gracious/arts

Woolies are created using a technique called needle-felting. In addition to selecting the highest quality pure carded bulk wool from Australia, America and England in various colors, each Woolie is treated to be moth-resistant. To begin, the wool is pressed together or rolled tightly against itself into a basic form. This roughly formed wool is then sculpted into a specific shape with a felting needle.

There are a bunch of poses to choose from.

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These ape-shaped cakes were designed and created by Marked for Dessert, for a party to mark the grand opening of the Regenstein Center for African Apes at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Each ape is hand-carved cake covered in rolled fondant. The bananas and leaves were created from rolled fondant and hand painted for natural coloring.

Artist Steve Manning of topiary art designs makes custom and bespoke feature topiaries and stainless steel topiary frames for gardens designers, landscapers, theme parks, civic amenities, exhibitions, garden shows and event promotions.

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Art Market Watch reports that George Rodrigue's 2000 Blue Dog painting The Path of the Candles, estimated to sell for $80,000, went for $115,000 at Sotheby's "Contemporary Art Mid-Season" sale in New York on Sept. 12, 2007.

"Love Between a Giraffe and a Penguin"

Lights, Camera, Action! Check out how a little "Hollywood" magic allowed a little penguin to roam around the Tennessee Aquarium. You'll be amazed how much hard work went into creating the Aquarium's latest commercial. View the behind the scenes footage of a penguin round-up in this gentoo "spaghetti western".

Although the commercial looks like a penguin `hombre' is walking through the Aquarium and checking out the various exhibits as the new guy in town, he never actually left his exhibit. Sub-Antarctic penguins like gentoos and macaronis must stay in their climate controlled environment, so a special technology was used to give the illusion our black and white buckaroo was wandering around both the River Journey and Ocean Journey buildings.

Watch the commercial.