Some of my favourite’s from last night’s 4th Annual Harbord St. Pumpkin Festival.

Tennessee artist Herb Williams has been commissioned to construct 3-D flames out of 60,000 to 70,000 Crayola crayons that melt and warp under the raging Texas sun. Blazes have become a very serious threat in Texas this year, as the state endures its worst drought in history. Unwanted Visitor: Portrait of Wildfire opened October 7 to educate the public about the rising issues of wildfires.

The Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera was invented by a German computer engineer, Jonas Pfeil. It allows the user to explore a full representation of the captured environment (see a demo video). The ball’s 36 cell phone cameras capture the panorama, which is stitched together afterwards on a computer. I can’t wait to see this device on the market, which could be available for around $100.

A recent road trip took me up through the swaths of Muskoka where I was lucky enough to catch our great Canadian autumn in full swing. Aside from from the highlights of seeing a train with hand-painted “Warning” instructions, countless inukshuks, and a meandering black bear, driving along the #17 was the perfect setting for soaking in the oranges, reds, and yellows of fall against the charcoal greys and browns of the rocks.

Simply great.

Steve Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011), illustration by Tammy Yiu

One of many (too many) things to tackle during tomorrow Nuit Blanche in Toronto:

Rocky Railway High an Interactive Art Project for the symbolic return of the Chinese railway workers to Guangdong, China, their homeland (an important Chinese custom at the time).

Between 1881 – 1884, about 15,000 Chinese laborers from the southern Province of Guangdong were hired to build the most treacherous part of the Canadian Pacific Railway in British Columbia. Over 5,000 Chinese railway workers perished during the job. It’s a part of Canadian history that affects us all but yet is not widely known or acknowledged (the Canadian government only officially apologized five years ago).

This project aims to collect 5,000 submissions (roughly one for each worker who died) that is currently exhibiting in Toronto, will exhibit in Vancouver and then will be brought to China to be buried as a symbolic homecoming for the workers. The submissions will also be digitally archived not only on the project website but also at UBC and a museum in Kamloops, BC.

We designed these postcards for Rocky Railway High so that Canadians (both young and old) across the country would be able to learn about the cause, and also contribute to the interactive art project by drawing within the shingle-shape on the reverse.

Friends in Toronto, you can fill in a postcard (it’ll only take a couple of minutes!) tomorrow sometime during Nuit Blanche at  Red Head Gallery (401 Richmond Street West, Suite 115). If you won’t be out clawing your way through the crowds, you can contribute from home as well – but a simple contribution for the incredible sacrifices made for our fair country.

Over the past few weeks, we have been working on the redesign for Canadian Spirit Down Wear’s newest website. The website features their newest fall/winter collection, classic styled outerwear in a wide variety of colours for men and women. Check out more of the collection at  CANADIAN SPIRIT DOWNWEAR.

This elevator is a last remnant from when the former Macy’s warehouse building which obliviously catered to a more artsy clientele. Next trip to New York I will defiantly be making the trip out to Queens to see this for my self.

As sad-faced students wrap up the first month of school season, I, instead, celebrated my return to school. (With that said, my joyful return did not involve homework, droopy lunches, and only lasted a weekend). A couple of dear friends and I drove up to spend the weekend at an old 19th-century schoolhouse in the Ontario countryside, and it was refreshing to take in the fresh air and colours as summer turned to fall. Blue, green, and shots of red – perhaps a new favourite colourlovers combo for me!