California-based artist Amandalynn paints canvases, motorcycles, and murals, but her current exhibition, “move A head” at West Hollywood’s Carmichael Gallery has put the street artist into a uniquely naturalistic context. Last Saturday, Amandalynn’s nymph-like ladies — which can frequently be spotted around town as part of murals by boys like Saber and Revok — were paired with the floral art of L.A.’s Renee Fontana, creating an organic/manufactured environment that mashed bright paint with leafy bursts of shrubbery (man I love that word). We didn’t make it to the opening, but pictures we’ve spotted since are making us turn wistful gazes towards the West coast. So if you call that area home, get thee to La Brea Avenue.

Today is the first day of August, but that doesn't mean we can't blog about snow globes, right? These aren't just any snow globes — they’re more like a really cool art project by Spanish-American couple Walter Martin and Palmoa Munoz. They feel a bit like a David Lynch film about a never-ending world of winter, depicting emotional and sometimes fantastic scenes of creatures and humans interacting with the climate. Some of their globes are up for viewing at the George Adam's Gallery in New York as a part of the “COOL” exhibition, and they've also just given an interview to Ping Magazine. Enjoy the rest of your summer and have a look at their globes to be reminded of the grime winter that awaits us.

Alldaybuffet, Aww Sweet, and Good Wood are throwing a charity auction for the Stoked Mentoring Program. The 50 items up for grabs (which are currently on display at 3rd Ward in Williamsburg, Brooklyn until August 10th) feature deck designs from respected artists in the skate community like Mike Perry and Nathan Fox. Proceeds from the final sale price of each go towards the non-profit organization that coaches at-risk kids in action sports like surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding. We’re on board with that. (Groan.)

Today, Virgin Galactic, the newest arm of the Virgin Group, rolled out the WhiteKnight II (WK2) mothership at the Mojave Air and Space Port and we had a chance to be a part of it. Guests checked in at the south hanger at LAX and were taken to the desert on a new member of the Virgin America fleet, aptly named “My Other Ride Is A Spaceship.” When we landed, we were taken into the Scaled Composites hanger where we were introduced to an all-star cast including lead engineers, Galactic pilots, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, a local Congressman, and fire and police chiefs. All of sudden a loud female voice started counting down and the hanger doors parted. The bright California sun shone through the white curtains and, as you are about to make out the shape of a plane, they dropped unveiling a large, unique looking aircraft. Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson and aeronautical pioneer Burt Rutan are hanging out the windows waving at the crowd. They held a fun Q&A panel which reiterated Virgin’s goals for developing space travel — namely, advancement in space travel must be started in the private sector and Virgin hopes to be the catalyst to spur more development with the launch of Galactic. Here are some fun facts about the new spacecraft and program:

• WK2 is the first 100% composite aircraft (including the control cables, using a proprietary design), which makes it lightweight, more fuel efficient, and safer. No bolts are required and fatigue is not an issue.

• Though WK2 can fly and launch SpaceShipTwo (SS2) higher in the atmosphere, the air up there is so thin that it’s difficult for SpaceShipTwo to get the left it needs to reach sub-orbit. So instead, it will launch SS2 at the same altitude WK1 did, which is about 48,000 feet.

• They are starting a pilot exchange program where select Virgin America pilots can enter a rigorous training program and fly for the Galactic group.

• Lucky members of their frequent flier program, EleVAte, may win seats on a future Galactic flight

• The main spaceport will be in New Mexico, with talks of new locations in Sweden, Spain (Barcelona), northern Scotland (British airspace), and Australasia.

• The captive carry capabilities of WK2 are improved over the first iteration, theoretically allowing it to carry a pod that could launch a traveler to the moon.

• The passenger cabin for SS2 is very large to allow passengers room to move around. It currently has eight seats (two pilots, six passengers) but could accommodate two additional riders.

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Spiegelworld, located at Pier 17 in New York, is a traveling venue that launches its annual concert series August 10th. This year they are starting things off with a bang with cabaret legends Meow Meow and Justin Bond. The facilities seat 350 in carnival-like village surrounding. The artist lineup includes nightly celebrity DJ’s DJ Bruce Tantum, Ursula 1000, GlobeSonic, and the all female party SHAKTI. Fans can book tickets here for a promotional price of $35 until August 1. Use the promo code: MMJB for an additional $10 off!

Adidas once again mixes pop culture, art, and product at their brand new No. 74 space in Berlin. The shop is more than a place to get your hands on sneakers — it’s a project curated by the brand in association with No. 6 in London, and offers up an array of product tailored to local pop interests. Adidas and 032c Magazine celebrated the store’s opening with an eye-catching three dimensional display and photography exhibit from architect and designer Juergen Mayer H. entitled “Metropol Paraol” that’s currently on display. They also released a special limited edition Stan Smith shoe tagged with No. 74 and No. 6, only available in London and Berlin.

The term “trade show” is often associated with large, impersonal convention spaces, a sea of promotional booths, and spokesmodels galore. Cargo, a new alternative boutique trade show taking place on July 21st and 22nd at Rewind in NYC’s Lower East Side, flips that notion on its head. The exhibition features products from Amivectio, FLÃœD, and triko. Cargo has also replaced the traditional trade show setting with a more relaxed environment, opting for a lounge setting where exhibitors and buyers alike can chill and do business. Unfortunately for the tired, huddled masses, admission is only available to related industry professionals and not the general public. But, we have a feeling that could be you.

When curator Henry Urbach joined the staff of the SFMoMA in the autumn of 2006 he began collecting a wide variety of objects ranging from architectural drawings and models, industrial-design objects, books, posters, photographs, and furniture. All in all he gathered over 246 items all of which are now being shown in the museum’s 246 and Counting Exhibit. Among our favorite works on display are the three pieces from New York-based artist and designer Ju$t Another Rich Kid’s Indulgences (for the man who has absolutely everything!) collection. Rich Kid’s gold dipped charms, Cokespoon 1, Cokespoon2, and Swizzle Sticks add a dose of rebelliousness to the whole affair, but are just a handful of works to glimpse as the museum offers the rare chance to sneak a peak at every work stockpiled in one department over a two-year period.

Here’s the other Shepard Fairey news: three original prints of his iconic Barack Obama “Hope” illustration are being auctioned off for Russell Simmons’ performing arts charity, Art for Life. The 4′ x 6′ prints are the only three in existence, which means the bidding will be fast and high. Go here to place your bid. The online auction ends on Wednesday, July 16th, with the live auction continuing by phone July 19th.

Related: Shepard Fairey, Hope and Progress

Do you like to spend your mornings discussing trends and inspiration while saving your afternoons to ruminate on creative ideas? Then the PSFK Conference in San Francisco sounds right up your alley. Following on the heels of successful conferences in NYC, London and L.A., the trendspotter’s fifth meeting of the minds taking place at the Fort Mason Center this Thursday July 17th and will feature some truly innovative speakers and panelists who run the gamut from NASA to FunnyOrDie.com. The lineup is packed with Spear favorites like Amit Gupta and Jen Bekman. Bay Area JS.com readers, go forth and learn!

We have a kind of man-crush going on with artist/illustrator/disco king Shepard Fairey. It’s no secret. But who would have thought that a marketing guy at Showtime would share our unrequited love? Dexter, the series about a serial killer killer starring Michael C. Hall (yes, the gay brother in Six Feet Under), is coming to the San Diego Comicon, and to get the word out Fairey was commissioned to create a poster. You may also remember that the Obey Giant originator recently lent his skills to another celebrity marketing campaign. And while there may be some of you that decry Fairey’s Madison Ave. turn, we’re just glad that he’s pimping a show worthy of his pimp slap.

At the end of the month StrangeCo will make their descent on classy San Diego for the area’s annual Comicon to unleash a menagerie of characters that might not be so out of place in the fabled zoo of “America’s Finest City.” Their booth will have a bevy of creations from their usual collaborators like James Jarvis and tokidoki in tow. However, they’ll also have a brand partner in crime in the form of the San Francisco artist, toy collector and designer Mark Nagata. Nagata’s Max Toy Company specializes in making hand-painted, limited release figures in the tradition of classic Japanese character toys. If you’re going to San Diego in search of innovative creature comforts, check out Max Toy’s Eyezons, Pharaohs, and Booska figures, amongst others, and maybe snap one up before someone else does. These babies won’t last too long.

Take a look at the toys

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Fresh off returning from his traveling art exhibition in support of his Our Mountain book release, Steven Harrington (National Forest Design) has thrown more visual stimulation our way. With the help of his friends at Element Skateboards, Harrington gives us a sneak peak into the preparation that helped make his recent art tour a success. This brief clip shows a day in the life of Our Mountain as Harrington and company get ready for their opening at Paris’ Lazy Dog Gallery. It’s an interesting slice of life for those of us who have never been privy to the calm before the storm.

If a party at a car wash sounds like the perfect method to cool down during the West Coast’s forecasted heat wave, check out Sam Spiegel’s (a.k.a. hot music producer Squeak E. Clean, a.k.a. half of the NASA DJ duo) big throwdown called SUDS rolling through various Southland car washes starting this Friday at the Hollywood Car Wash before it heads up to San Fran. While there won’t be any wet T-shirt contests going on (I can hear the collective sigh right now), a mysterious “car wash ride” is promised. Spiegel will man the wheels of steel, while Girl Skateboards pro team members put on a demo and people get their hair done for free by an on-site göt2b hair salon. Aaron Rose, curator extraordinaire of Beautiful Losers, will participate with art installations as well. And there’s talk of go-go dancers in body paint. Sounds like this event is meant to make you sweat, so bringing a water balloon or 20 is probably a good idea. Hit the site to RSVP for this free party.

Lately, all we’ve been hearing is sad news about the plight of the honeybees and their declining numbers. Thank goodness for conceptual artist Jonathon Keats‘ newest endeavor. Next week (July 19th to be exact) Keats will choreograph the first ever bee ballet.

By planting hundreds of precisely arranged flowers in neighborhoods in San Francisco, Keats claims the bees will “dance according to the locations of the flowers they’ve found.” Except, well, you won’t really be able to see it because they’ll be dancing back inside their hives. Says Keats, “The bees will dance for themselves, not for us.” Dance bees. Dance like nobody in is watching.

Check out the bee lines (sorry) after the jump

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