Beißen Gedanken: Mind-Twisting Optical Illusion Paintings

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Mind-Twisting Optical Illusion Paintings

The beautiful and mind-bending illusions in Canadian artist Robert Gonsalves’ paintings have a fun way of twisting your perception and causing you to question what in his paintings, if anything, is real.

Most of his stunning paintings have an unclear boundary between the multiple stories they tell, which forces the viewer to jump back and forth between them – like an optical illusion that changes every time you look at it.

Gonsalves’ interest in art began at an early age, which is why he became comfortable with painting such complex misdirections. He had experience with technique and perspective and architectural art by the age of 12. When he encountered Salvador Dali and Rene Magritte, they clearly left a lasting impact on his amazing paintings as well. Take a look!

More info: Facebook (h/t: Vaalkor)

Even Google Says Live In Peace Love.

Deepak Punjabi

Baguio City

24 Gorgeous Hotel Views from Around the World

Imagine opening up the window and seeing a mile of the ocean, a breathtaking view of the mountains or even the Eiffel Tower in all its glory. You won't believe what these lucky guests see once they roll down the curtains.

1) Jade Mountain, St. Lucia

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2) Corinthia Hotel, London, England

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3) La Sirenuse, Positano, Amalfi Coast, Italy

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4) The Lodge at the Golden Gate, San Francisco

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5) Caesar Augustus Hotel, Anacapri, Italy

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6) The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada

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7) The Omnia, Zermatt, Switzerland

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8) Hotel Hassler Roma, Rome, Italy

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9) Villa la Estancia, Los Cabos, Mexico

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10) Belmond Sanctuary Lodge, Machu Picchu, Peru

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11) Soneva Fushi Resort, Baa Atoll, Maldives

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12) Katikies, Oia, Santorini, Greece

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13) Hôtel Plaza Athénée, Paris, France

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14) Blanket Bay Lodge, New Zealand

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15) Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur, California

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16) The Regent Grand, Turks and Caicos

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17) Selous Safari Camp, Tent Sita, Tanzania

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18) Al Tarfa Desert Sanctuary Lodge, Dakhla Oasis, Egypt

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19) Aman Canal Grande, Venice, Italy

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20) Explora Hotel Salto Chico, Patagonia, Chile

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21) Ambassade Hotel, Amsterdam, Netherlands

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22) Fogo Island Inn, Fogo Island, Newfoundland

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23) Mykonos Blu, Greece

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24) Enchantment Resort, Sedona, Arizona

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H/T: tripstodiscover.com

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We’ve all seen them at one point or another – in a park, at a festival, or practically any place where tourists gather in large numbers. Some of us walk right past them as if they were actual statues while others might stop and stare a while. Eventually, we all end up thinking the same thing – “I could do that!” After all, this has to be the cushiest job in the world. You make money by literally just standing there. What could be easier, right?

Source: World’s Most Amazing Things

Source: World’s Most Amazing Things

As it turns out, being a living statue isn’t really that easy. If you think otherwise, try it for yourself. A living statue will do “solitude” sessions of 30 minutes to an hour followed by a quick 5-minute break and then repeat…and this goes on for several hours at a time. You have to have very good control over your body to do that – knowing how to keep your muscles from cramping up, how to deal with aches and spasms, your bladder, etc. These are issues you need to contend with if you want to be a living statue – or at least one that makes rent.

Levitation is pretty big right now
Source: Panasonic

Living statue or just good timing?
Source: Arnhem

Believe it or not, the living statue world is a highly competitive one. As they make money mainly from tourists, multiple statues will inevitably end up congregating at the same turf. If you want to be the one who gets the tips, you need to find a way to attract the most attention. This is often accomplished through a well-developed costume and persona. You have to let your imagination run wild here, since simply draping yourself from head to toe in silver or gold paint doesn’t get the job done.

Source: WordPress

Source: Helmink Fotografie

That said, upward mobility does exist, and the pay isn’t absolutely terrible: if you do the job well, you can earn up to $300 a day. For the living statue elite, it’s possible to abandon the streets and enter swanky corporate galas. Companies will often hire living statues and rent them out for corporate gigs, promotions and other events. The work is more lucrative than busking and you generally don’t have to worry about idiots groping or tickling you or whatever else they might do to get you to move.

Contrary to popular belief, these organizations don’t hire people to remain absolutely motionless for as long as possible. If this is what they wanted, they’d get an actual statue. The goal is for the statues to make subtle movements and gestures so as to be almost unnoticeable. It’s all in the timing.

Professional statues at the US Open
Source: Party Productions NYC

Source: Smash Party Entertainment

If you are a living statue or intrigued by the prospect of becoming one, there is only one place for you – Arnhem, Netherlands. Every year, towards the end of summer (this year in September), it hosts the World Living Statue Festival complete with the World Championship of Living Statues. Hundreds of statues and thousands more visitors attend each year, so it’s the perfect place to get noticed. There is also an Amateur group for those of you just starting out, as well as one for kids. Afterwards all the living statues take part in a massive parade through the city.