Things that Slither...

Hello Lovelies!

Well, the weekly post is a bit late, because I spent Labor Day weekend camping with my Sweetie's family and I think I speak for everyone when I say we had a really good time. Perfect way to wind up the summer up here in Maine. We found all manner of creepy crawlers; caterpillars, slugs, a salamander, a turtle and even a one-eyed frog who I nicknamed One Eye Willy (of course). Take a peek:

This is one of our skull torches, the namesake of our camping area; Skull Island.

Good times.

You Kids have a couple more days to vote on my Skull Pop submission on Threadless. It only takes a moment, and I will be giving them away if I'm printed, so there's that...

Speaking of dark and dastardly illustrations, I have found an artist whose work makes me want to both laugh and scream. Noir Nouar's style is just tops in my opinion, the sweet 1940's looking people with these crazy mean and murderous scenes. I love it. Oh! And she has an Etsy shop here. Great stuff.

Have you guys heard of Nimit Malavia? Sounds like a Russian submarine, doesn't it? Well, his work does sneak up on you and blow your mind, so perhaps in a way, he is a Russian sub. Regardless, the pencil mixed with the paint in some cases, gives this work a moody feel and when you look through his portfolio, you get a sense of how diverse his talents truly are. Take a look, you'll be amazed.

Time for some strange news. This is almost unbelievable Folks. Did you read about the woman in Houston, Texas who got the world's largest breast implants? How big are they, you ask? How about 38KKK. And they take an entire gallon of silicone. Now come on people. She had to go to Brazil to get those since docs in the States apparently stop at 34FFF. Here is a direct quote from this lovely lady: "To me, big is beautiful. I don't think I have anything to worry about..." Wow.

Except maybe this.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Skull Pop

Hello Lovelies!

Well, my Skull Pop design is up for scoring on Threadless and I would be ever so grateful if you would take 4 seconds and score it for me. I am going to keep at this until I get printed, and then give free tees away when I do! So, it's a win/win! Tell your friends! And thank you.

It's the lolli that bites back.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Sparrow Bride...

Hello Lovelies!

I hope you are all doing well. It's a misty and overcast dayhere at the Mill which feels like some early fall weather... my favorite season. In fact, to kick off theHalloween season, I did a little piece for my sister Abigail and enclosed it inside my favorite copy of my favorite book, Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes and sent it off to get her in the spirit. We both love Halloween so very much.

Take a peek at the art I sent here:

What else? Oh, a couple more days of voting for my Light Lunch tee over at Threadless. If you have a second to score it, head on over. I would be ever so grateful. More tee designs to come, so standby!

And, as promised, there are 6 new Zom-B-Vex pieces going up this week and they are violent, crazy, over-the-top, and tongue-in-cheek, just the way you like 'em! Prepare yourselves.

I have found some outstanding artists I want to share with you. The first artist, Mathiole, I found via Threadless. He's a legend on that site, and his shirt designs transcend tees into the form of art. Plus, he has a really unique style that my eyes adore, a pleasing mixture of soft and hard, innocent and jaded. I love it. Take a peek!

And speaking of great illustrators, I have been an EC Comics fan for years, and it occurred to me the other day, I haven't mentioned "Ghastly" Graham Ingels on this blog yet! A major oversight on my part. EC Comics came out in the 30's and 40's and had such titles as Tales from the Crypt (sound familiar?), The Vault of Horror and The Haunt of Fear. Graham Ingels did the Haunt of Fear mainly and his ink work and sense of drama was unparalleled. Even in black and white his work achieves a sense of suspense. Take a look and read more about him, or better yet, get an EC Comic!

Let's wrap up with a movie review, shall we? Sure. I had fond memories of Waxworks I & II when I saw them for the first time nearly 2 decades ago. I remember them being clever and strange, and anything set in a wax museum is fine by me (see my House of Wax review here). But man was I off. On the one hand, the costumes, horror movie references and sets are pretty neat. On the other, the acting, dialogue, plot and logic are about as strong as an old lady's handshake, which is to say, they're pretty weak. During most of the "major plot developments" I was too busy looking at the cheap wigs to pay any attention to the plot, and really, it wasn't necessary to follow the movie anyway. It's worth a look-see if you haven't seen them yet, but don't expect much. 4 out of 5 corncobs.

Yes, this movie was less well-executed than this waxwork's nose and also less terrifying than said waxwork. Double fail.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Light Lunch...

Hello Lovelies!

As I announced in my last post, I submitted a tee to Threadless and it has been approved for scoring! So, if you have a second and the inclination, click here and score this for me. Thank you Lovelies!

Candy Winds...

Hello Lovelies!

I hope you are all doing well this fine Monday! I have a lot to share with you as always. First, the Island of Misfit Toys series is finally complete,there is abefore and after shot of the raw materials and the finished product below. I like to paint on a mixture of found objects and new canvases to create a more eclectic feel to my work. These pieces will on display at the Sylvia Kania Gallery September 3rd!

I am also submitting another design to Threadless entitled A Light Lunch this week. Hopefully it will be approved for rating, the image is below, it will also have some fun glow ink on it. I will make a post this week when/if it's approved so you Lovelies can take a look and vote if you wish!

And lastly, get excited you guys, because there are more Zom-B-Vex pieces coming starting early next week, and these are even crazier than the last ones... if that's possible.

Speaking of crazy, I wanted to pass along a crazy good photographer to you Lovelies. I was turned on to the work of August Bradley via Choklit Chanteuse's great blog. I find people everyday who do this elaborate Photoshopped aesthetic, but the thing I feel makes one photographer stand out from the crowd, is the underlying intrigue, artistry and vision that is conveyed by their work. I've featured many photographers who have these three things and if you take a peek at Bradley's work, the same thing becomes apparent. Lovely, lovely work here.

If you're ever near South Africa and need a place to eat lunch, stop on by The Cargo Hold Restaurant. This place looks crazy! The restaurant was built to replicate a phantom ship that sailed the South African coast, and there are aquariums and other details that make you feel like you're really in a shipwreck while dining. I love theme restaurants! I wish South Africa wasn't so far away...

And lastly, while doing some research for the online comic a friend and I will be producing very soon (it's going to begreat Kiddies!), I stumbled across a great online comic: Agnes Quill. Heard of it? Well, take a look at some of those stories and I think you, like I, will be pulled right into the plot. The artwork and inking are amazing and they even have some printed books out. Take a look!

I mean, is that a ghost vacuum? Wonderful.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Bright Lights, Dark Tees...

Hello Lovelies!

I hope you are all well. Boy howdy (I've always wanted to say that), do I have a lot to share with you Lovelies. First, you may have noticed that little skull animation over there to the right. Like it? It was my first foray into the world of GIF images. Thought I'd spice things up for you here on the blog.

Also, if you'll notice below that, a link to my first Threadless t-shirt submission entitled Chasing Pirates. I plan to do regular submissions to Threadless to bring some beautiful darkness to the masses (haha) and they will all be posted here if you want to score them. This tee is up for scoring all week, so hop on over and score it really quickly if you have a second. Thank you. Oh, and here are some process shots just for you followers:

What else? Oh! My Dark Playland piece was featured on the front page of Etsy, which is exciting! It's kind of a dark piece for Etsy, and it's great to see it up there. Coming up this week, I will be posting a new Cigar, Creeper & Dark shot (that's really creepy), as well as some new mini cards I'm excited about, so keep an eye out!

Are you all familiar with The Little Friends of Printmaking? I've posted about them here a few times. They are wonderful. The other day, I ordered their 2010 calendar because it was on sale, and any opportunity to get some letter press goodness, I'm there. Well, I got it, and it is wonderful! The artwork? The quality? Look at the imprint depth in these shots I took. I am now a huge fan!

I have found another wonderful design studio I wanted to share. I Love Dust is based out of the UK and even their flash intro is beautiful. I really like the way they mix the old with a new sense of aesthetic, oh, and those circus themed milk cartons? Sigh.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Coney Island Jewels

Hello Lovelies!

I hope this Monday finds you all doing well wherever you are. I have been busy as usual in the old Mill, making some great things for you all and for various other endeavors.

First, I did a little spring cleaning and re-organized my shop by subject so it's easier to find the things you seek. I have also added a "Soon to be discontinued" section to phase some older stuff out and make room for the new. When these items expire, they're gone for good! And lastly, I also re-organized my website so you can more quickly and easily view my photography and paintings! It's all about you Dearies.

To complete the business portion of our programming, I have listed some great new photos from my New York trip that I think you'll appreciate. Picture below are just a few: Coney Island Mural, a new Facon de Parler entitled Dark Playland, and Nathan's Hot Dogs

Ooo! I have to tell you all about a book my Sweetie gave to me recently. As you know, I am a huge Camille Rose Garcia fan. Like, huge. I would like to eventually own all of her books (in lieu of an actual print or piece of work... sigh). I just added Saddest Place on Earth to my collection! It covers some of her earlier work and discusses the philosophy behind some of her exhibitions. Not only is the work top-knotch, but the feelings she describes trying to illicit from her viewer were in fact elicited from me while I was viewing... which is rare I find. Check it out!

Speaking of original work that I'm coveting, I have recently stumbled upon a clearing house for original art and illustration I want to share! The Inkwell Art House site has a little bit of everything; Dr. Seuss, Maurice Sendak, Jack Davis, Al Jaffee and a ton of other illustrators I love, all for sale! Now, some are nutso price-wise, but there are a few romance novel covers (I know, I can't believe it either), that I really like and may buy. I mean, Jack Davis?! For a Mad Magazine/EC Comics dork like myself, this is big.

I have also found a wonderful illustrator via Threadless who I want to point out. Esther Arrts' shirts fly right off the shelves over there and I managed to nab two and felt lucky. Her portfolio is even better. Check it out y'all! Very neat sort of 60's mod-inspired stuff.

Let's wrap up with a weird news story, shall we? I have a doozy this week. Did you kids read about the Berlin woman who was arrested for trying to smuggle her deceased husband onto a plane in Liverpool? Yeah, she claims he was "alive when she left the house" but then, upon arriving at the airport, "he suddenly appeared so lifeless, like a wax figure"... This did not however, keep her from pushing him around the airport Weekend at Bernie's style with sunglasses on until she was in fact, arrested. Yiiikes, yikes people. Whew.

Life of the party indeed...

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...