Watchman's Note

This is a journey to the best designs in the world of Zazzle.com. Handpicked and presented (along with my own artwork) by yours truly, the driving force behind Surreality designs. We'll discover great artists and special products -mostly with a taste for the eccentric. But let us not confine ourselves in specific genres: the possibilities are endless and so is the great art one can find at Zazzle.
Showing posts with label Japan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Japan. Show all posts

3/25/2011

Radioactive days


Our eyes and hopes are focused on Japan and the stricken but courageous Japanese people that face yet another danger: the nuclear crisis at Fukushima. There is a race against time going on and I'm optimistic that they will succeed in avoiding further disaster. The situation is still considered grave but they have begun injecting freshwater into the reactor cores.

Unfortunately,  three workers of the plant were exposed to highly radioactive water (two of them are in hospital for treatment). This brings back the memory of the heroes of Chernobyl, the workers that sacrificed their own lives to keep their fellow human beings as safe as possible. Let's pray they are the last martyrs of such a disaster.

The aftermath of Fukushima may well be that there's no such thing as a free meal for our energy hunger: nuclear power is, once again, highly criticized and people started talking fervently about the benefits of pollution-free sources of energy.

In the meantime, the emissions of radioactive iodine and caesium are reaching levels approaching those of the Chernobyl accident. This is a matter of worldwide importance and there aren't any superheroes to save us from our choices and the monsters they have evoked.

3/22/2011

Help Japan heal


This cracked rising sun covered with an adhesive bandage is my donated design to the Japan Relief products. The artists offer their royalties and Zazzle offers a matching donation for every item purchased. The money goes to Japanese Red Cross.


Hundreds of designs are offered and you'll find something that suits your taste. Let's all help alleviate some of the pain caused by the disasters that hit Japan.

3/17/2011

Zazzle's Japan Relief t-shirt


Countless people are struggling with the after effects of the tragedy that has befallen Japan. The whole world feels the sorrow of the Japanese people and tries to assist them in their continuing efforts to overcome the hardships.
Zazzle is making it's part:
For every one of Zazzle's official Japan Relief t-shirts sold, $10 of the proceeds will be given to the Japanese Red Cross to help with their aid efforts.
You could also check the numerous designs created and offered by the zazzle community, by visiting the Community Donated Products store. The royalties from all those products will, too, be donated to the Japanese Red Cross.

3/07/2011

A breath of fresh air from Japan


Nothing strange or unusual about this poster. It's just that... I like it! I really like the fish streamers that blow in the wind, leaving an airy feeling of open space. The fish are carps, emblems of the father, mother and son, emblems of Tango no Sekku festival (the Japanese Children's Day national holiday, originally intended to celebrate young boys but now icluding both genders). Mount Fuji on the background sets the place and completes the image.
A joyful design from the hands of Kyou Miyabi, an artist from Kyoto who excels in Japanese and Otaku themes.

2/19/2011

Enter the octagon


A traditional Japanese octagonal element gets revamped and becomes the latest my Retropop series -Nihon is the casual term for Japan.


A strong, bold black and white symbol surrounded by pink. Somehow, it reminds me of something from a martial arts movie: the color and the floral element inside don't seem to water down the power radiated from the octagon.


A balanced, beautiful design, offered on many products in the Octagon Nihon line.

12/15/2010

Judo power


The point of view of this drawing and the form of the two fighting judokas contrast surprisingly well with the colored squares. This is a great hoodie, not only for the fans of Judo (did you know that the word means "Gentle way"? I didn't!), but for everyone who loves inventive and powerful apparel design.
I found this gem in General Bat, along a small selection of mainly Judo-related stuff.

3/14/2010

Catch a cloud

"On a sunny day we could go cycling together. Maybe catch ourselves a cloud or two... What do you say?"

There is a certain relaxing feeling, a feeling of open spaces and of having all the time in the world. This is the feeling I get from this postcard from Matasaburo, the store of Japanese artist Matasabu. A serene, soothing design that is both strange and calm.

10/04/2009

The sketching hand and Sherlock


In a time when digital designing is the norm, supreme hand-drawing craftsmanship stands out as both remarkable and exciting. Russell Stutler is a great artist and it is no surprise that his exquisite sketches overshadow his -interesting- vector designs. In this mug you can find the perfect gift for an artist friend or yourself. It depicts both a right and a left hand.
Let's look at another one of his drawings. Sherlock Holmes fans are sure to get pleasantly surprised by this well-studied ground plan of 221B Baker Street:
221B Baker Street Annotated print
221B Baker Street Annotated by Russell_Stutler
Browse other fine art prints available on zazzle.com

It's definitely a must-have for Sherlock-heads and a tour-de-force of Russell Stutler's talent. If you would like to see more of his artistic abilities, check out this formidable collection of coloured sketches of Japan. They will leave you craving for more, and more can be found in R.Stuttler's page . You may find yourself staying there for hours!
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