Have you ever been honored for an especially great tweet? Few people have, but Twitter user @edgette22 recently made a discovery that earned him a prize. In mid October, he revealed what we had all missed about the fried chicken purveyor KFC; it turns out that they only follow 11 people—five Spice Girls and six guys named Herb. The restaurant is known for their “blend of 11 herbs and spices,” so this call out to their brand was a very clever marketing strategy.

The tale of @edgette22 and KFC doesn’t end there. To reward the Twitter user for solving this mystery, KFC commissioned a special painting for him. It features @edgette22 piggybacking on Colonel Sanders with a drumstick in hand. Together, they appear to be on a grand outdoor adventure. The artwork was sent directly to @edgette22, contained in an opulent gold frame and all. Of receiving the work, he tweeted his response (along with photos proving it’s real). “Dreams DO come true,” @edgette22 wrote.“#GiddyUpColonel.”

The painting, while amusing, was also a promotion for the restaurant chain. Advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy was the brains behind this work; they’re known for creating other funny advertisement images for KFC, like a romance novella called Tender Wings of Desire. In May 2017, the firm’s Portland branch created the 96-page story as well as a book cover to go along with it—one that was done in the same artistic style as @edgette22’s gift.

Twitter user @edgette22 revealed something about KFC’s Twitter account that we all missed.

.@KFC follows 11 people.

Those 11 people? 5 Spice Girls and 6 guys named Herb.

11 Herbs & Spices. I need time to process this.

— Edge (@edgette22) October 19, 2017

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KFC wasted no time in rewarding @edgette22 on his revelation:

Dreams DO come true. #GiddyUpColonel

Thanks @kfc http://pic.twitter.com/a4skf7MIB4

— Edge (@edgette22) November 4, 2017

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Here’s a better look at the epic gift, which turned out to double as a funny advertisement by Wieden + Kennedy.

Wieden + Kennedy: Website
h/t: [Reddit]

All images via @edgette22.

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When we first stumbled upon fine art photographer Denis Cherim‘s Coincidence Project, we marveled at his ability to keenly observe how natural elements align in interesting ways. As the ongoing project continues to move forward, Cherim has further refined his ability to pick out the delightful, curious—and often unobserved—coincidences that swirl around us daily.

Cherim first conceived the Coincidence Project almost 5 years ago. What began as a 365 diary project transformed into something special. After a year of shooting, the photographer noticed that his personal vision of the world was demonstrating something quite curious. Opening his eyes up to the coincidences that surround us, Cherim is able to keep the project going and is currently completing a residency at the Pier-2 Art Center of Kaohsiung in Taiwan.

“I want people to see that even the things which seem banal or meaningless in our daily life can become extraordinary,” the photographer tells My Modern Met via email. “The coincidences are around us, but we need to be willing to see them. I want to show people new places inside their own cities where they can escape and enjoy like they visit them for the first time.”

Playing with the light and lines of our urban environments isn’t something that many people take the time to do. In fact, Cherim is often met with strange stares as passersby try to decipher why he is photographing something that is conventionally “boring” or “ugly.” By exposing these elements and framing them through his artistry, he forces viewers to reconsider how they examine public spaces.

The fruit of his artistic labor in Taiwan will be exhibited at the end of his residency as the Kaohsiung Coincidence Project. Cherim hopes this will be the start of Coincidence Project iterations in different cities and countries around the world, allowing him to peel back the layers of more global environments.

Denis Cherim’s Coincidence Project is an ongoing fine art photography series where the photographer pulls out the beauty of natural, everyday coincidences that often go unobserved.

Denis Cherim: Website | Facebook | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Denis Cherim.

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Art dealer, author, and BBC presenter Philip Mould makes the painstaking process of art restoration look easy with his hypnotic set of Twitter videos documenting the restoration of a 17th-century painting. Working with quick precision, it’s magical to watch as he wipes away centuries of dirt and grime, revealing the gleaming oil paint beneath the yellowed surface.

We don’t know much about the painting itself, other than it’s from 1618 and that the mysterious “lady in red” was 36-years-old at the time of the portrait. In the video clips, Mould is stripping the protective varnish that is applied to shield paintings from wear, but that often yellows over time. This particular painting’s varnish dates back 200 years. And while it’s not uncommon for restorers to strip and reseal paintings to return them to their original colors, one only need to remember the botched restoration of a painting in Spain—which turned a portrait of Jesus into a monkey—to realize that this work takes skill.

It’s unclear what chemicals Mould uses in his videos, though turpentine is often used along with other solvents to ensure the agent doesn’t eat through the painting. Adept restorers are a mix of art historians and chemists, examining a painting closely to determine the type of varnish and what agent will work best to dissolve it. Using test patches, they will see which chemicals work best to melt the yellowed layers of varnish, releasing the clear, brilliant colors below.

While we anxiously await the final results of Mould’s work, take a look at the painting prior to restoration and more clips of his brilliant work as he brings the 17th-century artwork back to life.

BBC presenter Philip Mould is capturing the remarkable transformation of a 17th-century painting as it undergoes restoration to remove its yellowed varnish.

A remarkable Jacobean re-emergence after 200 years of yellowing varnish 1/2 http://pic.twitter.com/yBGNGDcNd7

— Philip Mould (@philipmould) November 6, 2017

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After his first video was a hit, Mould has continued to document the painting’s transformation via Twitter.

2/2 ….still a way to go, but what a transformation! http://pic.twitter.com/nyGx3qdhOZ

— Philip Mould (@philipmould) November 6, 2017

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A last smear from the chin removed. I will post an image of the completed picture as soon as it is ready. http://pic.twitter.com/K7TSl2XdqE

— Philip Mould (@philipmould) November 6, 2017

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Brilliant colors and hidden details that could be used to help identify the “lady in red” continue to emerge—like these small details on her dress—as the painting restoration moves forward.

Small area of her astonishingly elaborate dress revealed. We dont know identity yet but certain iconographic clues are staring to emerge…. http://pic.twitter.com/2p1VqN79na

— Philip Mould (@philipmould) November 6, 2017

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A look at the painting prior to cleaning shows just how muddied the colors looked under the 200-year-old varnish.

In response to those wanting sight of the uncleaned image of the #womaninred. All we know is she is 36 and it was painted 1618 (inscription) http://pic.twitter.com/3k8GYxvyJK

— Philip Mould (@philipmould) November 7, 2017

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Philip Mould: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
h/t: [Sploid]

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Five-year-old Sophia Chiappalone has gone through more medical procedures than many adults. Born with a heart defect, the preschooler has, so far, endured three open-heart surgeries with another one scheduled for mid-November. But before that procedure takes place, she had made a wish to her mom, Kristy Somerset-Chiappalone—the little girl wanted to marry her childhood sweetheart, 6-year-old Hunter Laferriere.

Kristy didn’t keep this dream a secret. She told Hunter’s mom, Tracy, who then told her son, who accepted the girl’s roundabout proposal. “He’d do anything to make her happy,” Tracy explained. “She always agrees to play Mario with him, so I think he’d happily marry her. They have a chemistry that’s magnetic, it’s adorable to watch.”

To make Sophia’s dream a reality, Tracy got her best friend and photographer, Marisa Balletti-Lavoie of Sassy Mouth Photography, to capture the special event. The mock nuptial has all the trappings of a grown-up wedding photo shoot; Sophia is wearing a beautiful gown and carrying a bouquet of fresh flowers, and the kids pose together like a couple in love, exchanging kisses on the cheek. But, Marisa didn’t forget their age and also shows them playing on a playground and throwing leaves at one another.

Sophia has had to fight for her life from the day she was born. She has a genetic defect where there’s no connection between her heart and pulmonary arteries, which ensures that blood flows to the lungs. Just one day after she was born, she had open-heart surgery; the procedure is something she’ll have to have throughout her life.

The photo shoot was bittersweet for Sophia’s mom. “I teared up watching her get all dressed up,” Kristy recalled. “I was terrified once again, like so many other milestones and events, that this may be the only time I see my baby in a wedding dress, that her miracles and time would run out before that day.”

Sophia’s family is currently raising money for her past and future treatments via GoFundMe.

Five-year-old Sophia Chiappalone was born with a heart condition, and she’s already gone through three open-heart surgeries.

Before her upcoming fourth surgery, she had one wish: marry six-year-old Hunter Laferriere…

… and they did it! (Sort of.) Marisa Balletti-Lavoie of Sassy Mouth Photography staged a mock wedding shoot for the childhood sweethearts.

Sophia dressed in white and carried a bouquet of flowers…

… but there was still plenty of time to play in the leaves…

… and even the playground!

Sassy Mouth Photography: Website | Facebook | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Sassy Mouth Photography.

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What was once a humble cup of joe has now been elevated to a fine art, and buying for a coffee lover can be difficult when there’s so much to choose from. Thankfully, we’ve curated over a dozen coffee-themed gifts to wake up your favorite sleepyhead on Christmas morning.

Everyone knows someone who can’t function without coffee and we’ve got something for every type of caffeine fiend. We’ve got wearables, including diehard “coffee for life” sweaters and sterling silver coffee bean necklaces; creative culinary options, like a 3D latte maker and a grow-your-own coffee plant kit; or something more novel, such as coffee body scrub to awaken the senses or a heat-sensitive color-changing mug. We’ve even got an R2-D2 coffee press for the ultimate coffee nerd in your life. Not to mention the “strongest coffee in the world” for those who like to live life on the edge.

Looking for the perfect gift for the coffee lover in your life? Check out our list of 15+ coffee-themed gifts.

Heat Sensitive Color Changing Mug

“Coffee For Life” Sweater

Concrete Coffee Maker

Sterling Silver Coffee Bean Necklace

Monthly Coffee Subscription

Cold Brew Coffee Maker

Framed “Pretty Coffee Cups” Art Print

Grow Your Own Aromatic Arabica Coffee Plant Kit

Design-Your-Own: Crystal Mug

3D Latte Maker

The World’s Strongest Coffee

Coffee Face and Body Scrub

“Coffee, First” Tote Bag

Star Wars R2-D2 Coffee Press

“Espresso Patronum” T-Shirt

“Drink Coffee & Do All The Things” Enamel Pin

Coffee Grinder

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Most of us spend a good portion of our lives thinking you can only get a good look at the moon through a high-powered telescope, but technology continues to prove us wrong, as NASA places stunning images from its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter for the public to view and process.

Orbiting Earth’s moon since 2009, there’s plenty of material to dig through and when Seán Doran (a master of processing raw NASA images) got hold of the images, he created something incredible—a 100-megapixel moon photograph. Doran, whose Flickr is filled with lush imagery of Jupiter, the Earth, Pluto, Saturn, and more, wove together a mosaic of moon photos into an unparalleled high-resolution image.

There’s not space here for the full 10,000 pixel by 10,000 pixel moon photo, but click through to grab it and behold the wonder of the mammoth image. So, how’d he do it? Phil Plaith explains that “LRO WAC images have a resolution of about 100 meters [328 feet] per pixel over a swath of about 60 km [37 miles] of lunar surface (using what’s called the pushbroom technique, similar to how a flatbed scanner works).”

The images are usually taken straight down, so in order to get the moon’s globe shape, Doran needed to take the images and map them onto a sphere using altimeter data. The results allow us to zoom into the moon’s velvety surface and observe the rich detail of the craters and grooves that dot its surface. And for some extra fun, Doran also uploaded the image to Gigapan, which lets you quickly zip across the image.

This 100-megapixel moon photograph is a mosaic of NASA images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, and a quick zoom shows the incredible detail of its surface.

Seán Doran: Flickr | Twitter
h/t: [Kottke]

All images via NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University / Seán Doran.

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The premier composer of the classical era, Mozart has inspired artists for centuries. From inspiring films to literature, the public has always been fascinated by the composer’s life and times. So, there’s nothing more appealing than the thought of hearing Mozart’s music played on the original instrument where they were composed.

And that’s where Robert Levin comes in. The acclaimed classical performer and composer is an expert in Mozart. In fact, he’s even reconstructed or completed several unfinished works by the 18th-century composer. Currently, Levin is the first Hogwood Fellow at the Academy of Ancient Music and, as part of his fellowship, is embarking on a special project. He’ll be recording Mozart’s music played on Mozart’s pianoforte. Yes, the original.

The pianoforte dates circa 1782 and was used by the musical genius for composing and performing up until his death in 1791. Made in Vienna by famed piano maker Anton Walter, the pianoforte is two octaves shorter than a modern piano and is much lighter and smaller. It weighs just 187 pounds and measures 7.3 feet long. The pianoforte is now in Salzburg, at Mozart’s house, which has been turned into a museum.

For Levin, it’s a thrilling opportunity to play the instrument Mozart used to compose over 50 pieces. “The voyage and discovery of playing on period instruments is to move in a world—physical, emotional and aesthetic—that is inhabited by the geniuses that wrote this music. It brings us very, very close to them,” Levin shared.

Take a listen as Levin plays Mozart’s light and lyrical Sonata No. 17 in B flat major KV 570 and discusses the magic of playing on the composer’s own instruments. Then, if you want to dive further into Mozart, there are more than half a million classical music scores available free online or, if you enjoy Levin’s artistry, we suggest his 2000 recording of Mozart’s Piano Concertos No. 5, 14, 16.

Ever wonder what Mozart’s music sounded like on his original pianoforte? Watch this video of Robert Levin and find out.

h/t: [Open Culture]

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Being in a long-term relationship with someone isn’t all about grand romantic gestures. If you live together, it’s also about experiencing the minutiae of everyday life—both its ups and downs. Illustrator Yehuda Devir captures these moments with a biting wit in his relationship comics called One of Those Days. The ongoing series showcases him and his wife Maya as they coexist for better and sometimes hilariously worse. Even when they’re annoying one another, however, it’s clear that Devir’s drawings are all in good fun and ultimately demonstrate the love that these two people have for one another.

Using dynamic lines and a comic book-esque style, Devir chronicles small day-to-day interactions that we wouldn’t normally give another thought. Whether that’s Maya getting her stray hair everywhere or they’re both feeling too lazy to move, the illustrations show even the dullest moments with an astounding energy; with the bold color and exaggerated poses, it each scene appears to jump off your screen and come alive.

One of Those Days is now being made into a book that’s available for pre-order through Devir’s online shop.

Illustrator Yehuda Devir showcases everyday moments with his wife in funny relationship comics.

Yehuda Devir: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Patreon

My Modern Met granted permission to use images by Yehuda Devir.

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Many parents will tell you that their children grow up at a startling rate and that you should treasure every moment. No one more so than Dutch film maker, photographer, and father Frans Hofmeester who—over the course of 18 years—regularly captured those precious moments from his children’s lives, from baby to adolescent to young adult. From his captivating time-lapse videos, he explains, “the viewer can observe one of the most mysterious and profound processes in human life – to grow up and age.”

He began shooting short footage of his daughter Lotte every week since the day she was born in 1999. Hofmeester explains, “She was changing at such a rapid pace, that I felt the need to document the way she looked, to keep my memories intact.” After twelve years of filming her, he started doing the same with his son Vince. By splicing his years of footage together to create two time-lapse videos, viewers are able to watch his children grow up in less than six minutes.

Filming every Saturday morning, Hofmeester would ask his children about their week, or what they did at school. Hofmeester was able to keep the background consistent, thanks to a white baby blanket. However, his subjects moods were more difficult to control. Hofmeester admits that “sometimes they did not feel like it.” Both videos display a range of human emotion from happy and cheeky to sleepy and grumpy. Lotte’s video is sweet and shy, while Vince’s is more playful and mischievous, showing him pulling faces at the camera.

Hofmeester released the YouTube video, entitled Portrait of Lotte, 0 to 18 years on Lotte’s 18th birthday—October 28, 2017. Since then, his time-lapses videos have generated over 67 million views, and have attracted over 100 million viewers across multiple social platforms. Scroll down to watch the videos.

Watch Frans Hofmeester’s captivating time-lapse video of his daughter Lotte growing up from 0 to 18 years old.

Watch his son Vince grow up from 0 to 14 years old in just over four minutes.

Frans Hofmeester: Website | Twitter | YouTube

All images via Frans Hofmeester.

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Last year we introduced you to the surreal architectural wire sculptures of Barcelona-based David Moreno. Describing his process as “drawing with sculpture,” his 3D works made from wire mimic scribbly line drawings. Continuing this technique, Moreno’s latest pieces are inspired by grand cathedral doorways and staircases.

Starting out as frantic cross-hatched sketches, Moreno uses hundreds of steel rods and piano wire in varying lengths to create his surreal architectural scenes. The overlapping material is welded together to mimic their free-hand pencil origins. Hanging on gallery walls or from the ceiling, Moreno’s pieces are often lit by spotlights, which create long, soft shadows that contrast with the hard vertical lines. This effect provides even greater depth to the “micro-atmospheres” he creates.

Fragile, floating staircases—painted in silver and gold—connect intriguing doorways to unknown lands. To Moreno, these connections signify bonds in human relationships: he sees human energy as a series of interconnected lines.

Moreno’s work has been exhibited around the world, including Istanbul’s Contemporary International Art Fair. You can explore more of Moreno’s surreal wire worlds on Instagram.

Artist David Moreno turns architectural pencil sketches into 3D wire sculptures.

Floating staircases connect cathedral doorways to unknown worlds.

David Moreno: Instagram | Behance

All images via David Moreno.

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