Florida State University research scientist, Michael Davidson, combined alcohol and microphotography to come up with the imagery you see below – a microscopic print of chablis.

What started as nerdy slides has turned into quite a little business called Bevshots Microart. The images are made by first crystallizing the drink of choice on a lab slide. Using a standard light microscope with an attached camera, the light source is polarized and passed through the crystal, which creates the bright array of colors. What I love about this is the relationship between a favorite drink versus a favorite image. I might be drawn to the aesthetics of one drink while my actual tastes appeal to something else. It’s also a fun gift idea for a relative who considers themselves a connoisseur of one type of alcohol. For this reason, my grandma Beverly might just receive the print below as she considers herself a connoisseur of vodka (no need to point out that her specialty is cheap vodka).

There’s even an iPhone app so you can explore the drinks while sipping them at your favorite bar.

With the ever changing and improving world of technology, Bevshots is just one example of the rising interest in digital art. A few weeks along, former IMA blogger Noelle Pulliam sent me an article on David Hockney’s instant iPad art. The artist began creating works on his iPad to send to friends and within weeks there was more than a nice little collection.

While the images, like the flowers above, are really nice, I can’t help but wonder if I would miss the texture that comes with paint on a canvas. There was also an immediate problem Hockney faced with how to display his work. The solution, as you can see in the video, was a series if iPads along an exhibition wall.

I’m sure there are many who would argue against the artistic value of iPad art and most certainly the artistic value of Bevshots. However, Hockney’s description of capturing an early morning sunrise more effectively with his iPad than he could with a pencil and paper is very intriguing.

While this method would certainly save a lot of time and cleanup hassle for artists like Hockney, digital art is also commonly practiced by many who are not making a career as artists. Kris Arnold pointed out his post, Making fake HDR images in Adobe Lightroom, that the new iPhones will produce stunning HDR images and I know several friends who are snapping very nice photos with their phones. Plus, there are all sorts of camera apps you can download to easily modify and stylize your photos. A professional photographer and friend of mine even joked the other day that she might start specializing in iPhone photography because she was so happy with a photo she captured using her phone.

Have any of you captured a really great photo on your phone or created your own iPad masterpiece? Upload your digital masterpieces to our Digital Art Flickr group.

Wordwide Womenswear Digest – WWWWD is a webzine draped in a satiny attire that some people call the Onion of fashion news. I call it the perfect prescription for costume curators down in basements, FIT dropouts turned librarians, and a childhood friend of mine that is about to pop out of Parsons. Way to go, Jon! Thanks to local fashion blogs Haute in the Heartland and ballcaps and neckties for the tip.

Amazing iPhone Art – I’m amazed.

$20 Per Gallon – A soon to be released book by a senior writer at Forbes named Christopher Steiner. The full title, $20 Per Gallon: How the Inevitable Rise in the Price of Gasoline Will Change Our Lives has stirred the green in me and makes me wonder what a sharp rise in energy prices would do to the museum world. Can’t wait for it to hit the library.

Theo Jansen – Here’s an artist that could probably help out in an energy crisis. I’m thinking a commission from a kinetic sculptor with a penchant for wind power would look really good next to an Energy Star certification. Check out one of Theo’s amazing wind powered creations on YouTube.

Monday Music – “The Strangers” by St. Vincent. Apparently, I have a thing for saints.\”The Strangers\” by St. Vincent