40 Inspirational Speeches in 2 Minutes

"I'm a lion! I'm like a BIG BEAR MAN!!!"

Want to Own the Chrysler Building?

Free paper toys of all kinds of things! This place looks like loads of fun with paper models of everything from the Chrysler Building to Jimi Hendrix Guitar, Bill Gate's House, the Taj Mahal, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and more. Just download, print out, and get busy.

Holiday Promo

Something Scary For Halloween

Why is this child soooo happy? Could it be candy? Pharmaceuticals? Mental illness? Very disturbing, but it gets worse. He is not alone...

Power to the Pixelated

I was at the hardware store yesterday looking for those little felt dots that you put on the bottom of chair legs when I heard a commotion. Naturally I had to investigate - not for me, I do it for you. I followed the sounds to aisle 6 where I saw the store manager explaining to a man that he could not come into the store with a pixelated face "for security reasons." This confused me until the customer in question glanced over his shoulder (I think) at me. I saw for myself that his face did seem to be obscured by a series of shifting squares.


The man loudly proclaimed that he refused to be treated this way simply because he did not look like everyone else. The store manager explained that he was sorry, but corporate policy stated that no one could enter the premises with any kind of face covering. No masks, bandanas, scarves, and certainly no pixelation.


The customer said that he couldn't help it. He was a victim of a digital birth defect and his insurance company would not allow medical treatment because it was considered a pre-existing condition. It was a painful admission and I can't be sure, but I think the customer turned red with embarrassment. The store manager, a full fledged corporate toady, stuck to his guns and had security escort the sad customer out.


I will get my felt dots elsewhere.

Robots! And Monsters! Robots and Monsters!

Halloween is coming soon. Why not celebrate by purchasing your very own robot and/or monster and helping charitable causes at the same time? Check out Robots and Monsters to find out how.

Structuralism

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Five mechanical, interactive works by Seattle-based artist Casey Curran. In order of appearance: Law of Karma, Dick and Jane Have a New Game, Drawing on the Self, Green Pastures, and Distopia.

Ah Robots

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Flip Book Video

A video for the song “Here Come the Guns” by Choo Choo La Rouge features a series of moving flip books by animator Greg Condon.

New Hot Dog Cart Logo

A friend of mine is starting a new business venture in Indianapolis and asked me to design a logo for it. If you're ever in town look for her cart. Mention my name and I bet she'll cut you a deal.


Here's a mock-up of the art in action.

One day my work will be big!

This is part of a series of paintings for an exhibit sponsored by Purdue University's Entomology Dept. They will appear as full page illustrations in an open book that's six feet tall. The exhibit, called "What's Bugging Belva?" will premiere next month at the Indiana State Fair, and possibly become expanded for a tour of museums around the country.


Here's the display while still under construction. I hope to make it down to the fair and get some photos of the finished project on site, I'll post them if I do.

On Our Bathroom Sink

Around 11:15 p.m. on July 16, 2009. Now I have mixed feelings about fixing the holes in the screen.

Summer Reading Poster

I posted this about a year ago just after I completed the assignment. Illinois' summer reading program officially begins on June 8th, so here's a refresher. You can click on the image for a larger view.

Robots and Bugs

I was listening to a podcast about Dung Beetles this morning. Yeah that's right wise guy. Now that your snide remarks are finished I'll continue. It was extremely interesting. They were discussing the various horn configurations, and segued into Rhino Beetles. The scientist being interviewed described one specimen that was crawling up his arm at that moment as being nearly 4 inches long! I had to check these bugs out, and long story long, stumbled across the site of a man called Mike Libby.

I love robots and I love bugs, so Mr. Libby's site, called Insect Lab, was mash-up heaven! He's what is known as a bio-mechanical artist. Using real (dead) insects, electronic components, and antique watch parts, he creates "robot-like insects and insect-like robots". They're amazing and beautiful pieces of art that are not really functional, but seem like they could be. Each insect is presented in a glass dome or custom black shadow box. I have a birthday coming up soon and I'm clearing off shelf space.

Blackboard Bird

Experimenting

I've been playing with acrylic gouache and unusual surfaces lately. It started with this old wooden cutting board I found. Then I did this quick study on the spine of an old book from a resale shop. After all of the digital stuff I've been doing it's scary and fun to use real paints and brushes again! I have paintings in progress on the front and back cover of that book and another one on a small framed slate chalk board. The temptation to spend all of my time on them is strong, but deadlines are keeping me away for the time being. I'll post them when they're finished, unless they look bad, then we'll pretend this never happened!

In A Dream

I can't wait for this film!


IN A DREAM: Theatrical Trailer from Herzliya Films on Vimeo.

Lost Tribes of NYC

The Lost Tribes of New York City from Carolyn London on Vimeo.

Urban Anthropologists, Andy and Carolyn London interview some of New York City's more overlooked citizens.

Nick Cave's Soundsuits

AMAZING!!

"Reminiscent of African ceremonial costumes, yet similarly connected to haute couture, Cave’s Soundsuits are physical manifestations of his energy. He has said, ‘I believe that the familiar must move towards the fantastic. I want to evoke feelings that are unnamed, that aren’t realized except in dreams.’ Thus, through the acts of collecting and reconfiguring, Cave explores and reiterates cultural, ritualistic and ceremonial concepts. Concurrently, his focus on the connotations of materials as a way to construct narratives, coupled with the fact that the wearer is at times completely concealed, allows the work to transcend preconceived notions of class, race, and sexuality. Cave, who studied fiber arts at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, is Associate Professor and Chairman of the Fashion Department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago."

Picture Book Artists Association Spring Poster!

PBAA goes green!

787 Cliparts by Oliver Laric

Once upon a time a hack designer nearly died and a lifetime of clip art flashed before his eyes...

Barnumville

Matt Hoyle's Barnumville is about a fictitious town in 1940’s Florida inhabited by sideshow performers of all shapes and sizes. It’s inspired by the real life town of Gibsonton Florida which used to be an active vacation town for wintering circus folk. I was lucky enough to shoot many known sideshow performers who are in the last remaining sideshows in America, Coney Island Sideshow and 999 Eyes Freakshow from Austin Texas.

Little Red Riding Hood, the Animated Infographic Story

Tomas Nilsson, a graphic design student from Linköping University, tells the story of Little Red Riding Hood with animated infographics. The video (below) was inspired by Röyksopp's Remind Me and has that ever so familiar European electronica music moving things along. Covering topics from grandma's nutritional value to the aerodynamics of the traveling bus, the video is very tongue in cheek and totally worth the three minutes of your life.




Thanks to flowingdata.com for the heads up.

New England Ruins

A couple of years ago I stopped back in my home town for a day while on my way to New Haven. It was the first time I'd been there in nearly 20 years and I couldn't believe how much it had changed. Most of my old landmarks had been knocked down and built over, but what really shocked me was my old elementary school. It hadn't been torn down, replaced or remodeled. Just boarded up and left to nature. There were weeds filling the front courtyard that were as high as the roof.

This collection of photos by Rob Dobi consists of other buildings in New England that have been left to decay. Their beauty makes me wish I could go back to my old school with his eyes and a camera.

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes

My nieces Elizabeth and Natalie "reading" their favorite book. What could be a better endorsement? Two little girls who love James Dean and Eric Litwin's book so much that they have it memorized!

But I Like Some of Them...

Bad Paintings of Barack Obama

Bird On A Bread Board

This was my first project using the acrylic gouache that I got for my birthday. It seems appropriate that I used them to create a birthday gift for the lovely Debra, since she was the one who gave me the paints in the first place. It's the circle of life, right?

I painted on an old wooden cutting board that I found in my basement. The surface looked so cool that I felt it would be a shame to cover the whole thing. I loved the paint, beautiful colors, easy to mix and manipulate. I've been told that the paint's surface is great to draw on too, I'll have to try that.

This isn't the best photo but it will have to do for now. I'll get a better image when I'm in the studio and post it later. Click it if you'd like a larger image.

Love A Dog Day

Of course that's every day as far as I'm concerned, but it particularly seems to be turning into a theme today. First I was treated to funny stories about my best friend Sam from his foster family in CT. They have just found out about his fondness for whipped cream shots and ability to swipe potatoes from the cellar. This is Sam...






















Then my friend Jill Donovan turned me on to this great story about an elephant and her dog (that's the elephant's dog, not Jill's).



And finally, I read the following essay from one of my all time favorite journalists. That's right, Roger Ebert is not just a film critic. Blackie Come Home.

Enjoy these stories, then go give your dog a treat and a nice belly rub.

15 Step

Radiohead - 15 Step
by Alisvideo

Radiohead with the USC Marching Band

Employee of the Month

Employee Of The Month


Great song by They Might Be Giants, great animation by Elliot Cowan, you can find more at www.elliotelliotelliot.com

What can you do about gay marriage?

"Make a loud noise, try to make yourself appear larger..."