Selling Sounds

Just a couple of new card designs I recently dropped into my account. These would be great for music stores or recording studios...heck just a whole lot of fun for pop culture shops.

Business Cards

The Elvis Impersonator

Recently I decided to send an illustration to a certain person we will call the Elvis Impersonator. It was a nice little piece, free of charge. No strings attached. Use it at your will, but much to my surprise I never received a "Man that sucks" or "cool" or "Thanks" absolutely no communication regarding the freebie. I am assuming it sucked. I have no idea why I waste my time trying to support people like that.

What puzzles me most is the person is running a virtual giant social networking shop, that's my term for it. It must be an Etsy thing. Elvis' art is home spun paper craft items much like 2 grade art class projects. They post cute items, they sells space and tweets their heads off but are far from communications experts. I can't imagine a business who won't communicate lasting long. I understand that OTC has general business classes, maybe Elvis should look into.

I am looking forward to the time I have the chance to return the favor when asked for my support on a project or for some free press... I am like an elephant, I never forget. I have had some wonderful support from some locals who seem to have the game on.

Hats off to C Street, SPF Blogs both are great allies to have. I always support those who are smart enough to take advantage of opportunities. For those in my area visit those sites and get involved. My rating: A+

Firebird Memorial

Guess we can say goodbye to the Pontiac Firebird, Trans Am and Grand Prix just to name a few in this famous line up. Kind of sad to say it's no more. This version is probably one of my favorites in the line. Happy Trails Chief!

Monster eCommerce

Thanks to my friends at OzNet, Earthmonster is now in the process of building inventory for our eCommerce on the website. This is just too cool! In the near future I will be offering posters, framed prints, Giclee prints...hell, you name it I'll sell it all in one spot! It's all good! Thanks for reading.

Flavors.me

Flavors.me: A Simple Way To Pull Your Online Presences Into One Place
by Jason Kincaid on Feb 23, 2010
If you’re reading this post, there’s a good chance you have multiple online profiles scattered across various services, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Flickr, and Twitter. And one problem you may face is pulling all of this information together to build a single online identity — be it for personal use, or to create a professional online profile. Flavors.me is a new site launching today that looks to make this as simple as possible, and it does so with flying colors. After a three month long private beta, the site has just launched to the public.

The service is as simple as they come. After completing a basic sign up form, you link your Flavors.me page to any of 15 online services, with options that include Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn (as well as any RSS feed). Flavors.me taps into these services via their APIs (you generally enter your credentials using OAuth or Facebook Connect), and within minutes you’re ready to start customizing your site. (more)

NSBA Draft

First draft of the new NSBA logo...feedback welcome.

Robert E. Smith

My Robert E. Smith Poster.
Robert a local folk artist passed away February 12, 2010.

Article on Robert E. Smith at PamDora's Box

The Smokin' Hottie

Looking for some feedback my peeps!

Stuff White People Like

This blog is devoted to stuff that white people like

#125 Bob Marley

April 22, 2009 by clander

During the course of a white person’s education they will go through many phases including but not limited to: “awkward,” “classic rock,” and “being really into a foreign country.” Of these phases, there is only one that all white people are required to go through before they can obtain their bachelor’s degree. It is known as “Bob Marley.”

Depending on the coolness of the white person, they can experience this stage anywhere between the sixth grade and their last year of college. Regardless of when they went through this phase, every white person can tell you about the time when they had Legend on repeat. If you wish to test this theory, go to any floor in a College Dorm and there is a 100% chance you will find at least one Bob Marley poster.

(More)

This is a blog folks! If you want to get a true read on white people here's the place. Truth hurts :)

The Redbubble Option

So you are an artist and you want to sell your wares online. That's great, it can be fun. The options are endless, CafePress, Imagekind, Etsy but let's look at my experience on Australia's Redbubble. First let me say...I am not an expert in what it takes to make your work sell on Redbubble, that's obvious. After languishing on Redbubble for almost two years I finally received my first check. Sad to think it came almost two years later, Celeste rushed to the bank to deposit the hand written check. The deposit was all of $114.50. I know... amazing. I hate to think about the time spent developing $114.50, it would make you puke.

I weighed the ROI and decided it was time to evacuate the sinking vessel and move on before I drowned. Most people on RB make a decent draw, I am not one of them. Redbubble seems to stroke more localized artists in their area. Again an opinion. Before I left I started researching the heavy hitters and the exposure that was allowed those individuals from Redbubble and their peers. I came to the conclusion that if success was to be had it would come from either a straight popularity contest or the moistening of my nose on certain powers. After all I can earn far more than $114.50 in 15 days on another site. Thats a bit better ROI. So I'll take my chances on that site as well as possibly developing some new ones.

Marketing on other sites is easy, they do it. I did some homework and searching and found them tweeting their heads off every time I uploaded some new work. I will add... it was outside their site. Internal marketing to other artists is for the birds, well except for $114.50 over two years. I digress. I also understand you need to look at what you are getting out of the experience of being on RB, for myself...I don't need the experience. That's not to say Redbubble hasn't got it's strong points, it is a fantastic social gathering place for artists who want to socialize. I met some very nice people there and am thankful for those connections.

On the flip side of the coin...in developing an "outside their system" blog which highlighted their products, services, members and website I found that their lack of any real ongoing support was disheartening. Considering that the investment of time from them was zero. They had no expense, no manpower and only stood to gain from any and all outside marketing exposure that the write-up's gave to them. I expected a little more than the token pat on the back every 3 months. Instead they chose to highlight on a constant basis another such program which was an internal publication sitting on their servers and reaching their members. Doesn't make good marketing sense to let the one getting 10,000-20,000 visitors a month sit idle. It doesn't make good marketing sense to let the one promoting their site within their competitors sites go away. It doesn't make good marketing sense to let the one hammering their message out on twitter and Facebook die on the vine. What were the total impressions for Redbubble? I know their ROI was a hell of a lot better than mine. I guess you could say I banned them from me. I limited my own access and am now reviewing my account.

So for those of my loyal fans who miss me on the "Bubble", I grabbed my life vest and jumped overboard. When I hit land I'll buy you all a drink until the $114.50 runs out.

Virtual Suicide

Interesting Reading....

Facebook excommunicates WORM because of the Web 2.0 Suicide Machine

Rotterdam, 18th of February 2010

Facebook excommunicates WORM because of the Web2.0 Suicide Machine

It is with great sorrow that we announce that Facebook Inc. has decided that WORM, the producer of the Web 2.0 Suicide Machine, will be excommunicated from Facebook.

The initiative to build the Web 2.0 Suicide Machine came from Moddr_, WORM’s media lab. By threatening WORM, Facebook is trying to take down the Suicide Machine.

The Web 2.0 Suicide Machine allows users of - among others - Facebook to commit ‘social network suicide’. Facebook threatens WORM with further legal action if WORM doesn’t stop targeting the FaceBook platform via the SuicideMachine. In addition, it has now also demanded that WORM immediately deletes its own Facebook profile (WORM_Rotterdam). According to Facebook and its lawyer, the Web 2.0 Suicide Machine has violated Facebook’s Terms of Service and with that WORM has forfeited it’s right to keep using the platform. WORM does not want to engage in a fight over this matter with Facebook. The idea behind the Web 2.0 Suicide Machine was to be able to ‘unfriend’ in an automated fashion and to make users of social networks aware that they should always be in control of their own data. Facebook won’t allow for this control and is also not willing to enter into this debate. We are pretty much done with that and are left with no other choice than to commit online suicide ourselves. The conditions and attitude of Facebook leave no other option as far as WORM is concerned.

WORM deeply regrets the current situation. The web 2.0 Suicide Machine was never intended to target Facebook as such, but meant as a tool for people who, for whatever reason, are tired of their online life. Facebook wants all access to their service, personal data of their users included, to run via their own ‘connect’ platform. In this way, Facebook can set, interpret and change its own rules as it sees fit...

The excommunication of WORM illustrates that data freedom and net neutrality of users is merely an illusion on many social network sites. Not only is it not allowed for people to unfriend (in an automated manner), but companies also have the power to expel users they do not like. Facebook shows that a user only has the rights that Facebook grants it.

Facebook claims all rights. WORM does not want to continue living in this 2.0 world. Which is why we say goodbye to all our friends. We wish you all the best.

No flowers, no speeches.

moddr_labs,
WORM, Rotterdam
worm.org
moddr.net
suicidemachine.org

download press release pdf

Additionally:

Bleak, Shallow and Repetitive

Virtual life seems increasingly less worth living. (more)

After reading these I began to wonder...Is this the turning point? Could this be like disco?

Sunday Drive

Still working out the rough spots on the vector art. Here's a little diddy on the local boy Brad.

Jambalya and I Get Along

In celebration of Fat Tuesday I made a giant pot of Jambalya. It was terrific, I had forgotten how good it was! We'll have to do this again soon, anybody up for it? :)

Cannonball - The Movie

Behind the scenes of Rachel Skidmore's short film "Cannonball" as seen through the lens of World Famous Hollywood Photographer Nick Dakoulas.

Indian Ink

In keeping with the latest line of technique I finished this piece this morning, it was something I started moons ago and just got around to cleaning it up. Yesterday Celeste and I ventured downtown and I joined the Springfield Regional Arts Council. Hopefully it will be beneficial to moving some work.

More Vector Madness

A self portrait, I know I am not totally grey yet but doing it in vector I have yet to find the trick for the salt and pepper look.This is a portrait of one of my favorite local artists, Elizabeth Chapman.

The Remaining Beatles '95

These sculpted caricatures of three of the Beatles by David O’Keefe. This is fantastic, and yet grotesquely accurate and awesome. I had to post this up as I am a huge Beatles fan and I thought some of you might want to see this as well. This is an original sculpture. Created about 1995, 30 years after they first wore those skinny suits. At the time, there was rumor of a possible Beatles reunion. Large, nearly life sized mixed media sculpture of the three remaining members. Notice the tribute to Lennon - his wire framed glasses - on the stand.

Good Morning

It's Thursday morning and it looks like I have to go to our antique store today and move a few things around. That sounds like fun huh? I'm really looking forward to watching some of the Olympic games this coming week, I always did enjoy that. I have also been reading a few new blogs that I have recently started following, some look to be very beneficial and this past week has been fairly productive as I have feverishly been working on the clothing department and business card areas which will be accessible very soon. Much linking and uploading yet to do. If anyone needs anything special, just call me.

Linda Sala Jazz Project

Just having some fun on this. The LST plays weekly at Mille's, Check out the trio.

Jimi Remix

I think I am starting to get the hang of this vector stuff. Still need some work, I'll keep trying. I am finding it a little faster each time.

Neato Stuff - FairyLand

I would like to find one of these game boards, pretty neato I think!

Damned The Rain

Rachel is trying to get her movie shot in LA and much to her dismay it has been raining. We feel your pain!
Let's hope the weather clears up and you get some sun!

Vectortown - Number 2

Could be improved, still tinkering with line weight and colorization but it's a little better maybe.

Vectortown - First Attempt

I have a good idea on what to do the next time. Here it is 3:00Am and I'm still farting around...got to go to bed. DUH

New Shirt

February 5 - Side Show

Progress on the painting, is in my opinion questionable. For me it's difficult to choose color when working from black and white sketches. I may need to start doing color renditions before I start painting. I am not fond of the rising sun colors at this point...I'll keep tweaking.

Side Show Update

Progress is a little slow going right at the minute. Colorizing takes a ton of time for me.

Head Banging

This morning I was contacted by an Australian Heavy Metal Band "Death Dependant" about securing one my my images to use for their band. It would include the works, printed material, signage, posters etc. I started the morning out on a high note, something is going to break soon I feel it in my "Death's Dependancy". Below are the images I am recommending they look at including a new logo. Pretty far from the work I did for The Osmond Brothers...gives me a chuckle.

Side Show Progress

I have laid in the teeth and done some of the colorization...
I have began putting in the cheeks and finished up the mouth. I am digging the lips.

Whose Your Pick?

Admit it. There are times in the back of your mind when you want the good guy to lose. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Sometimes the star is a just a gigantic wussy who deserves to be killed.
I pick the Wicked Witch over Dorothy. She had green skin. She worked with flying monkeys. She crushed bitches with houses. She's sort of a dominatrix (stockings, black hair, strict). Then Dorothy, I can take or leave. The only thing she has going is her glee club friends.

The Side Show

Started "The Side Show" this morning, I have been sketching out carnival type characters for about 2 weeks and settled on this. I plan more barrage of color and texture on this one with a splash of "Tim Burton Style" here and there. I'll keep the stages updated as best I can.

Slinging Pink - Grammy's

Coming up with something new is like the old expression pulling hens teeth. I started a few sketches last night, looking for the juxtaposition or maybe a style difference. I did come up with some layout ideas that I'll pursue today. Staying inspired is the trick, at times it just falls into your lap. Good thing the Grammy's were on, How about that PINK? Another shocker to me was how bad Taylor Swift was when she had to team with the legend Stevie Nicks, Nicks still has those pipes and it was apparent. I also was amazed to see Leon Russell come out of the hole he has been hiding in and make a showing, he looked like he was 100 years old, he probably is. If you want to see Lady Gaga's clothing choices last night check out MailOnline. Frankly, Elton John had to be intimidated.


I'll hop on tomorrow and start posting up some images of the painting I have started. I'll try to keep up with posting pictures with the progress.