature Dutch details and a crayon box’s worth of colourful paint. The cityscape is so unique that UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site. Thank goodness. That means these vibrant shops and homes are here to stay. Curaçao is full of spectacular nature, colourful building and festivals, intriguing history and beaches with dazzling sea vistas. I could post endless pictures and adjectives but the bottom line is that I have a major crush on this colour saturated jewel in the Caribbean Sea!

(photography via infinite magic photography, infinite magic photography, mari ward foster, peter koke, keith delong, pietcur, versgeperst, haroldo castro, dksluis, scout13ca, derpunk, bea moedt, greetje dijkstra, michael from minnesota, syncronaut, haroldo castro, pietcur, soul aperture, syncronaut, derplunk, hawkfish, air farce and duenitas digital world)

Last year, a group of artists/cyclists dumped 500 litres of water-based, environmentally-friendly paint in the busy intersection of Rosenthaler Platz in Berlin. Over 2000 cars served as brushes in this guerilla project and the asphalt canvas quickly became a huge work of colourful street art. I had seen photos of this intriguing event but never the video until this morning when awesome plenty of colour reader Kendra kindly sent me the link. It is fascinating to watch the colour spread and inject joy into a usually boring part of urban life (a favourite theme of mine!). There are probably plenty of civic issues with projects like this but as long as the paint is environmentally-friendly and biodegradable, I personally hope to see this idea pop up again. Hmm. Time to google “organic paint”…

(thanks for the inspiration Kendra!)

(photographs via street files and happy pixels)

Once glance at the work of Australian artist Rebecca Baumann and there was little doubt that she would become my latest colour hero. 100 flip clocks of colour, an outdoor installation of smoke bombs, a 12 kg explosion of confetti – Rebecca’s work embodies the joy of colour. Using tools such as fans and conveyor belts to bring motion to streamers, tinsel and other brightly hued materials, Rebecca is constantly studying colour and movement. I had no idea a thick wall of gold tinsel sounded so beautiful in the wind. Also love the burst of colour brought to Wellington Street Bus Station in Rebecca’s native Perth. I can’t wait to see what the future brings for this brilliant artist and her work. Hey Rebecca, if you ever need someone to cut streamers or test smoke bombs, just let me know!

(photographs via rebecca baumann; more videos on rebecca’s youtube channel)

I love these textile cables by danish designer and artist Rie Elise Larsen. The many bright colour options would look fabulous with a white or black pendant light or in contrast with a heavily patterned hanging light. The textile/fabric look of the cord gives a nice tactile feeling that would look great paired with an industrial piece. Come to think of it, one of these cables would look great with those plumen light bulbs I am similarly obsessed with…

(photographs via rie elise larsen)

Glittering sequins displays in Iceland. I don’t think a string of words has ever made me so happy! Danish/Czech artist Theresa Himmer created these graffiti-like sequin installations in Reykjavik, Iceland. The pieces, inspired by a glacier, volcano and waterfall, add a layer of sparkling dimension to city walls while highlighting the interplay of nature and urban life. The movement of the sequins mimic the beauty of ice, lava and water while recalling “how landscapes respond to changes in wind and light”. Oh and did I mention they are insanely, jaw-droppingly gorgeous? My list of favourite pieces of art ever just got a new addition!

(p.s. for more photographs of beautiful Iceland, take a look at my previous post)

(photography by gunnar tór nilsen and kristinn magnússon; spotted on yatzer)

Love this photograph by Harry Smith. The contrast of a white house and ladder full of balloons is just plain happy-inducing. Wouldn’t this make a unique and modern party decoration?

(photography by harry clark; spotted on eileenede)

I spotted these photographs on the Flickr page of very talented stylist and photographer Imke Klee and was instantly fascinated by the combination of crumpled paper towel texture and vibrant pigment hues. That circular palette of pigment piles is a stunner too. Not sure if this is the start of a bigger project by Imke but I sure hope so! (p.s. take a peek at my Holi post for more colourful powder happiness)

I spotted this fantastic Birds of Australia print by Amy Borrell of Cake With Giants on Creature Comforts yesterday and fell in love. In fact, I nicknamed the birds ‘dapper flappers’ and couldn’t stop imagining the birds around Vancouver sporting similar vibrant accessories. If only the sky was full of such stylish feathered creatures!

(found via creature comforts; photography via cake with giants where you can buy the print)

How beautiful are these slip-cast earthenware tiles by industrial designer Kristina Gerig? It appears they are an exploration project at the moment but I am really hoping they are sold to the general public one day. The chevron shape tiles tessellate in three different ways, creating striking texture and indefinite patterns of white and bright colour. What a gorgeous, one of a kind bathroom or kitchen you could create!

(photographs via kristina gerig; spotted on yellow trace’s pinterest)

I spotted these rings on the Beso Beso website and stopped in my tracks. What is the source of such glimmering, richly saturated hues? It appears to be “sparkling Brazillian semi-precious miniature-crystalline amethyst stones”. That is one stunning shade of magenta. Of course nature is responsible for it! (love the geometric shapes as well…)

(photographs via beso beso; to shop, go here)

As you may already know, I love when magic can be found in the seemingly boring, everyday items and tasks that surround us. That’s why I’m rather fascinated with the work of artist and photographer Alastair Levy. From covering one side of an oak plank with highlighter ink to create a beautiful pink glow when leaned up against a white wall to organizing ballpoint pens into a bold triangle pattern, Alastair is constantly re-imagining and injecting colour into the everyday. Just look at the top right image of his piece ‘Keep Going’. A modern circle of colourful cubes created with what? The peeled off stickers of a Rubik’s Cube. Now that’s re-imagining things!

(photographs via alastair levy and its nice that)