Frost on Glass: Ice Flower Art

When a pane of glass is exposed to very cold air on the outside while inside the air is reasonably moist, frost can form.  Known as ice flowers or fern frost, it is remarkable for the intricate patterns it creates.  The surface of the glass influences the way that the ice is formed so that the first process of crystallization, known as nucleation, is randomized.  The patterns, then, are almost infinite in variety.  Science aside, ice flowers are a source of wonder, things of elegance and beauty.  They are nature’s art at its most exquisite.

Image Credit Flickr User MarkyBon

Odd Bird

Clark is gay but he hasn’t told his conservative family (comprising of mom and his very, very big brother).  When he was younger, he created a comic book to help escape – The Adventures of Odd Bird.  A promising artist, a publisher has expressed an interest in publishing it and Clark must make the journey home to retrieve the document. Yet lots of things have changed for him and he decides it is time to come out to his family.  With his heart in his mouth, Clark prepares to come out to his family...

Written and created by Katey Dore of Crafty Short Films, Odd Bird stars Michael Varde, Betsy Moore and Jacob Peacock.  Most of the action of this film takes place at Circle-J Ranch.  And I’m just  going to leave that there without any explanation. If you know, you know. If you don't, you don't need to.

Watch Odd Bird below:

Mesofaune

Some stories are epic in scale – and so indeed is Mesofaune.  A lone captain, scarred by years of battle against a huge swamp beast, navigates his ship through a murky quagmire.  His quarry is elusive and he must use every item at his disposal in his ruthless pursuit of revenge.  There are definite shades of Moby Dick here and the battle scenes are quite simply amazing. Please make sure that you watch this to the end for a remarkable twist in the tale.  It is not so much deus ex machina but rather deus est machina.  If you know your Latin, that might just be a spoiler. If not – watch away!

This remarkable animated short was created by ARTFX, the International School of Cinema, 2D & 3D Animation, Visual Effects (VFX), Video Games, Programming and Fine Arts in France.  The crew of the film included Louis Cresson, Alexandre Gauch, Maxime Guedon, Léo Kobisch, Yanis Laserre, Morgane Mongendre, and Romain Pautre.

Her Song

Astonishingly beautiful and heart-rendingly poignant, Her Song is not the usual animated short that we feature on Kuriositas.  A young girl visits her grandmother and over a cup of tea their conversation leads to a revelation – a secret never to be told, as it were.  Exquisitely animated, this extraordinary piece of art harkens back to a somewhat bleak time in Irish history (not so long ago) when unmarried pregnant women were forced into Mother and Baby homes, often with tragic results.

Directed by Éabha Bortolozzo and Jack Kirwan, Her Song was produced by Greg Connolly with Radii Animation and features performances by Brenda Fricker and Nicola Coughlan. The film’s evocative atmosphere is enriched by an original music composition from Matilda O'Mahony and Rachel O'Grady.  If you are not often taken aback by something, give this award winning animation a go.

Watch Her Song below.

The Trift Bridge: The Longest Pedestrian Suspension Bridge in the Swiss Alps

Climbers have to be fit and healthy to even reach Trift Bridge.  Yet once they get there they must be in possession of other qualities.  It is the longest pedestrian-only suspension bridge in the Swiss Alps and even the sight of it can render some people weak at the knees. It is 330 feet (100 meters) above the floor of the valley and a staggering 560 (170 meters) in length. Climbing mountains is one thing: clambering across them on a skinny bridge with a yawning chasm below is another feat entirely.

This is only the second bridge to be situated in this dazzlingly beautiful valley landscape.  In 2004 an enormous hydroelectric plant was built below the Trift Glacier.  The plant collected and controlled the run off from the glacier (yes, a whole plant just for the run off).  A bridge was needed to access the power plant below the glacier and so this precariously positioned structure was built.  Inevitably, the bridge attracted people who wanted to cross it simply for the thrill, rather than for reasons of employment.