Skull Appreciation Day 2012

Just a reminder that June 4th is Skull Appreciation Day!

The editors of Skull-A-Day will be partnering with our friends at Philadelphia's Mütter Museum for a special one-day event!

 If you're in the Philly area I hope you'll stop by the museum between 10am and 5pm for an exhibition of 50+ original skull sculptures, plus dozens of pieces of skull mail art sent directly to the museum from artists from around the globe!

The event is FREE with regular museum admission! Museum information can be found HERE and a map of the location is HERE. Hope to see you there on June 4th!

And hey, even if you can't make it, we want to hear from you about how you plan to spend your day and of course we want to see pix of the aftermath!

100 Painted Skulls #90

To celebrate year 5 of Skull-A-Day I've decided to paint 100 skulls on 4 x 4in (10.16 x 10.16 cm) wooden panels over the course of the year... 

Only 10 left til the end of the project!

Designed Skulls

Chad Wehrle from Ohio said: “I am a graphic designer by day, but after hours I push myself to be creative on my own. I have been a big fan of this site/blog/idea since I stumbled upon it a few years ago and have checked it every morning since. I’d like to submit a few pieces of my own. I recently purchased Noah’s Skulls book and have really enjoyed it. Everyone I have shown it to is overly impressed with the dedication to a project lasting 365 days.”

Skeleton Marionette. Soldered metal and fishing line. Fully functional with hinged limbs. 7” x 17” x 2”

Human Skull, 2009. Pencil on paper. 6 1/4” x 9 ¼”


Skull, 2011. Pencil on paper. Homage piece to the amazing Stephen Gammell. 4 ½” x 6”


Strings Attached C says:

Thank you for being a fan of the site. We always love to get submissions from our loyal readers. I am impressed by your marionette I really like sculpture that is beautiful and functional at the same time. Thank you for sharing your “after hours” work with us.

Passé Décomposé

Earlier this year I had the pleasure of sharing with you some beautiful filigree skulls from Allain Bellino.  Well, his daughter Elsa has been spending time with him and now has her own bit of recycled metal skullery.  Engraving her filigree into the remnants of mostly spoons.

Like father, like daughter. I'd say Elsa is well on her way to blossoming into a fine artist as well. Be sure to check out her store if you'd like to own one of these for yourself. Merci, Elsa!

League of Space Pirates: Cabinet of Cosmic Curiosities

Just a reminder to the Skull-A-Day fans in the Richmond, VA area, my band is hosting an appropriately skull-y event this Saturday...

After touring the farthest reaches of the universe League ofSpace Pirates return to Earth with a Cabinet of Cosmic Curiosities!

On May 19^th, the League of Space Pirates will perform with a gaggle of intergalactic oddities for an one-of-a-kind experience at Gallery 5 in Richmond, VA

Participants will…

• Experience the cosmic rock-n-roll of League of Space Pirates!
• Drink in the unbelievable acts of The Lady Aye!
• Bask in the sonic landscapes of The Madness of Two!
• Bear witness to the levitational skills of Jebidiah Stone!
• Feel the power of the sultry movements of Khalima!
• Shake a robotic tail feather to the mixage of Mikemetic!

Plus…

• Mutate yourself with out of this world body painting by Shelia Gray!
• Document your experience at first ever Intergalactic Photo Booth documented by Spiderbite Studio!
• And More!

May 19 Gallery 5 200 W. Marshall St. RVA
$15 or $10 Dressed as a Space Pirate at the door Doors open at 7pm
$10 Advance sale tickets available for a limited time HERE.

100 Painted Skulls #89

To celebrate year 5 of Skull-A-Day I've decided to paint 100 skulls on 4 x 4in (10.16 x 10.16 cm) wooden panels over the course of the year... 

 

Mother's Day Skull

Yesterday, was Mothers' Day. At school, my daughter Alex, made me a card for the occasion...a skull card.

Alex has being making more complicated cards, over the years. This is the most complicated one she's made. The left inside said "I love you mom", but the right inside had this...

100 Painted Skulls #88

To celebrate year 5 of Skull-A-Day I've decided to paint 100 skulls on 4 x 4in (10.16 x 10.16 cm) wooden panels over the course of the year...

[BONUS] Skull Mail

Just wanted to thank everyone who sent in their self addressed stamped envelopes for the limited edition Skull Appreciation Day pins! They're going in the mail this coming week. In the meantime I just wanted to show off some of the fun envelopes and items that arrived along with them including a set of cool stickers from Emila(sp?) and a nifty origami folded dollar from Charles T. Mayer!...

I hope you find a fun way to celebrate Skull Appreciation Day on June 4th wherever you are, and of course if you're in/near Philadelphia I hope you'll join us at the Mütter Museum for a fun one-day exhibition. Speaking of which, there's still time to send in some mail art to be put on display there! Details are HERE.

100 Painted Skulls #87

To celebrate year 5 of Skull-A-Day I've decided to paint 100 skulls on 4 x 4in (10.16 x 10.16 cm) wooden panels over the course of the year... 

Another mix of watercolor style with a more opaque white for highlights.

Sunday Simulacra - Version 5.50

Today's twofer addition to our trophy room come from Josh Haplea in Ohio.

This robotic style skull on a coin operated island view finder from Marblehead, Ohio...

...and a broken tower fan base.

These are a splendid pair of simulacra. Being that these are man made and not natural could be a clear indicator that we unconsciously incorporate skulls into our everyday products. Or maybe I just like to think that. Be sure to submit your hidden skull finds so we can keep the hunt alive. Thanks, Josh!

100 Painted Skulls #86

To celebrate year 5 of Skull-A-Day I've decided to paint 100 skulls on 4 x 4in (10.16 x 10.16 cm) wooden panels over the course of the year... 

Skull Shrubs

Janelle Rene is going green with a victorious cry of, "I'll have your head on a stick!"  She whipped up these bad boys in an attempt to bring renewed life to the deadliest symbol around.

Remember the Knights of Ni? I'll bet those guys would have totally wanted a skull shrub if one had existed.  Luckily, we are appeased by Janelle the Shrubber with a most worthy shrubbery to brighten our day.  See how to make your own over at her blog.  Cheers to you and your craftiness, Janelle!

All Is Vanity Reception

Just a reminder that the reception for my show All Is Vanity, featuring 60+ pieces form my 100 Painted Skulls project, is tonight from 7-9pm!

If you're in the Richmond, VA area I hope you'll swing by Clippi Headren and say hi. Even if you can't make it out tonight, the show it up until the end of July, so definitely check it out when you can...

ALL IS VANITY

May 4 – July 31

Clippi Headren

929 Meyers St.

Tues & Friday 10–5pm

Wed–Thu 10–8pm

Sat 10–4pm

100 Painted Skulls #85

To celebrate year 5 of Skull-A-Day I've decided to paint 100 skulls on 4 x 4in (10.16 x 10.16 cm) wooden panels over the course of the year... 

Woodblock Skull

Brazilian artist, and past contributor, Ramon Rodrigues, returns with another pair of his intricately designed woodcut prints.

Complex C says:

I am truly in awe of the amount of detail that you are able to achieve from your designs. Your subject matter in this pair reminds me of the classic images that appeared in periodicals and books that were on blocks set up for printing by hand , long before the invention of the camera, half-tones, or steel plates. Thank you once again for sharing your work with us.

Dia de la Abby #74: Spilled Skull

Today, while looking for something, I bumped into my box of sequins and seed beads. The box hit the floor, spilling it's contents. While cleaning it up, I decided the sparkly pile deserved to be a skull. It's a symbol of the death of my tedious organization of the box contents.

Sugar Skull Makeup

Pam Adkins wore sugar skull makeup on Halloween 2010 in Pittsburgh, PA.

I love how festive people get at Halloween. Makeup is a great way to transform yourself into something unusual  for Halloween or any special occasion. My favorite festive makeup is sugar skulls. Everyone has their own interpretation of this Mexican sweet inspired makeup. I like seeing the different variations.

100 Painted Skulls #84

To celebrate year 5 of Skull-A-Day I've decided to paint 100 skulls on 4 x 4in (10.16 x 10.16 cm) wooden panels over the course of the year... 

I've been wanting to try to do a more angular piece, so this was entirely painted with a flat brush used to create mostly straight lines. Definitely harder to do, but I like the results.

Doodle Skulls

Today’s skulls are a pair of Doodles from a pair of readers.

Jeff Thorsgaard of North Dakota said: “I've been featured on Skull-A-Day before. I drew this for you guys. It’s on my sign bench. I’ll never remove it EVER if you post it... I dare ya!”


Mike C. told us: “I used to draw this skull all the time in High School. I did this at a bar one night... mainly because I wanted to submit, so I can rock the Skull-A-Day Union Card. ”


Marker C says:

Well Jeff- it seems the ball is now in your court. Mike, congratulations on earning your membership card, but like the saying go- “Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man, That he didn't, didn't already have”. Thank you both for sharing your doodles with us.

100 Painted Skulls #83

To celebrate year 5 of Skull-A-Day I've decided to paint 100 skulls on 4 x 4in (10.16 x 10.16 cm) wooden panels over the course of the year... 

I started doing this one in a watercolor style, but then ended up adding more white to it as a highlight, so it was rather like working with gouache in the end, but I like that you can still see the grain of the wooden panel I was working on some areas. I also started thinking of this as Frankenstein's Monster's skull because of its greenish hue.

100 Painted Skulls #82

To celebrate year 5 of Skull-A-Day I've decided to paint 100 skulls on 4 x 4in (10.16 x 10.16 cm) wooden panels over the course of the year... 

Skull Wagon

Bob Conge is the main man over at plaseebo.net, a shop "ded­i­cated to cre­at­ing unique one of a kind col­lec­table fig­ures".  This "Skullwagon" was made for the Playsam 500 custom show at Super 7.

This sweet ride has an awesome backstory that I couldn't resist sharing:

  " The 1919 Skullwagon Land Speed Record Car "
© Bob Conge 2012

The 1919 Skullwagon was designed and piloted by Claude Faytte Bragdon, the american architect based in Rochester, New York. The car was sponsored by the Fox Sisters, a clairvoyant duo from the same city, who dabbled in the paranormal and spiritualist beliefs.  The Skullwagon was powered by a 500 hp psychic energy turbine, the first and only of its kind. At 1:30 AM on November 23rd 1919 the Fox sisters had arranged for 8,697 of their followers to tune in and direct their psychic energy to the specific coordinates of latitude and longitude of the location of the Skullwagon on the starting line of the Salt Flats Racetrack Playa in Death Vally California. At 1:31 PM the cars aluminum skin began to shimmer, emitting a pulsating blue light and at 1:36 the Skullwagon broke inertia, silently inching forward. Continually gaining speed at an ever increasing rate with only the sound of its wheels turning through the white dust and the air whistling along its sleek body, the Skullwagon appeared more akin to a sailing ship than car. At 1:43 she reached a top speed of 167 miles per hour shattering the previous land speed record. A title the Skullwagon would hold for the next 28 years. Some years later, long after the memory of the Skullwagon had faded from racing history, the first siteing of the "sailing stones" appeared and continues to this day. The "Sailing Stones" which leave linear "racetrack" imprints are a geological phenomenon found in the playa. The stones, some weighing over 100 pounds, slowly move across the surface, leaving a track as they go, without human or animal intervention. They have never been seen or filmed in motion. The stones only move once every two or three years and most tracks last for three or four years. Some believe the stones are being moved by the residue of psychic energy from that long ago run of the Skullwagon.

 Thanks for the sterling submission, Bob!

100 Painted Skulls #81

To celebrate year 5 of Skull-A-Day I've decided to paint 100 skulls on 4 x 4in (10.16 x 10.16 cm) wooden panels over the course of the year...

Chakra Skull

Jon MDC is back again with another great skull piece. He says, "My site MDC Industries has a pretty comprehensive documentation of my art based obsession with all things skull, there are a number of step by step progression shots of this piece if anyone is interested in my process."

Immediately when I saw this piece, I thought of a map of Chakras. Though the color and symbol where the upward triangle is protruding from, should be blue and a lotus blossom, it was just the 1st thought that crossed my mind. In regards to being able to see the step by step process of creating, I always love seeing the creation process of artwork. The final pieces is beautiful and intriguing to see, but the process of how the artist gets to this point is always more interesting to me. From what inspires the artist, to seeing the layers of medium and creation techniques, it's all inspiring and mesmerizing.

[BONUS] 392. Moss Skulls

During my recent stay at a literal cabin in the woods I felt compelled to work with some of the beautiful moss growing along the paths that wound through the forested land on the property.

I wasn't sure if I liked it better with or without a jaw, so are both versions...

 

100 Painted Skulls #80

To celebrate year 5 of Skull-A-Day I've decided to paint 100 skulls on 4 x 4in (10.16 x 10.16 cm) wooden panels over the course of the year... 

This is one of several pieces I painted while I was staying at a literal cabin in the woods for the last 4 days. I love how being in a different environment, using a different set of acrylics, causes me to paint differently!

Sunday Simulacra - Version 5.49

Our loyal band of skull hunters keep coming through and this week we have a couple of container style craniums.  

Txelu Balboa captured this leather toothed chap just hanging around....

....and Karolyn Knight found this flower minded fellow having dreams of fields of wildflowers. Come on, you can use your imagination, too.

The sneakiness of the hidden skulls around us keep me guessing. The skull hunters are doing a stellar job of keeping our trophy room stocked so feel free add to the fun if you find one of your own. Submit it to us and we'll let the world know of your skull spotting. Thanks, Txelu and Karolyn!

Potato Skull

Clay Kasserman was peeling this potato back on Halloween and noticed that he was really peeling A SKULL!

Normally skulls have meat on them, but this one has the potatoes instead, and now that I mentioned both of those I'm getting hungry. Thanks for the spud skull(and the munchies), Clay!