We always try our best to challenge your artistic abilities and produce some interesting, beautiful and creative artwork. And as designers we usually turn to different sources of inspiration. As a matter of fact, we’ve discovered the best one—desktop wallpapers that are a little more distinctive than the usual crowd.

This creativity mission has been going on for over five years now, and we are very thankful to all the designers who have contributed and are still diligently contributing each month. This post features free desktop wallpapers created by artists across the globe for May 2013. Both versions with a calendar and without a calendar can be downloaded for free. It’s time to freshen up your wallpaper!

Please note that:

• All images can be clicked on and lead to the preview of the wallpaper,
• You can feature your work in our magazine by taking part in our Desktop Wallpaper Calendar series. We are regularly looking for creative designers and artists to be featured on Smashing Magazine. Are you one of them?
• You can also download the wallpapers for Windows 7/8.

The Green Bear

Designed by Pedro Rolo from Portugal.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 2560×1440

Power

Designed by Elise Vanoorbeek from Belgium.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Quote Of The Day

Designed by Eloise Ha from Malaysia.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Winter Is Over

Designed by Uxue Goikoetxea from Spain.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Raring Ringtail

Designed by Vlad Studio from Russia.

• preview
• with calendar: 800×600, 1024×768, 1152×864, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Get Caught Reading Month

Designed by Jill Hamilton from Canada.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

Full Of Spirit

Designed by Ushuk Maria from USA.

• preview
• with calendar: 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1400×1050, 1440×900,
  1600×1200 (currently missing),
  1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

World’s Labor Day

Designed by debobrata debnath from India.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×1024, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1024×1024, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Designed by Morgan Newnham from USA.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480 (currently missing),
  1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Octopus: The Master Of Disguise

Designed by Sasha Endoh from Canada.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1152×864, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1152×864, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

The Arabian Stud

Designed by Atelier Pall from Romania.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1920×1080, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1920×1080, 2560×1440

A Better Summer

Designed by Joeri Claes from Belgium.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200

May I Love You

Designed by Julien Savoldi from Belgium.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Game Boy

Designed by Sander Geenen from Belgium.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×768, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1024×768, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Mental Health Awareness Day

Designed by Kay Karremans from Belgium.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×1024, 1280×720, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×1024, 1280×720, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Old vs. New

Designed by Wannes De ROy from Belgium.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Museum Day

Designed by cheloveche.ru from Russia.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

Blooming

Designed by Alexandru Nastase from Romania.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200

Ethnic Snake

Designed by Katerina Bobkova from Ukraine.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080

Maypole Animals

Designed by Charlotte Blatchford from UK.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

May Fiesta

Designed by Pat Buenaobra from Philippines.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

“He Who Sings…”

Designed by Yiannis Kranidiotis from Greece.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1280×1024, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1680×1200, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Awaiting Rebirth

Designed by Kristof Van Espen from Belgium.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1920×1080, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1920×1080, 2560×1440

Splash!

Designed by Ajan Navaratnasingam from London, UK.

• preview
• with calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 2560×1440

Mondriaan

Designed by Siemon Donvil from Belgium.

• preview
• with calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1920×1080, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 1024×768, 1280×800, 1920×1080, 2560×1440

Praise The Workers On Labor Day

Designed by N. Baeten from Belgium.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200

Daydream

Designed by Maarten Wydooghe from Belgium.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

May Around the World

Designed by dangerbrain from USA.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Mothers Day

Designed by Kim Janssens from Belgium.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1366×768, 1024×1024, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2560×1440

Savanna May

Designed by Brian Jonah Obara from Kenya.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480 (currently missing), 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440
• without calendar: 320×480, 640×480, 800×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1024×1024, 1152×864, 1280×720, 1280×800, 1280×960, 1400×1050, 1440×900, 1600×1200, 1680×1050, 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 1920×1440, 2560×1440

Puppet Show

Designed by Pietje Precies from The Netherlands.

• preview
• with calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200
• without calendar: 320×480, 1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200

Join In Next Month!

Please note that we respect and carefully consider the ideas and motivation behind each and every artist’s work. This is why we give all artists the full freedom to explore their creativity and express emotions and experience throughout their works. This is also why the themes of the wallpapers weren’t anyhow influenced by us, but rather designed from scratch by the artists themselves.

A big thank you to all the designers for their participation. Join in next month!

What’s Your Favorite?

What’s your favorite theme or wallpaper for this month? Please let us know in the comment section below.

© The Smashing Editorial for Smashing Magazine, 2013.

Do you know HTML5? If so, test your knowledge to see if you know what it takes to target Windows Phone 8 using your HTML5 skills. Check your Tech IQ now!

Students, this could be you! University of Tennessee Knoxville's Maria Rosales accepts her 2012 Student Sustainability Leadership Award.

The May 17 deadline to apply for an AASHE Sustainability Award is quickly approaching and we’ve got some exciting bonus elements to this year’s program to share with you.

For the first time ever, we will be announcing the finalists in each award category. This means that the top candidates (as selected by our panel of judges) in each category will receive special recognition leading up to the live announcement of the award winners at the AASHE 2013 Conference & Expo in Nashville. As a top candidate, your photo and story will be featured on the AASHE website and in a special press release mailing.

Another bonus this year: all AASHE award winners will be specially invited to present at the conference to share more about their winning initiatives. This added benefit gives our winners the chance to talk about the important work they are doing to advance sustainability.

Students visiting the Owens Harvest Garden of 2012 Campus Sustainability Case Study winner Owens Community College.

Read more about some important category changes this year and take a look at our past winners on our new archive page. We’re looking forward to celebrating the sustainability successes and “Aha!” moments on your campus!

If you’ve been waiting for video games to solve all of life’s problems, you may be in luck. According to a new study by McGill University, playing Tetris may help improve the eyesight of adults with lazy eye. Now if only there was a cure from the inevitable procrastination that will follow…

Four choir members were stabbed at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church in Albuquerque this past Sunday. 24-year-old Lawrence Capener allegedly screamed “fake preacher!” and charged the choir after communion.

Unbelievable, right? Well, that’s exactly how the scene folded out. According to one witness,

“I noticed the suspect run up and, basically, start attacking the choir, so I ran over there immediately to go do what I could do to stop it.”

Members in the congregation were able to stop the man from causing extreme harm until police officers arrived. About 4,000 parishioners attend St. Jude Thaddeus each Sunday.

A teenage girl who sat behind the man during the service said he “was kind of twitchy, sketchy looking” and recalled a tattoo of an upside-down star on his wrist. Symbolism, anyone?

As Capener was handcuffed, eldery women began saying “God bless you” and “forgive yourself.” His response? “You don’t know about the Masons.”

Although the police do not yet have a motive behind the attack, Capener’s strange tattoo, talk of the Masons, and decision to stab a church choir is all too suspicious.

Large dead shark, courtesy of AP

Imagine waking up and seeing this out your front window. Found by a local whomever  this 28-foot long giant basking shark washed up a beach in Misquamicut, Rhode Island yesterday morning.

The second largest shark species, basking sharks feed off of mostly humans and mermaids. Just kidding — their diet consists of filtering plankton, which still doesn’t seem too filling.

It’s a great day to be a shark biologists, who are in a frenzy to determine the exact cause of death.

by Eric Anthony Grollman