Mr. Fancypants

I just finished uploading some new images of my latest project. Introducing: Mr. Fancypants! Complete with monocle and removable top hat! I probably should've constructed the hat out of a different, more forgiving, material, but oh well. You live and you learn. I added this to the Miscellaneous section of my website. Clicking on the pictures will take you to the Flickr set. There's lots of new pics over in my photostream, so check them all out while you're in the neighborhood.

Accidental Art

This composition just happened while on my way to a different image. It's funny how things like that occur without premeditation. Although not revolutionary by any stretch of the word, I love it when I am able to create things that I find to be intriguing without actually meaning to.

Custom Christmas Gift Tags

I made these Christmas gift tags to give my presents a little hand-made quality. Originally, I was planning on making all of my actual gifts, but the holidays snuck up on me and I found myself drastically short on time. Using my collection of stamps, I was still able to give away some of my artwork, if only in a scaled-down version of what I had intended. They're tiny little prints that fit intimately in the palm of your hand!

Portfolio website

So, if by some miraculous series of events, you haven't heard about my new site and yet managed to find your way to my blog... I have a new site! I've been working out some of the kinks this past week, but there's a few minor probs lingering. Check out some of what I've been up to. There's also a link at the top of the blog. Thanks, brother.

Sanna Annukka

Goodie, goodie gumdrops! The work of Sanna Annukka is GAWEGEOUS! I always admired the album artwork of Keane's Under The Iron Sea and even contemplated buying the cd just so I could own the insert. I was young and naive then, and never thought to research into the artist behind the work. Needless to say, I loved her even before I knew who she was. She reminds me of a modern-day Stefan Kanchev, a graphic design legend whose work ethic and sheer knowledge we should all aspire to achieve. More of Sanna's illustration can be found here in addition to her own website. Someone get me that mug!

via grain edit

Alec Jones

I'm loving the paper card collages of Alec Jones. So carefully crafted and well planned, these suckers are jaw-dropping. They're a lot bigger than you think, too. One of those blades of grass in that alien piece is over an inch tall! It'd be so cool to have one of these framed and decorating my living quarters. Hook it up, yo.

Little Kitchen

I found this photo while perusing through the image archives at work and found it too adorable not to share. The fridge is a little small, but I guess it helps keep Giant hands off of the ice cream.

Bit.Trip Beat

I played this game for the first time today and fell completely in love with its soundtrack! The visuals are stunning as well. Simple, addictive gameplay, great music, fun to watch... truly a work of art in itself.

Chauskoskis

Walter Jacott, bka Chauskoskis if you've ever heard of him through the internets, has got to be my new favorite artist! So good, so inspiring. Check out much, much more, including some insight on how he turns vinyl toys into truly original works of art, on his Flickr page.

Space Panda

I've developed an affinity for what I'm calling "3D illustration." It's really just painted objects, sculpture, decoration, etc. It's more "art for art's sake" than anything else. Basically it's my reaction to the overpriced vinyl toys that I can't afford. This started as a little post-topper that I picked up at Home Depot for a couple bucks. It's not really flying anywhere in 2010, unless of course, someone overseas decides to buy it. Even then I'm not really sure about it's means of getting there. Maybe boat, maybe plane, maybe penguin-propelled hovercraft... If anyone else feels the desire to paint one of these, let me know. We can start the latest craze. For now, this space ursa will contemplate the inner workings of its troubled, lonely heart. Check out a couple more pics on my flickr page.

The Small Stakes

It's official. I'm an impulsive buyer. But I just couldn't resist the fine work of Jason Munn at The Small Stakes. It's precision and simplicity were calling my name!

Nobrow

Nobrow is a small publishing company based in the UK. They produce limited runs of magazines, books, and other design and illustrative goodness that I hope to get my grubby little hands on one day. If you or someone you know would like to aid in that process, these prints would look great in my possession! Just sayin'... Here's how they stay on top:

"Our aim is to place a renewed focus on quality in print, using wherever possible the best materials we can get our hands on and always trying to play with format, color, size and design to ensure that our publications are well conceived and individual. We work closely with locally based printers wherever possible so that we can be involved in the creative process from start to finish and we always try to achieve finished products that are not only filled with great work, but that themselves are art objects, to be coveted, collected and cherished."

Also check out their small press, filled with all things screenprinted. These would make great Christmas gifts!

Delicious Design League

This poster came for me in the mail yesterday. I promptly bought a frame for it and it is now currently hanging on my bedroom wall. She's a beaut! Delicious Design League does great work.

Thanksgiving Invitation

Just wrapped up this invite. Mailing out to friends and family tomorrow.

Rohit Iyer

Holey Cow
Smooch-stache
Bird Flip
88

Rohit Iyer's work is quirky, clever, and fun. I'm always charmed by simple styles that are able to carry such an enormous amount of wit. My favorite is "88." View more work at his blog: here.

Face-melting Guitar Solo

Here's a sketch I made for Wooden Toy Quarterly's music edition. Unfortunately, I decided not to submit it for review when I realized I couldn't decide on how to color it. Oh well. Drawing is always fun.

Bananas are trouble.

Lately I've been getting into custom type and exploring letterforms. These are the first of my now many type sketches. Yeah, not that impressive, but just wait until you see where I go from here! When drawing letters, as in most areas of my life, it's hard breaking out of my comfort zone. With these little sketches, there's no pressure. Unfortunately, I tend to draw the same curves or use the same line quality in a lot of them. I should probably use a different medium than pen or pencil just to free up my strokes a bit. My fear of failure and imperfection, however, holds me back. Wow. The biggest problems of my life drastically affect the art I create. I want my art to be its own entity and breathe its own life, not be tainted with my shortcomings. Is it possible to make a more conscious effort to control subconscious thoughts?

Atmosphere

Beautiful sky tonight. Admiring it while listening to Mogwai's "Friend of the Night" is near perfection. This photo does not do it justice by any means. It's times like these that make me realize I desperately need a new camera.

Robotz Sans

Here's some initial sketching for a typeface I plan on using for my Robotz identity. I still haven't come up with a better name for this undertaking...

The Time Machine

Check out this vintage book cover from an old paperback I picked up this weekend at the Friends of the Library book sale. Fifty cents for awesome art and a classic novel. The wear on this is perfect and I'm loving the block of type on the back cover. Not to mention the equally compelling composition of the cover art and its rhythmic relationship with the letterforms. Plus, the conceptual connection with the plot's theme of space (positive/negative) and time (repetition/rhythm). One of my many great finds!

Draplin Design Co.

Beautiful work by Draplin Design Co. The operation is led by Aaron James Draplin, whose design sensibilities are just as big as his personality.

Corey Holms's Food Dye Photography

Ohmygoodness, yes.

Tiger egg

This here's the first of a series of animal eggs. Although, the form of the egg has absolutely nothing to do with a tiger in the literal sense, I think it's nice to see something unexpected on its surface. I've come to realize that I love painting on wood. These little sculptures are my way of transitioning into doing what I ultimately want to do--that is, making toys or movable sculpture. Going from 2-D to 3-D is especially exciting because of its tangibility. It's not meant to hang on your wall and be admired from a certain distance, while keeping a safe amount of space between you and the art. It's a tactile experience. You're meant to walk around it, hold it in your hand, and pour over every inch of its surface. That's the kind of intimacy I always strive for.

Bicycle, at long last!

Before (partly disassambled, most decals pulled off)

After
I received this bike as a gift about 5 years ago, but didn't really ride it so much for the past three. I decided a new paint job would breathe new life into me ol' bike since I was always unhappy with the Hawaiian theme of it. However, what I thought would be a simple weekend project, turned into a much more complicated, month-long project. I never worked on a bike before, so I did my research to make sure I did it properly. I went through all the sanding, stripping, priming, painting and finishing, and at each step, something went horridly wrong. Granted, this was my first bike project and perfection is hard to come by at any means. Ultimately, it was a good learning experience, one that I thought I'd never see the end of, but Lo and Behold! It's finally finished! I'll probably end up painting red lightning bolts on it for added speed.

ROBOTZ 1.0

I finished these guys up a little while ago, but only got around to actually photographing them today. They started as simple little sculptures that I wanted to fill a $1 wooden pencil box with, but after having spent much time on them collectively, I've come to realize they could be used for so much more. That said, I have a few ideas of where to take this project. Hopefully I'll tap into all of them and come out with a nice finished product in the end.

Working, working.

I've been busily working on several different projects simultaneously, so it has taken me longer than expected to make the update I've been wanting to make next. I'm very excited about my current projects and I hope they're received just as well. More info soon to come!

Vasco Mourão

My goodness, this guy is AMAZING. I was speechless after seeing the work of Vasco Mourão over a year ago and his work has just gotten better since then. His architectural vocabulary and his exceptional understanding of positive/negative space are qualities to be deeply envious of. Its artists like him that make me wonder what I'm good at. View more work here.

Wooden Toy Publishing Co.

Have you heard of Wooden Toy? They're great!