Daniel took first place with his turtle peaking out of the water. A fairly simple design, though he said “The head was somewhat simple to make, but after dropping it once I realized it was a little harder to recreate.” All the plants and rocks drive the image home. First place awards Daniel $100.

2nd Place: “The Flooded City” by Anum Barr

Anum Barr’s city was created solely with magnets and a mirror. The reflections have a very nice water effect. Looks just like Venice. For second place Anum is awarded $85.

3rd Place: “Zen Zombie rises from the ground” by JLW

I could be wrong, but I think this is the first molded style sculpture we’ve had in a while. JLW mashed this zombie into existence with 2592 Zen Magnets. Looks like he’s been decaying a little while already. Third place awards JLW $65.

4th Place: “What Lies Below” by tend2it

Last but not least, we have tend2it’s submission. A single arch on a mirror, creating the illusion of a full ring. Only 144 magnets used. For 4th place, tend2it earns $50.

Thanks to all our participants, not only from this contest but throughout the years. It’s been a long, strange trip. Winners will be able to use their winnings at neoballs.com or micromagnets.com.

We had a total of 4 entries for the last ever Zen Magnets contest. Not terribly shocking considering there are no more Zen Magnets or Neoballs to purchase with one’s contest winnings. Regardless, we have $300 in prizes to dole out (Micromagnets anyone?). Check out the submissions here and then vote for your favorites.

Voting will be open through January 10, 2021. After you’ve checked out the full size versions of the submissions, vote here:

[button link=”https://forms.gle/CspQqQJ3iC2T3Bzh7″ type=”big” newwindow=”yes”]Vote Here[/button]

Krazy Kat secured 1st place with her super adorable Santa Claus. Perhaps this entry was more popular due to the season, but most likely it’s the perfect use of colored magnets and Kat’s Christmas Spirit. Certainly a jolly ol elf. 1st prize earns Krazy Kat $100.

<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><figure><img src="http://zenmagnets.com/images/favicon.gif" alt=""></figure></figure></div>

2nd Place: “The Last Magnet Bender” by Ra Tascon

“There has never been a magnet bender before.” declared Ra Tascon with this entry, and I have to agree. Like Krazy Kat, the use of color is totally spot on. My only complaint would be the white eyeballs, but the boots and clothes are so good it doesn’t really matter. 2nd place awards Ra Tascon $85.

<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><figure><img src="http://zenmagnets.com/images/favicon.gif" alt=""></figure></figure></div>

3rd Place: Flying Kick Action !” by tend2it

Tend2it flying kicked his way into 3rd with these battle droids. I’ve honestly not seen magnet peeps with such accurate human proportions before. Tend2it said, “The challenge was to get the body proportions and joint bends accurate with the limitations of the magnetic fields.” Well, you totally nailed it. 3rd place earns tend2it $55.

<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><figure><img src="http://zenmagnets.com/images/favicon.gif" alt=""></figure></figure></div>

4th Place: “Plumber’s Enemy” by Luisin

Luisin took 4th with his rendition of Bowser. A magneteer after our own hearts, Luisin’s inspiration came from the cover of his Smash Bros game. “I didn’t think I would be able to create a Bowser, but with some imagination everything is possible.” said Luisin. We couldn’t agree more. Luisin gets $35 for 4th place.

<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><figure><img src="http://zenmagnets.com/images/favicon.gif" alt=""></figure></figure></div>

5th Place: “Juggernaut900” by JLW

In 5th place is JLW’s Juggernaut900. I love that I’ve not seen a magnet build like this before, and totally thought it was Pyramid head from Silent Hill. This whole contest was great for fresh takes on human-ish figures. JLW’s creativity earned him $25 for 5th.

<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><figure><img src="http://zenmagnets.com/images/favicon.gif" alt=""></figure></figure></div>

6th Place: “Help Is Arriving” by Roberta Kern

Roberta’s submission demonstrated how easily figures can be created from very simple shapes, if not all the same shape. This hexagonal buddy earned Roberta $15.

<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><figure><img src="http://zenmagnets.com/images/favicon.gif" alt=""></figure></figure></div>

7th Place: “Hip, Hip, Hooray!” by Magneto Man

Magneto Man took 7th with this very crisp, clear shot of a magnet man with insanely few magnets. This happy lil dude earned Magneto Man $15.

<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><figure><img src="http://zenmagnets.com/images/favicon.gif" alt=""></figure></figure></div>

8th Place: “Magneto” by Nick Schaefers

Tying for 8th place is Nick’s Magneto. Nick was the only participant that utilized molding in his construction process. 8th place earns Nick $15.

<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><figure><img src="http://zenmagnets.com/images/favicon.gif" alt=""></figure></figure></div>

8th Place: “Magnet Man Says Hi!” by RazapMagnets

Last but not least, our other 8th place winner is RazapMagnet’s Magnet Man. Gotta love the nice round body, perhaps the first instance of a plus sized magnet man? He’s definitely fatter than Kat’s Santa. Razap gets $15 as well.

<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><figure><img src="http://zenmagnets.com/images/favicon.gif" alt=""></figure></figure></div>

If you haven’t already, click on the images to check out the original size. And keep in mind that contests held here are independent of the Zen Gallery. Magnet sculptors can always submit photos to gallery.zenmagnets.com to win magnets as well. Spectators, keep your eyes peeled for the next contest, because next month may be the last. Contest Winners, we’ll email you your prizes soon.

All submissions are in for the November 2020 contest. We have 9 total entries, which you can view full size from the grid below.

We have $300 in prizes to be distributed amongst the winners, but we need help selecting them first. Once you’ve decided on some favorites, follow the button below to cast your vote. 1 vote per person. Voting deadline is Dec 7, 2020

[button link=”https://forms.gle/EpheSEYRTyxDxNFaA” type=”big” newwindow=”yes”]Vote Here[/button]

In first place is an impressive instrument. Krazy Kat’s Magnetic Stradivarius was modeled after a real violin in her home. The single strand magnet strings on the violin and the bow are impressive. An excellent job of including lots of details. First place awards Krazy Kat with $80.

2nd Place – “Cristofori” by Roberta Kern

In second place is Roberta’s Cristofori grand piano. The lighting is great, the piano looks ready for a recital. The dimensions are pretty spot on, and the inclusion of the music stand and pedals really make it work. Check out more angles of the piano on her flickr. Second place awards Roberta $70.

3rd Place – “Piano Man” by Ra Tascon

In third we have another grand piano, this one by Ra Tascon. A very similar construction approach to Roberta’s. Ra Tascon opted for a wider body and more keys. Ra Tascon is awarded $65 for third place.

4th Place – “Guitar” by KLAW

KLAW came in fourth place with a classic guitar shape. There’s a lot of very crisp detail in this shot, and the contrast of the sparkly, warm lighting with the textured blue adds a nice balance of warm and cool. KLAW gets $50 for fourth place.

5th Place – “Banjo” by Mathnetism

Tied for fifth place is Mathnetism with a very nice banjo. The proportions of the fat drum body and skinny neck are near perfect. Mathnetism created this 8 years ago for another stringed instrument contest, but chose not to submit it last time. Fifth place awards him $40.

5th Place – “Mesopotamian Lyre” by tend2it

Our other fifth place winner is tend2it with his Lyre. This was also constructed 8 years ago, inspired by a research project his daughter was doing. Of all the stringed instrument submissions, this is truly the most ancient with its graven image bullhead. Fifth place awards tend2it $40.

7th Place – “Classic Harp” by ABoxWithinABox

Coming in seventh is ABoxWithinABox’s harp. I am super impressed by how few magnets are used here. The harp shape is recognizable, and the fact that it is standing is a miracle. The building base may be the only thing holding this all together, but he got the shot. Seventh place awards ABoxWithinABox $25.

8th Place – “Stringed Banjo” by Magneto Man

Magneto Man took eighth with his stringed banjo. Simple, but effective. I like the hollow body approach with strands over it, but wish more of the magnets were in focus. Eighth place earns Magneto Man $18.

9th Place – “Small Guitar” by RazapMagnets

Finally, we have RazapMagnets in ninth with his small guitar. I could definitely see a Lego character playing ukulele music in a feel good family movie with this. Ninth place awards RazapMagnets $12.

Thanks to all our participants and judges. We thought the caliber of submissions was worthy of everyone getting something this month, and upped our total winnings to $400.

If you haven’t already, click on the images to check out the original size. And keep in mind that contests held here are independent of the Zen Gallery. Magnet sculptors can always submit photos to gallery.zenmagnets.com to win magnets as well. Spectators, keep your eyes peeled for the next contest, because you choose the winners. Contest Winners, we’ll email you your prizes soon.

We have 9 total entries for the Unlimited Zen Magnets Stringed Instruments Contest. Check them all out below, click the thumbs for all those full sized details.

When you have decided who gets your vote, head on over to the voting form:

[button link=”https://forms.gle/gKBiBSZ5Fdkbj1Dg6″ type=”big” newwindow=”yes”]Vote Here[/button]

Kimball took 1st with this great shot. Comprised of a full Mandala set with interlocking subunits, the intersections of the build spell the word ZEN. Creative, well executed, nice job. 1st place awards Kimball $85

2nd Place: “Snowflake” by Zach

Zach came in second with the Snowflake build. Nice symmetry, the focal point is in the negative space drawing our eyes to the center. Great lighting on the magnets. Second place awards Zach $68

3rd Place: “Triangle subunits” by MeowAwo

In third place is MeowAwo, whose original intent was purely to achieve a ball shape. After being unimpressed with the result, he added a second layer and found himself in third. MeowAwo is awarded $55

4th Place: “Best Sculpture Ever” by DBOI

Coming in fourth is DBOI’s best sculpture ever, apparently the judges didn’t fully agree. Personally, I’m a fan of the interaction between the spheres and the underwater mine shape and crisp focus. DBOI is awarded $37

5th Place: “Rough Seas” by Roberta Kern

Roberta crashed into 5th place with her rough seas interpretation. She said “I tried several times to create a wave sensation without much luck. When I began using the truncated triangles for this contest the waves appeared to my delight!” Gotta love when solutions present themselves. Roberta is awarded $20

6th Place: “TIE fighter” by Bastian

Bastian took sixth place with a fun Star Wars build, which was not premeditated. “At some point I thought it looked like a TIE fighter from Star Wars and decided to submit this build.” A solid reason why playing with magnets is so rewarding. Bastian is awarded $15

7th Place: “I Zen Magnets” by Magneto Man

Magneto Man tied for 7th with Razapmagnets. A nice 2d style image but with multiple building techniques and 3d builds as well. Magneto Man is awarded $10

7th Place: “Football and Goalpost” by RazapMagnets

RazapMagnets tying for 7th with the Football and Goalpost. Love the high contrast between that mirror magnet finish and the bright green. Nice use of antiparallel connections for the goalpost and parallel connections on the football. RazapMagnets is awarded $10

If you haven’t already, click on the images to check out the original size, and check all the submissions below. Keep in mind that contests held here are independent of the Zen Gallery. Magnet sculptors can always submit photos to gallery.zenmagnets.com to win magnets as well. Spectators, keep your eyes peeled for the next contest, because you choose the winners. Contest Winners, we’ll email you your prizes soon. Thanks everyone for participating!

We had a total of 17 entries for contest #83, 15 of which are valid*. Now let’s open it up to the public to pick the winners. All the submissions below have been verified and their usage of the subunit is valid. Click the images in the grid to check them in full size glory. When you’re ready to vote for your top 3, follow the link at the bottom.

Voting ends midnight Oct 6, 2020. Ready to vote? Follow that button:

[button link=”https://forms.gle/JUEQbiSvPbG5q4VcA” type=”big” newwindow=”yes”]Vote Here[/button]

* Zen Magnets only means only Zen Magnets brand magnets allowed. No Buckyballs, no Neoballs, no Nanodots etc.

SSoltero took first place with a classic pentagon top, colored to achieve a rainbow effect when spun. Plenty of motion blur here. 1st place awards SSoltero $85.

2nd Place – “Zen Bowling” by tend2it

In second place we have tend2it’s “Zen Bowling.” The motion blur is on the bowling ball, telling of it’s great speed. A nice action shot filled with anticipation. 2nd place awards tend2it $71.

3rd Place – “UFO Abduction” by Jaime

In 3rd place we have Jaime’s UFO. The UFO was achieved with a mix of Zen Magnets, Glow in the Dark, and Black Neoballs. The “tractor beam” was created with a spinning chain and slow shutter speed. 3rd place awards Jaime $63.

4th Place – “Plane in Motion” by Krazy Kat

In 4th place is Krazy Kat with the flying plane. I believe this was achieved inside a car, but could be wrong. The water/dirt on the window is unfortunate, but overall a great submission for this contest. 4th place awards Krazy Kat $38.

5th Place – “Ancient Relic” by Ra Tascon

Who even remembers fidget spinners at this point? Great shot, a little dark, funny title. I love how the highlights in the magnets have become lines. Ra Tascon is awarded $28 for 5th place.

6th Place – “Magnets in Motion” by Roberta Kern

Finally, we have Roberta’s submission, which I believe is a pentagon top as well. There’s a bit too much direct light on the magnets, they’re getting blown out. Looks like we’re watching a ballet dancer from the catwalk. 6th place awards Roberta $15.

A huge thank you to all participants, builders and judges alike. If you haven’t already, click on the images to check out the original size. And keep in mind that contests held here are independent of the Zen Gallery. Magnet sculptors can always submit photos to gallery.zenmagnets.com to win magnets as well. Spectators, keep your eyes peeled for the next contest, because you choose the winners. Contest Winners, we’ll email you your prizes soon.

Submissions are in for Magnets in Motion. We have a total of 6 entries for the August 2020 contest. Click the thumbnails below to check out all the entries in their full res glory. Vote for your top 3 by following the link at the bottom of the page.

Once you are done deliberating over who deserves your praise go vote! You’ll need to pick an entry for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. We’ve got $300 in prizes to be distributed among the winners. Voting deadline is end of day Sept 6, 2020.

[button link=”https://forms.gle/p2UFeP2SjZjyNCp59″ type=”big” newwindow=”yes”]Vote Here[/button]

A decent attempt at blending a magnet sculpture into a landscape. The foreground trees mimic the background foliage colors enough to be convincing. Wishing that background was a little more in focus, but johnny5 said his aperture was completely maxed out. Bottom line, it looks like a bridge, and it looks like it’s over some water. 1st place awards johnny5 with $115.

2nd Place: “The Temple” by Ra Tascon

Ra Tascon decided to recreate the LDS Temple near his home. A great representation of the building itself, especially good ratios for constructing from an image. Some sort of greenery or fencing in the foreground would’ve helped the illusion that the Temple was part of the landscape. Well built and the sunny day helped sell the bright, white temple in Zen form. 2nd place awards Ra Tacon with $75.

3rd Place: “The Lantern” by Bastian

Bastian’s lantern is fairly effective at looking like it’s standing on the sidewalk. The difference in focus between the magnets and the background really makes them stand apart, but this was unavoidable with the setup. RIP the magnets Bastian dropped trying to get the shot :’-( 3rd place awards Bastian with $55.

4th Place: “Space Elevator: new Magnetic Super-material” by Ben Goodchild

Ben’s Space Elevator, while a very simple design, does look connected to the 3 buildings in the distance. Of all the entries, the overall focus is the best between background and magnets. The cloudy day definitely helped keep the magnet reflections in check. Ben agrees, not the best place for a space elevator, but the GM building looked enough like a proper base for one. 4th place awards Ben with $35.

5th Place: “Great Metallic Pyramid” by Robert

Robert’s pyramid (constructed to see how many triangles could be held before the structure buckled) is not a bad effort. Though this looks like it was shot in front of a dirt/rock pile in the driveway, and nothing is convincing me otherwise. Some rocks and sand in the foreground would’ve aided in the illusion that this pyramid was amidst some great rolling dunes. 5th place awards Robert with $20.

Thanks to all our participants! This contest proved to be far more difficult than we’d imagined, and yet you accepted the challenge. Well done.

If you haven’t already, click on the images to check out the original size. And keep in mind that contests held here are independent of the Zen Gallery. Magnet sculptors can always submit photos to gallery.zenmagnets.com to win magnets as well. Spectators, keep your eyes peeled for the next contest, because you choose the winners. Contest Winners, we’ll email you your prizes soon.

Submissions are in for the July 2020 contest. Thankfully we didn’t scare everyone off with our fear mongering language and difficult theme. We have 5 entries for you to gaze in wonder over and then vote for your faves.

Be sure to check out the full size images for all the submissions. When you’re ready to cast your vote, head this way:

[button link=”https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfaxbMHDQPki9as2E3kDfqxVvE94EpCapuJhSeWVq1mGkqMKA/viewform?usp=sf_link” type=”big” newwindow=”yes”]Vote Here[/button]

Luisin took first place with his two toned cactus. The inspiration for this build is lined up on his windowsill. He achieved the spiral effect by alternating magnet colors in a long single strand. All that work paid off, because first place awards Luisin with $90.

2nd Place: “Black and White movie.” by Ra Tascon

In second place is Ra Tascon’s black and white video camera. A nice little homage to black and white film in black and white Neoballs. Ra Tascon says the video camera is one of his favorite builds with 216 magnets. Second place awards him with $80.

3rd Place: “Yin Yang” by DBOI

In third Place is DBOI’s Yin Yang. Impressively round in shape, and well staged. This is a very nice photograph, lots of visual interest. DBOI is awarded $60 for third place.

4th Place: “Welcome to OZ!” by YoyoBandalore

In fourth place is YoyoBandalore with a double layered ring made of Zens and orange magnets. Nice sharp focus and shiny magnets. Fourth place awards YoyoBandalore $35.

5th Place: “1H Battle Axe” by tend2it

In fifth place is tend2it’s scaled down battle axe made of Cyan Neoballs and Zen Magnets. A very nice original design, the details are impressive for only 216 magnets. Fifth place awards tend2it $20.

6th Place: “Magnetmoto” by Smither

Finally, we have Smither’s motorcycle. The Gunmetal and Black Neoballs give it an authentic coloration, and it has a nice low profile. The fact the handlebars are outright is impressive. Smither is awarded $15 for 6th place.

Thanks to all our participants for their photo submissions and voting duty. If you haven’t already, click on the images to check out the original size. And keep in mind that contests held here are independent of the Zen Gallery. Magnet sculptors can always submit photos to gallery.zenmagnets.com to win magnets as well. Spectators, keep your eyes peeled for the next contest, because you choose the winners. Contest Winners, we’ll email you your prizes soon.

All entries are in for Contest #80 and submissions are closed. We had a total of 13 entries, 12 valid (sorry, rainbow does not count as a single color). Now it is time for the jury to pick their favorite entries. Click the thumbnails below for full size.

Deadline for voting is end of day July 6, 2020. When you’re ready to cast your vote follow the button below:

[button link=”https://forms.gle/iR1Fg5Q3YhkhzHwm7″ type=”big” newwindow=”yes”] Vote Here[/button]

Ra Tascon took 1st place with his old school biplane complete with magnet runway. Most of the building blocks are quite simple, but together are very effective in completing this plane. The composition is very nice also. The runway leads your eye to the airplane, and provides the illusion of movement, like we caught this plane during takeoff. 1st place awards Ra Tascon $70.

2nd Place – “Drone” by DBOI

In 2nd place we have DBOI’s Drone. Very well executed, the details and curvature of the body are spot on. DBOI achieved this drone by starting with the cross shape and building it all up from there. 2nd place awards DBOI $55

3rd Place – “Saab JAS 39 Gripen (Griffin) – Multirole Fighter Aircraft” by tend2it

In 3rd place we have tend2it’s Griffin Fighter. Very sharp and precise, with clear attention to detail. Clocking in with 1233 Zen Magnets, tend2it said the tricky part was achieving the distinct shape and angles with the limitations of the magnets, as well as mixing coupled and parallel bonds. 3rd place awards tend2it $45.

4th Place – “B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber” by Pent

Pent took 4th place with this Stealth Bomber. That distinct bomber shape is spot on, and the raised cockpit and details are well done. The photography itself leaves a little to be desired. A tripod would’ve helped the clarity, and the lighting is harsh, but the build itself is great. 4th place awards Pent $35.

5th Place – “Leaving On A Jet Plane” by YoyoBandalore

In 5th place we have YoyoBandalore’s Jet Plane. A clean construction with a nice touch of blue in the lighting. However, the photo is very dark and it feels like we’re losing the details a little bit. 5th place awards YoyoBandalore $27.50

6th Place – “Zen Balloon” by Amaryllis Zen

Amaryllis Zen’s hot air balloon floated into 6th place. The construction of the balloon is excellent. It stands on it’s own and the teardrop shape of the balloon is perfect. I think with a better photo, this would have placed higher, but it looks to be a hand-held, phone photo in low light. A bit blurry, a bit dark, we’re losing some detail, and the cotton clouds are barely visible. Not bad for Amaryllis’ first contest submission. 6th place awards Amaryllis Zen $22.50.

7th Place – “Tiny Plane” by Krazy Kat

Krazy Kat took 7th place with the 216 magnet Tiny Plane. Kat approached this with our favorite mentality: how can I make this with only 216 magnets? 216 piece airplane achieved, and with a base to make it fly above the ground. 7th place awards Krazy Kat $17.50.

8th Place – “Magnet Drone” by Luisin

In 8th place we have Luisin’s Magnet Drone. Luisin modeled his construction after his own drone and it is really quite effective. The body could’ve benefited from a little more depth and definition, but overall well done. 8th place awards Luisin $15.

9th Place – “weird looking airplane” by y0chi

Last but not least, we have y0chi’s weird looking plane. Actually, it’s not THAT weird looking. Kind of like a commercial airliner with a fighter plane cockpit. This could probably be scaled down and built with a set of 216 as well. 9th place awards y0chi $12.50.

Everyone really did a fantastic job on this contest. So much so that we gave prizes to everyone. Keep up the amazing work!

Thanks to all our participants and judges. If you haven’t already, click on the images to check out the original size. And keep in mind that contests held here are independent of the Zen Gallery. Magnet sculptors can always submit photos to gallery.zenmagnets.com to win magnets as well. Spectators, keep your eyes peeled for the next contest, because you choose the winners. Contest Winners, we’ll email you your prizes soon.

Contest 79 submissions are in, we have 9 valid aircraft constructions for you to feast your eyes on. Check out the thumbnails below and follow the link to vote for your top 3.

Deadline for voting is June 8, 2020. If you’re ready to cast your votes, follow this link:

[button link=”https://forms.gle/1oDnLqmkjyEyZP4z7″ type=”big” newwindow=”yes”] Vote Here[/button]

A construction hybrid, YoyoBandalore’s tree features a molded trunk while the leaves and fruit are composed of hexagons. Nice, vibrant photograph with sharp focus and a hint of Tolkien. 1st place awards YoyoBandalore with $70.

2nd Place: “Triple Ball Shaped Topiary Tree” by tend2it

Some meticulous trimming went into this ornamental topiary submission from tend2it. The 3 balls are made of C60 balls, but with extra leaves layered on the outside. Certainly fit for a fancy garden party or hedge maze. We have a 3-way tie for 2nd place. 2nd Place awards tend2it with $50.

2nd Place: “The Tree” by Luisin

The strong hexagonal trunk was a favorite in the submissions. Luisin topped his with varying layers of leaves achieved with green and glow-in-the-dark Neoballs. The lack of symmetry and disbursement of the leaves feels very natural and organic. 2nd place awards Luisin with $50.

2nd Place: “Pentagon Tree” by Mathnetism

By far the tallest submission we had. Mathnetism utilized varying sizes of pentagons and nearly 15,000 magnets! Very clean, very precise, very calculated. I’m still unsure how that trunk is constructed. The stark contrast of cold, geometric, metal shapes and the natural green backdrop is quite clever. 2nd place awards Mathnetism with $32.

5th Place: “Relax Palm Tree” by DBOI

Easily the most impressive palm fronds made of magnets that I’ve seen. DBOI said the hardest part was keeping it balanced and keeping the leaves from sticking together. Quite a challenge indeed, but it seems it paid off. 5th place awards DBOI with $35.

6th Place: “Family Tree of (magnetic) Bonds” by Brandon

The figurative family tree turned literal. Brandon would like to note that his great grandmothers’ branches are connected purely for stability, they’re not actually related. Clean execution and photography. 6th place awards Brandon with $20

7th Place: “Christmas magnets” by Ra Tascon

Who knew that all you need to make a Christmas tree is a bunch of hexagons? Adorn it with some gold and blue balls and it is ready for presents. Very festive. 7th place awards Ra Tascon with $15.

8th Place: “Pianta Tree” by Daniel Notary

This may be the thickest trunk of all the submissions, and the canopy created with the double layered 6 rings is pretty ingenious. Nice three way symmetry going on, shiny magnets, clear focus, and a vibrant background. 8th place awards Daniel with $10.

Thanks to all our participants and judges. If you haven’t already, click on the images to check out the original size. And keep in mind that contests held here are independent of the Zen Gallery. Magnet sculptors can always submit photos to gallery.zenmagnets.com to win magnets as well. Spectators, keep your eyes peeled for the next contest, because you choose the winners. Contest Winners, we’ll email you your prizes soon.

We had a total of 16 submissions for the 3rd installment of the tree contest. Which means its time to open up voting so we can see how $300 in prizes will be distributed among the winners. Check out all the entries below, when you’re ready to vote for your top 3 follow the button at the bottom of the page.

Cast your votes here:

[button link=”https://forms.gle/MsArWKz4hyAXQ4f36″ type=”big” newwindow=”yes”] Vote Here[/button]

YoyoBandalore took first place with his bridged cuboctahedron. In order to achieve this photograph, “Figure was placed on a translucent cutting board with white wrapping tissue on top. The cutting board was supported by two champagne flutes with a LED light shining from below.” Precision framing and the tease of how reflective and mirrored the magnets are made this a crowd favorite. 1st place awards Yoyo with $100.

2nd Place: Two Faces Illusion by DBOI

I must admit, I was completely unaware of the illusion in this photo before reading the title. That said, it is well executed and photographed. DBOI had this to say, “The hardest part was getting the overall shape and curves of the faces right. And making it balance. (It fell over a couple of times)” Thus is the bane of the magnet sphere photographer. 2nd place awards DBOI $70.

3rd Place: Illuminati by Krazy Kat

Krazy Kat committed to the triangular route, though the pattern created also exhibits radiating circles and hexagons. Illuminati hypnosis conspiracy! Kat had this to say of her process, “A small triangle led to a bigger triangle, and that bigger triangle led to an even bigger triangle.” Indeed it did. This massive triangle helped Kat klaim 3rd place, awarding $55.

4th Place: Infinite star by Ra

Ra’s Infinite star evokes an object in motion. The backlighting intensifies in the center, similar to YoyoBandalore’s, drawing our eyes inward. Beginning with the same subunit as Krazy Kat, they apparently were both drawn by unseen forces, “The triangle lead to the first star and the first star led to the full construction.” 4th place awards Ra with $40.

5th Place: Stegosaurus silhouette by tend2it

The stegosaurus returns to the Zen contests to grace us with his dainty silhouette. The harsh, direct light unfortunately directs the eye downward and out of frame, and highlights the reflective surface more than the construction. If the light had been directed at the backdrop, instead of towards the dino, we’d have more desirable contrast. Check tend2it’s flickr for more Stegosaurus angles, it’s a fun challenge to build. 5th place awards him $25.

6th Place: Perching palm by ryanpetey

Finally, we’ve got ryanpetey’s palm tree. His photographic process was the most effective in creating a dark, crisp, silhouette. “I used a high power light and placed it underneath my palm tree creation. I directed my light source to shine away from my Zen Magnets to create the silhouette effect.” Unfortunately, the palm tree shape wasn’t distinctive enough to sway the voters. 6th place awards ryanpetey $10.

Thanks to all our participants and voters. Hopefully you’re all staying home, safe, and virus free. If you haven’t already, click on the images to check out the original size. See if you can spot the builds that used colored magnets. And keep in mind that contests held here are independent of the Zen Gallery. Magnet sculptors can always submit photos to gallery.zenmagnets.com to win magnets as well. Spectators, keep your eyes peeled for the next contest, because you choose the winners. Contest Winners, we’ll email you your prizes soon.

The March 2020 contest has come to a close. Time for everyone to stretch their voting finger and pick their favorites. There were 6 entries in total, vying for $300 in prizes. Check out the entries below, then follow the button at the bottom of the page to cast your votes.

1 vote allowed per person, pick your top 3. Voting deadline is April 9, 2020. Vote here:

[button link=”https://forms.gle/yB6wUECTgMLMVggx5″ type=”big” newwindow=”yes”] Vote![/button]

With the allowance of a 2nd submission for contest 76, we ended up with 16 total entries, and the voting was all over the place. Yet, YoyoBandalore grabbed first place with the Zen Magnets rose. A very clean looking photo with that pop of red and green on white, plus nice magnet reflections in those metal petals. YoyoBandalore wins $70.

2nd Place: “Gyroid in a Box” by Mathnetism

Mathnetism opted to use Micromagnets for his 864pc build. Each subunit is constructed of rings of 8, arranged in a mind bending gyroid. Amazing how a construction of 864 Micromagnets fits right into that bamboo Triumph Set box. Mathnetism earns $56.

3rd Place: “The hexagon window” by Crazy Cat

“I played with hexagons and a candle and this is what happened.” It’s that easy folks. The candlelight offers some nice strong shadows and contrast, while casting that warm, rosy glow. Crazy Cat is awarded $40 for 3rd Place.

4th Place: “star of balls” by etienne

In 4th Place we’ve got the “star of balls.” A very nice photo with a warm wood background providing nice contrast to the magnets. The short depth of field provides clarity for the shape, as well as a proper sense of proportions for the viewer. 4th Place awards etienne with $32.

5th Place: “Abstract Bird” by Ra Tascon

864 piece origami bird flies into 5th place. Simple and straightforward with a recognizable form. This was Ra Tascon’s 2nd entry and the judges responded positively. There’s something to be said about builds that are clearly recognizable and feel achievable. 5th place awards Ra Tascon with $28.

6th Place: “The Parting Glass” by YoyoBandalore

YoyoBandalore’s 2nd entry sipped into 6th place with a giant musical note that was stumbled upon by accident. “The musical note was a fluke. I was deconstructing a figure and the musical note appeared out of nowhere. I decided to pursue the design and make one with 864 magnets.” Another crisp photo from Yoyo. 6th place gets $24.

7th Place: “Texan Corona” by Miller Magnets

Miller Magnets played the current affairs card with this layered corona ball, slipping in a lone star shot out. The stars made of negative space are quite nice and the mask was good touch. Ya’ll wash yer hands! Miller Magnets gets $19 for 7th place.

8th Place: “King Mandala” by Bastian

Bastian’s submission began as a Qunituple Icosahedron by Magnenaut. With some tinkering and removing the crown revealed itself. After some flourishes, the Mandala was crowned king. Bastian is awarded $15 for 8th.

9th Place: “Sniper Rifle” by DBOI

In 9th we have DBOI’s stunning sniper rifle. I’ve got to say the details on this are incredible for 864 magnets. He had this to say about his build, “Sorry had to do it in a hurry.” Excuse me?! This was rushed? The photos a little blurry, but throw a fat silencer on this and I can already hear the Goldeneye theme song. DBOI gets $10 for 9th place.

10th Place: “Space Battlecruiser ZeeNaaA” by tend2it

Finally, we have tend2it’s Space Battlecruiser ZeeNaaA. A satisfyingly symmetrical spacecraft settled on a magazine illustration. If you’re a fan of this, peep tend2it’s flickr for a full fleet of spaceships. 10th place gets tend2it $6 because we picked so many winners.

Thanks to all our participants and judges, if you haven’t already, click on the images to check out the original size. And keep in mind that contests held here are independent of the Zen Gallery. Magnet sculptors can always submit photos to gallery.zenmagnets.com to win magnets as well. Spectators, keep your eyes peeled for the next contest, because you choose the winners. Contest Winners, we’ll email you your prizes soon.

All entries for the February 2020 are in, we have 16 entries, each one uses exactly 864 magnet spheres. Check out all the submissions, and follow the button at the bottom of the page to vote for your 1st, 2nd, 3rd favorites.

Vote for your favorites here, 1 vote per judge. Deadline for voting is 3/11/2020. $300 in prizes is up for grabs.

[button link=”https://forms.gle/BYLNW4d627QjySBe7″ type=”big” newwindow=”yes”] Vote![/button]

1st Place: YoyoBandalore

YoyoBandalore revved into first place with the Zen Magnets motorcycle wheel. An Excellent job getting both the magnets and motorcycle in focus, not to mention covering the rubber of the front tire perfectly. First place awards Yoyo with $85.

2nd Place: Daniel Notary

Daniel may have bit off more than he could chew with this massive wonton. The distance between the two subjects is so great, getting both in focus is basically not an option, especially when shot on a smartphone. That said, the overall effect works well. Hopefully Daniel doesn’t have a hernia now. 2nd Place awards him $70.

3rd Place: Ratas

Ratas beat his way into 3rd place with a magnet man showdown. What magnet man lacks in arm length, he makes up with being thicc. The distance between the magnet man and contender makes getting both subjects in focus nearly impossible, but going a little softer on the magnet man was the way to go. Ratas luckily was victorious in this death match. 3rd place awards him $65.

4th Place: tend2it

Next we have the punny “MagnetMan House Sitting” from tend2it. Captured during Golden Hour in all natural light, I cannot believe tend2it was able to snap this WITHOUT any tripod or stabilizers. The house is also pretty sharp for being shot at F6.3. Check his Flickr for more test shots and process. Well done, tend2it, 4th place awards $50.

5th Place: Pent

Ostentatious antennae accessory or New Years ball drop? You be the judge. Simple and straightforward, Pent’s submission achieves the desired effect nicely. Shot on a cloudy day, the color tone is even and subdued, blending all subjects nicely. 5th place awards Pent $20.

6th Place: Purplixoras

Finally, we have the adorable watering can from Purplixoras. Focus is decent on both the plant and magnets. I think the effect would have been stronger with the magnets a bit closer to the camera, making the watering can larger and more size appropriate. Overall, a good photo. 6th place awards Purplixoras $10.

Thanks to all our participants, this was a fun contest. Got those creative juices flowing. If you haven’t already, click on the images to check out the original size. And keep in mind that contests held here are independent of the Zen Gallery. Magnet sculptors can always submit photos to gallery.zenmagnets.com to win magnets as well. Spectators, keep your eyes peeled for the next contest, because you choose the winners. Contest Winners, we’ll email you your prizes soon.

Entries are in for Contest #75. The objective was to create an image using forced perspective to make 1 set of Zen Magnets appear larger than they really are. Check out all the entries below, and follow the button at the bottom to vote for your top 3!

$300 in prizes is up for grabs to be distributed among the winners. Follow the button below to vote for your top 3 out of our 6 submissions. Voting deadline is February 16, 2020.

Winners:

1st Place: Glen – prize: $225

2nd Place: Ra Tascon – prize: $140

3rd Place: magnet king – prize: $85

4th Place (tie): Purple Ixora – prize: $50

4th Place (tie): liner – prize: $50

6th Place: Dufko – prize: $30

7th Place: MrGrabble – prize: $20

Thank you to all the participants for all the hard work and fun you had making these Cybertrucks and videos. These entries certainly both met and exceeded our expectations. We’ll be in contact with the winners shortly with their winnings.

If you somehow made it here without watching any of these videos, check them out below and try making your own. Keep in mind that contests held here are independent of the Zen Gallery. Magnet sculptors can always submit photos to gallery.zenmagnets.com to win magnets as well. Spectators, keep your eyes peeled for the next contest, because you choose the winners.

We had 7 total submissions for the Cybertruck video contest. Link for voting can be found at the bottom of the page. Here are the Cybertruck videos, presented in no particular order:

MrGrabble:

magnet king:

Dufko:

Glen:

liner:

Ra Tascon:

Purple Ixora:

Voting deadline is January 24, 2020.

Vote in this google form for your top 3:

[button link=”https://forms.gle/35oeB8moD9tkQ2ao7″ type=”big” newwindow=”yes”] Vote[/button]

metal king was the crowd favorite with his construction back lit by candlelight. The shape is nicely silhouetted with an eye-drawing flare from the candle flame in the center of frame. First place earns metal king $100.

2nd Place: Daniel Notary

Daniel took second place with a large decahedron basked in warm candlelight. He had this to say about his process, ” I decided on a relatively simple shape, quickly realized I wanted indirect light from the candle, and I was mindful of what reflections would show in the magnets. Bouncing light off my hand or the light walls of the room resulted in some great colors changes.” Check his flickr for alternate angles. 2nd place awards Daniel with $70.

3rd Place: Frankie

Frankie grabbed 3rd place with firework illusion photo. Using a tube of magnets as tunnel vision for his lens and a short depth of field, the candlelight reflections create a bokeh and starburst effect. Frankie had this to say, “I thought of a tube photo I saw a while ago, then went with that. I never knew the light from the candle would make such great illusion.” He receives $50 for 3rd place.

4th Place: DBOI

DBOI took 4th place with this luminescent eyeball. The glint of hot wax in the candle is a very nice highlight around the white focal point. DBOI essentially created a lantern with “a candle, surrounded by a magnet tube, surrounded by a paper tube, shot from above.” Well done. The prize for 4th place is $35.

5th Place: Purple Ixora

Purple Ixora got 5th place and good luck by jumping a magnet Jack over the candlestick. High ISO and slow shutter speed made for some crazy colors in this photo. Purple Ixora is awarded $20 for 5th place.

6th Place: lukas

In 6th place we’ve got lukas who conjured this photo from the depths of Mordor. He had this to say of his process, “I used an extreme candle and long exposure, then blew on the candle to give it this type of effect, thought it would make it look more like the eye of Sauron.” That long exposure certainly helped capture the sparks being blown from the candle. 6th place awards lukas with $15.

7th Place: y0chi

Finally, we’ve got y0chi in 7th place with a nice pedestal candle holder made of Zen Magnets. The low light gives us just enough to make out the sculpture. Well done, y0chi, 7th place gets you $10.

If you haven’t already, click on the images to check out the original size. And keep in mind that contests held here are independent of the Zen Gallery. Magnet sculptors can always submit photos to gallery.zenmagnets.com to win magnets as well. Spectators, keep your eyes peeled for the next contest, because you choose the winners. Contest winners, we’ll email you your prizes soon.

Submissions are closed for Contest #73. We have a total of 7 submissions for you to gaze upon and discern your favorites. The rules were fairly basic, no limit to number of Zen Magnets used, but must be lit solely by candlelight. Check out full sized images below and follow the link at the bottom to cast your vote for your top 3 favorites.

Cast your vote here. $300 in prizes to be divided among the winners. Voting deadline is Wednesday, December 11.

[button link=”https://forms.gle/TE8Fr8PgfpLEQ5cm6″ type=”big” newwindow=”yes”] Vote![/button]

Purple Ixora constructed a classic jack-o-lantern with triangle eyes and interlocking teeth. Good job making that golden layer underneath pop. 1st place is awarded $100.

2nd Place: DBOI

DBOI carved up two pumpkins and made a pie of one. Both are well constructed, and that dollop of whipped cream is definitely the cherry on top. We did get a complaint about photo-manipulation, and have deducted 20% in the back end score calculation for breaking this rule. From now on, adding text to an image counts as photo manipulation, and will be flagged before voting begins. 2nd place is awarded $75.

3rd Place: Kico

A pumpkin complete with arms constructed of Nickel and Glow in the Dark magnets. A shame we don’t get to see it with the magnets aglow. 3rd place is awarded $55.

4th Place: tend2it

Our only entry made entirely of Zen Magnets, and definitely the most abstract entry. We’ve got a pumpkin carved with a skull face that we’re viewing through the back of the pumpkin. Really, tend2it was photographing something else, saw the skull face and decided to submit it. 4th place awards him with $35.

5th Place: king of metal

Another classic jack-o-lantern face, though this build is impressively only 1 layer deep. The king of metal also tried out gold magnets for the face, but opted for the stronger contrast with black. 5th place is awarded with $20.

6th Place: Isaac Santos

Finally, we’ve got 2 teenie builds, apparently mirror opposites. We at the Zen office certainly appreciate achieving a build with as few magnets as possible, and this is definitely it for a pumpkin. 6th place is awarded $15.

If you haven’t already, click on the images to check out the original size. And keep in mind that contests held here are independent of the Zen Gallery. Magnet sculptors can always submit photos to gallery.zenmagnets.com to win magnets as well. Spectators, keep your eyes peeled for the next contest, because you choose the winners. Contest Winners, we’ll email you your prizes soon.

The Jack-o-Lantern carving building contest is over. The rules for this contest were simple, make a Jack-o-Lantern out of any number and color of magnets. We had 6 submissions, so the prize pool will be divvied up 6 ways. Check out the submissions below, follow the link at the bottom to vote for your favorites.

Follow the button below to vote. One vote person, pick a winner for Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Voting ends November 11, 2019.

DBOI took 1st place using the three 72pc builds to illustrate the life of a butterfly, complete with spring props. Well done, DBOI, 1st place awards you with $100.

2nd Place: Daniel Notary

Daniel snagged 2nd place with his 3 takes on a triangle and super reflective surfaces. He had this to say about his process, “I wanted to make self-contained shapes based on different numbers of subunit strings, and found that my different shapes and subunits all became very nice triangles.” The magnets are offset and divided by the colorful glass background. Very visually interesting. 2nd place awards Daniel with $75.

3rd Place: Dave

Dave chose fishing as a uniting theme for his 3 builds with a fish, pole, and fisherman. He had this to say about his photograph, “It takes a big rod to catch a big fish.” 3rd place awards Dave with $55. You’re gonna need a bigger boat.

4th Place: Dan Condon-Jones

“I wanted to make a single thing out of three separate parts.” Dan’s photograph unites his 3 builds to form a motorcycle in the white space. Very crafty. 4th place awards Dan with $40.

5th Place: tend2it

tend2it chose Shurikens (throwing stars) for his subject matter. He had this to say on his process, “building new Stars with the 72 magnet limit pushed minimalist creativity to the edge, while maintaining deadly distinctive shape elegance.” 5th place awards tend2it $30.

Great job to all participants. If you haven’t already, click on the images to check out the original size, as well as all entries below. Keep in mind that contests held here are independent of the Zen Gallery. Magnet sculptors can always submit photos to gallery.zenmagnets.com to win magnets as well. Spectators, keep your eyes peeled for the next contest, because you choose the winners. Contest Winners, we’ll email you your prizes soon.

Entries are all in for Contest 71. All submissions can be viewed in the hexmap below. To recap, the challenge was to create 3 separate builds, each of exactly 72 genuine Zen Magnets. Judging is open, so follow the button at the bottom of the page to cast your vote for your top 3 favorites.

Follow the button below to vote. One vote person, pick a winner for Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Voting booths close end of the day October 23, 2019.

Purple Ixora takes 1st place recreating the iconic 007 opener. I’d wager most of our judges cut their teeth playing countless hours of Goldeneye, so this was a no-brainer. Purple Ixora said James Bond was not part of the original plan, but the tube was so reminiscent of 007 they had to throw a lil Zen man in there. Purple Ixora is awarded $100 for first place.

2nd Place: Scruffy Hawk

A lot of people had the same idea of using a little Zen man in their photos for this contest, and the judges liked it. Scruffy Hawk started with a ring similar to a planetary rotation machine, and extended it into this tunnel. Slap a lil Zen explorer in there and Scruffy Hawk gets $65 for 2nd place, but wait…

2nd Place: DBOI

A rare Zen Magnets Contest occurrence, a tie for 2nd place! DBOI utilized some white and rose gold Neoballs for teeth and gums on this mouth, ready to chomp that lil Zen man. Check out this behind the scenes photo for how he got the shot. DBOI is awarded $65 for 2nd place.

4th Place: Acanthaster

Acanthaster calls this, “A Trip to Plaid Canyon.” We’ve got another lil Zen man, this time on vacation. Acanthaster said this about the subject matter, ” I like the idea of a camera shooting a camera shooting a subject.” Acanthaster is awarded $45 for 4th place.

5th Place: y0chi

Finally, y0chi presents us with 3 hexagons, each shrinking in diameter. Nice composition with the center hexagon in sharp focus. The reflection also came out great. y0chi gets $30 for 5th place.

Job well done to all participants. If you haven’t already, click on the images to check out the original size. And keep in mind that contests held here are independent of the Zen Gallery. Magnet sculptors can always submit photos to gallery.zenmagnets.com to win magnets as well. Spectators, keep your eyes peeled for the next contest, because you choose the winners. Contest Winners, we’ll email you your prizes soon.

Okay, magnets and cameras down, I’m calling time on the perspective framing contest. We have a total of 11 entries for the judgmental public to feast their eyes on.

Here’s a quick recap of the contest requirements: 5mm magnet spheres of any brand/color. Need at least 2 builds, 1 framing the other. No other photo manipulation or collages allowed. 1 entry per person.

Check out the images below, follow the button at the bottom to rock the vote.

Follow the link to cast your Gold, Silver and Bronze votes. We’ll pick the winners after collecting votes for a few days. The prize pool is $300. Voting ends 9/16/2019

Landing in first place is Glen with this impressive interpretation of the Apollo 11 lander. If you’re curious as to how he nailed this, the answer is research: “I built my Apollo 11 Lander by first finding a 3D model of the lander to give myself a better understanding of the lander and its components. I then broke the lander down to its simplest geometric shapes and constructed them first.” Great job, Glen. For first place, Glen is awarded $100.

2nd Place: BCZMC

Floating into 2nd place, we’ve got a lander made of 1350 magnets (aka build-able with a Mandala Set). BCZMC had this to say about their method, “I noticed the strong base of the module and decided it would be best displayed with big hexagons.” I would wager most of our participants made the same assumption. 2nd place earns BCZMC $75.

3rd Place: tend2it

In 3rd place we have tend2it’s lander made of 1045 magnets. This build is a tricky mix of parallel and antiparallel connections, but he made it work. $55 is awarded to tend2it for 3rd place.

4th Place: Cody

Hovering in 4th place is Cody. His build features a nicely faceted base and sturdy legs. He had this to say about his method, “The base was the most difficult piece to design. It had to look accurate and also be stable enough to support all the weight.” For 4th place, Cody receives $40.

5th Place: Chupacabra

Finally, we have Chupacabra in 5th place with the smallest of all the submissions. Further proof that you don’t need a lot of magnets to make things, or win Zen contests for that matter. Chupacabra gets $30 for 5th place.

If you haven’t already, click on the images to check out the original size. And keep in mind that contests held here are independent of the Zen Gallery. Magnet sculptors can always submit photos to gallery.zenmagnets.com to win magnets as well. Spectators, keep your eyes peeled for the next contest, because you choose the winners. Contest Winners, we’ll email you your prizes soon.

Results are in for the 50th anniversary moon landing contest. We had 9 valid submissions.

To recap, the contest was to build a replica of the Apollo 11 Lander entirely out of only Zen Magnets, with no quantity limit. A metal building base may be used, and no photo manipulation is allowed. Check out the valiant entries below:

The Eagle, AKA the Apollo 11 Lunar Lander, is much more that a boxy frame with four legs. Reproducing the geometry of the body was perhaps the primary challenge of this contest.

For some reference, see this NASA published 3D model of the Apollo 11 Lander in 3D by clicking “Thingiview”. If your browser doesn’t support WebGL rendering, you can download the 3D file to view locally, or update your browser.

Follow the voting button below to cast grant your Gold, Silver and Bronze votes. We’ll pick the winners after collecting votes for a few days. The prize pool is $300.

[button link=”https://forms.gle/EahxUVcB2jMHiRWdA” type=”big” newwindow=”yes”] Vote Here[/button]

The winner of the Pen Holder contest is Cody, with his build modeled after a flower with very handy petals. The catch-all basket on top is a nice touch, and our judges thought so as well. Good job, Cody, you get $100 for 1st place.

2nd Place: DBOI

Coming in 2nd place, we’ve got DBOI with the coat hanger pen holder. Utilizing the magnetic tips of the pens is pretty ingenious. I am seriously considering implementing this one at the office. DBOI is awarded $70 for 2nd place.

3rd Place: Bastian

Bastian takes 3rd place with the middle ages fight scene pen holder. “I did not want to build a normal and boring pen holder…” said Bastian, and he succeeded. For 3rd place, Bastian gets $50.

4th Place: wifikiller3

In 4th place, we have wifikiller3 who just stumbled into this contest and the top 4. ” I didn’t think I was going to enter this one, but I was taking a “magnet break” at work and saw a cube I had made. Then I realized that a scaled up version of this cube could actually make a cool pen holder.” You never know when inspiration is going to hit you. 4th place awards wifikiller3 $40.

5th Place: NealisNeal

In 5th place we have NealisNeal and his assortment of hollowed out diagonal cubes. Some good prop work as well, demonstrating that his pen holder can also hold an eraser, not to mention the only ruler we’ve seen. Everyone else apparently draws perfectly straight lines all the time. 5th place gets Neal $35.

6th Place: Mathnetism

In 6th place we have Mathnetism riding that same hollowed diagonal cube vibe as NealisNeal, but with a full spiral of cube sizes that also provides pen holding areas in the negative space. Mathnetism receives $30 for 6th place.

7th Place: Ben Cannon

7th place goes to Ben Cannon for his rainbow color coordinated pen holder. Fun, bright, practical. Good to see that Rainbow Neoballs set going to good use! Ben gets $25 for 7th place.

8th Place: Frankie

In 8th place we have Frankie going above and beyond with 2 holders and he created paper as well. That’s a list you don’t want crumpled in your pocket. 8th place awards Frankie with $22.50.

9th Place: Frederick48

Last but not least, we have Frederick48 in 9th place. Nice, simple design with some LED internal lighting as well. Frederick48 gets $20 for 9th place.

Good job, everyone! Hopefully we’ve provided people with practical and fun new ways to be organized at their desk. If you haven’t already, click on the images to check out the original size. And keep in mind that contests held here are independent of the Zen Gallery. Magnet sculptors can always submit photos to gallery.zenmagnets.com to win magnets as well. Spectators, keep your eyes peeled for the next contest, because you choose the winners. Contest Winners, we’ll email you your prizes soon.

Submissions are officially closed for the Pen Holder contest. We have a decent amount of photos for everyone to check out. Check the thumbnails below for full res glory, or jump to the voting form and peep all of the submissions from there as well.

The requirements for this contest were to create a desktop pen holder that was functional and was made entirely of 5mm magnet spheres. There’s no limit to the number of magnets one could use, and all brands and colors accepted.

Judges, remember that this contest is a photography contest just as much as it is a magnet sculpture contest, overall aesthetic does matter. $300 in prizes is up for grabs. Voting booth closes July 7, 2019.

1st Place: Mathnetism “Double Helix Attraction”

Mathnetism takes the gold with a stunning symmetrical piece. He had this to say about his creation, “The center of my design is the double helix, which also provides the strong magnetic field needed to attract the magnets chains attached to the cross shape in the middle.” His masterful creation and photography execution awards him $100.

2nd Place: DBOI “When the Rope Broke”

DBOI was a real crowd pleaser, using the levitation as a storytelling device and creating the illusion that this snapshot captured the exact moment the rope snapped. Hopefully that magnet man was still rescued from the quicksand. 2nd place earns DBOI $70.

3rd Place: Cody “Pillar of Infinity”

Cody constructed a tower with symmetrical, spiraling levitation features. He had this to say about his process, “I enjoy building different variations of pentakis dodecahedrons. So I took the sides of some and made them gradually decreased in size from bottom to top with an entire dodecahedron at the top. I then attached the strands to the corners on both pillars that “levitate” around the outside.” For 3rd place, Cody is awarded $50.

4th Place: wifikiller3 “Mutual Suspension”

Coming in 4th place, wifikiller3 started from the bottom before arriving at this winner. “I began by building the structure on the cover of this contest to make sure i knew what the magnetic levitation felt like. Then I played with my zen magnets for hours.” Playing with Zen Magnets for hours pays off, wifikiller3 gets $40.

5th Place: Dan Condon-Jones “Flame”

Dan’s submission was one of the only where the levitation feature was more than just a single strand of magnets. He said he wanted the levitating piece to be completely separate from the other build. He settled on the flame shape and earned himself $35 for 5th place.

6th Place: Mike T. “Almost”

Mike T. created 2 builds that mirrored each other. The shot itself is interesting as the depth of field hints at the size of the structure, but we still get an “X” shape from the overlapping parts. Check out his linked tiktok for a cool video of the whole build. 6th place earns Mike $30.

7th Place: Chupacabra “The Best Workout”

Chupacabra made an adorable little Zen man working out, and it worked out for him too, because he got 7th place. Chupacabra is awarded $25.

8th Place: Tacky Tim “Peace Ring”

Tacky Tim constructed a peace sign with the inner bars levitating. Nice execution, nice depth of field on a sunny day. Tim gets $22.50 for 8th place.

9th Place: Bastkan0 “Long Way Magnetic Levitation”

Finally, we’ve got Bastkan0’s build reaching across a table gap. 9th place earns him $20.

If you haven’t already, click on the images to check out the original size. And keep in mind that contests held here are independent of the Zen Gallery. Magnet sculptors can always submit photos to gallery.zenmagnets.com to win magnets as well. Spectators, keep your eyes peeled for the next contest, because you choose the winners. Contest Winners, we’ll email you your prizes soon.

Submissions are closed for the Levitation Feature contest and voting is now open. We had a whopping 23 valid submissions (must be 1728 or less genuine Zen Magnets) and there’s a really good mix of new and old contestants.

$300 in prizes is up for grabs, with at least 6 winners. We’ll see how this voting shakes out for prize distribution. You’ve got plenty of pretty pictures to ogle, click the link below to pick your 1st/2nd/3rd faves. Voting deadline is June 5th, 2019.