James Kochalka has been keeping a sketchbook diary for years and years and years. About ten, probably. Until recently you could only see his current daily strip on his website for free, while the archives were kept for paying subscribers. If you missed the freebie window that was it gone. But fear not, the American Elf has stuck 'em all - yep, all of 'em - up on his website. Now you can go way back in time to the days of black and white when he bought the very first blank sketchbook, or shared a cigarette in the rain.
I read his strip every day. I even read it before I check my email. And so should you.
My crush on Jeremiah Ketner is getting slowly out of control. I want to stencil his strange people-babies on my ceiling, or ask him very nicely, if maybe I gave him cookies, he would do me a mural on my walls. His stuff is amazingly playful-- childlike and colorful and fun and makes me want to make art. He's got a new show in Baltimore, and a new site up here, AND a blog AND you can buy all sorts of delectable stuff at his store, or prints at Thumbtack Press.
And somehow, somehow, that isn't the coolest thing. No. The coolest thing is that you can download ALL of his art for 2008 at high-resolution on Flickr. And it's under a Creative Commons license. So you can actually USE his work for stuff. Which makes me oddly excited. What will I do with it? Make real-life wallpaper? A mobile? Bedsheets? Possibilities. Endless, I tell you.
Dan Hillier creates strange victorian drawings of people with incongruous bits of animalia. And lately, he seems like he's got a bunch of bits for sale, too-- though I can't seem to find any of his prints online, I have seen stuff for sale in Brick Lane, in London. Never fear, though! You can own one of his fantasmogorical pieces on your very own moleskine. Ain't they spiffy?
In what we hope will become a regular feature, we offer up to you Link Love Roundup, a place to put all those little bits of magic and fluff we really want you to see, in yummy bite size form. Here's all the art, music, fashionista and culture candy goodness you can shake a pretty stick at. (And if you're lucky, there might be some toast links thrown in for good measure!)
In what we hope will become a regular feature, we offer up to you Link Love Roundup, a place to put all those little bits of magic and fluff we really want you to see, in yummy bite size form. Here's all the art, music, fashionista and culture candy goodness you can shake a pretty stick at. (And if you're lucky, there might be some toast links thrown in for good measure!)
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Craig Thompson has a blog (The writer of Blankets has just posted some panels from his upcoming graphic novel, Habibi)
Michael Cianfrani has started a project called Tiny Run: sort of similar to projects like Tiny Showcase,Tiny Run releases a new, limited-run designed tee shirt biweekly. The latest shirt features the artwork of Aya Kakeba, which-- and we love when this happens-- Tiny Run originally found on the Fabulist. There's also shirts with fun stuff like embroidered bacon (complete with glow-in-the-dark bacon fat)! Michael dropped a line to say if you join the mailing list, you can get access to the last couple of the bacon tees before they disappear forever and ever.
I remember seeing a bunch of Yoskay Yamamoto pieces in a sneaker shop on Sawtelle about a year ago, and I just stood there, transfixed. His very first solo show is happening at Project: Gallery in Los Angeles May 3rd, and the gallery has put up a yummy preview link.
(I love this piece, particularly.) If you're in Los Angeles, pop over there and tell Yoskay he's made of awesome.
A series of photographs of people beloved: the kind you'd find tucked in a shoebox under a bed, or pressed between the pages of a diary. The Ones We Love sets out to explore the emotions that tug at us and demand we capture beauty. Each artist has submitted six photographs and a handwritten note describing the object of their affections; occasionally, the notes are sweeter than the pictures themselves. Hasisi is a mystery. I need to know why I love her, why she loves me, what makes her a genius, whether any of it can rub off on me. - Jackson Eaton
I tied a disposable camera to a bench with a sign that read:
Good afternoon,
I attached this camera to the bench so you could take pictures. Seriously. So have fun. I'll be back later this evening to pick it up.
Love, Jay / The Plug
When I retrieved the camera that night, I was happy to find that the entire roll of film had been shot. Below are the photos that were taken.
Everyone needs a little pick-me-up now and again, a reminder to always look on the bright side of life. (Doo-doo, doo-doo doo-doo doo-doo.) Here's a list of art prints that do just that, and look pretty snappy on your wall to boot. Pick up It's Okay To Have Everything I Want from Soma, Don't Give Up from Print Liberation, and for all those lovers of maps and wayworn days (you know who you are) Make Your Own Path from Keep Calm.
Keep Calm And Carry On comes in a variety of prints, but my favorite might be the tee shirt version. And while it's not apparently available anywhere that I can find, I had to throw in this Platform For Art Tube Poster by Mark Titchner, because it cheers me up every time I'm in the Underground.
will.i.am is back with a second video in support of Obama, and I have to sort of say, I'm amazed. When was the last time a presidential candidate inspired so much art, and passion?
Levi Weaver is also part of the Team Genius Nashville ensemble-- and this is one of the most clever animated music videos I've seen in a good bit. Why is it that a tiny cartoon man with no arms can elicit such empathy?
Levi's toured with Imogen Heap and is looking for doppelgangers over at Last.fm-- check out his cover of Radiohead's Idioteque at Last.fm, too.
I kind of have a thing for octopus people lately so I’m mighty glad you posted this. Did you see the Ray Cesar pieces in the new issue of Juxtapoz? Creepy Precious Moments like octopus kids.
Elaine on 
