Ryan: Animated Short by Chris Landreth
July 18, 2008
(Thank you, Drawn!) Friends, I’ve just seen something, and you should see it too. Do you know the feeling that rises, when you’re reading or watching or hearing something, and your sense of time slows, your muscles fill with cooling gel, and you think, “Oh my God, this is important“? I watched this film and sort of felt my world turn a corner.
Still from Ryan, an animated film by Chris Landreth.
Not only does Landreth use his medium for purposeful and poetic storytelling, but he portrays strikingly accurate visual representations of love and addiction. Watch the film online at the YouTube Screening Room.
Read more about the film here.
Read more about Ryan Larkin here.
Illustration Friday: Foggy
July 12, 2008
Let Things Be Foggy, ink on paper, July 2008.
I began this sketch during my stay in Canadian, Texas over the Fourth of July holiday. I don’t have any major shows planned or new projects in progress at this point, so I feel a mite bit purposeless. (It’s been a long time since my schedule was this open.) Plus, I’m exploring some less graphic, more painterly stylistic ground. This foggy place is the perfect environment in which to let some new ideas germinate.
See more of Illustration Friday here.
Here is a snapshot of my desk upon completing the drawing, where you can see my collage sketch:
Abstract Earth: Stunning Satellite Imagery
July 12, 2008
Satellite Image of Aleutian Clouds, North America. Click image to view its source.
Are you looking for ideas for your next thirty abstract paintings? Because NASA beat you to it. But you can go visit them at the Environmental Graffiti blog.
Survey: Do you use Creative Commons and Flickr?
July 11, 2008
Untitled photograph from Flickr user Sevenshades. This photo is one of many images on Flickr with a Creative Commons license. Click image to view its source.
From the creativecommons.org blog:
Our good friend and new media sociologist Alek Tarkowski from CC Poland has been working hard to compile data for a new report on Flickr user patterns and content licensing. This’ll be a great boost for deepening our developing case study, and will go a long way to supporting our ongoing efforts to develop an understanding of how creators release their works.
But he needs your help to gather data! You can get a link to his short survey here. Definitely worth the few minutes.
For more on CC Poland’s work check out their site.
I, for one, use Flickr both to showcase my cc-licensed work and to search for other cc-licensed images. Help spread the word!
Boys Who Love The Subway
July 11, 2008
Speaking of maps…
Christoph Niemann’s sons give helpful directions to a stranger.
Here is a delightfully illustrated story in the New York Times about two little boys and their love for the MTA. An excellent example of using symbols as visual language, the perfect mix between pictures and words. You can see more of Niemann’s work at his website, www.christophniemann.com. (Ooh! Ooh! Turns out he did one of my favorite New Yorker covers, which you can see here. Scroll down to the lady with the pikachu kimono.)
Map Showing the Growth of Wal-Mart Across America
July 11, 2008
Watching the Growth of Wal-Mart across America - click here.
I love how the map background color is Necrosis Black and the little store-spores are A Pox On Ye Green. Enticing.
I also love maps.