Ceramic Skull Masks

Arizona artist Larry Yanez created this collection of Raku fired ceramic skull masks.

3:10 to C says:

I love how the top two work so perfectly together, it looks as if the one on the right had just got done kissing the one on the left... and as you can see they really left an impression on them! These masks are wonderful and they create such a sense of wonderment for the viewer. I especially like the idea that something so solid can have such a fragile nature to it. Thank you for sharing your ceramic work with us.

Skull Swag

I've done my fair share of glass etchings, but these metal etchings from Tim Andrews at the Rave N Iron are on a whole different level of cool.  The first is a stainless steel cigarette/card case that has been acid etched and naturally heat tempered and the second is a belt buckle made of mild powder coated steel also acid etched and heat tempered.

Wow! is about all I can say for this style that Tim has crafted. Each piece is unique and individual depending on it's reaction to the etching and tempering. Tim's site has loads more of wonderful jewelry to see so don't miss out. There's even more skulls to see....in case you're into that kind of stuff. Thanks, Tim!

100 Painted Skulls: #53

To celebrate year 5 of Skull-A-Day (June 2011-June 2012) 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... 

After being so controlled in my last few pieces I figured it was time to slather on the paint and do something a lot more loose and colorful (though somehow my loose pieces are ending up looking pretty controlled at this point, probably something about working on such a small surface. I'm looking forward to painting some bigger pieces when this project is done!). I also wanted to see if I could work without black paint, since I tend to use it a lot, so all of the darker colors are just a blend of blue, purple and red.

And hey, if you'd like to own this piece you can buy it in the Skull-A-Day store HERE!

Belly Dance Skull Makeup

Kellie Canada is a belly dancer with a penchant for skull makeup.

This is Kellie doing a backbend, or as she called it a "Skullbend".

I enjoy watching tribal fusion belly dancer perform, as they use a blend of old and new dancing styles. Their costumes are functional and very creative, as they need to be able to move easily and accentuate their belly dance style. I love that Kellie incorporated sugar skull makeup into her belly dancing costume.

100 Painted Skulls: #52

To celebrate year 5 of Skull-A-Day (June 2011-June 2012) 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 watercolor-style piece where the lightest visible color is the wood of the panel itself. This is definitely one of my favorite techniques of the project, expect to see more before this second half is over.

And hey, f you'd like to own this piece you can buy it in the Skull-A-Day store HERE!

Sunday Simulaca - Version 5.39

Sunday's here again and so are the skull hunters with another round of those sneaky skulls hiding around us.

Mike Youtz of Denver, Colorado writes, "Found this interesting Rhyolite rock while in Utah back in May 2011. We were wrapping up a two-week geology field class when we decided to visit Topaz Mountain in western Utah to do a little gem hunting. Instead I found this! Way cooler than a topaz in my opinion. At first glance I thought it was the petrified skull of some critter but nope, it’s just a volcanic rock. Enjoy!"

Dan-O Deckelman discovered this fiery skull while grilling some chicken.

And Tom Adams used keen eyesight to spot this super elusive skull.

Thanks again to everyone who keeps our trophy room stocked full of great skull captures. If you find one of your own then please submit it. We'll never run out of room for displaying all of the great finds our readers discover. As a matter of fact, I think I can safely say that our site is the definitive online resource for skull simulacrum. Can anyone prove me wrong?

Do This For My Skull

"Do This For Me" is the title of today's submission from Joshua Barber. He's back with something a little different from his last submission and this note, "This was painted on weathered watercolor paper and part of a show I had entitled 'Five Books'.  Thanks for the consideration. I have really enjoyed visiting your site
frequently for inspiration!"

The bright night and the twinkling stars give me a sense that there's a chill to the air in this painting. Then I start to think about Phil Collins and it gets all weird after that. I really like the different textures incorporated to add depth to the colors. Plus, this might inspire someone else just as you have felt inspired by our great wealth of skull artists who keep the creativity flowing. Thanks for keeping the circle going, Joshua!

3-D Faceted Skull-pture

Today we have the pleasure of presenting another piece by Artist & Designer Janreji from France. Janreji was previously feature HERE with an piece from their “Vanites" series.


Flat C says:

It brings such joy to be able to feature additional work from some of previous contributors. When I saw this, I immediately got an image of one of a crystal skull, but unlike those this faceted work made me consider something more. I couldn't help but imagine this piece done as a CZ diamond as a social commentary campaign continuing to bring focus on the worldwide trade in “Blood Diamonds”. Thank you for continuing to think of us and sharing your work once again with us.

[Flashback Friday] 5.38 - Snow Skulls

Welcome to another addition of Flashback Friday.** This year the guest editors, Tatman, Citizen Agent, and myself, Azurafae are taking turns reflecting on 17 of our personal favorite skulls from the previous four years of postings. So please join us as we visit the archives and add our additional commentary on some of the original pieces.


When you get snow (like we had Sunday and Monday), what else should you make with it, but a snow skull sculpture. Here are some of my favorites from the past.

374. Snow (Day) Skull made by Noah Scalin, and Paul Overton of Dude Craft

Snow Skull by Ashley Taylor

One Last Snow Skull Alex Roman

 **Flashback Friday was a weekly countdown of the fan selected top 52 skulls of Skull-A-Day 1.0. Each week during year 3.0 The Skullmaster posted the original skull along with some additional commentary in order from lowest to highest rated, with the #1 skull appearing in the last week of year 3.0, all 52 can be found here. During year 4.0 the editors had their chance to countdown their favorites Azurafae HERE, Citizen Agent HERE, and Tatman HERE.

100 Painted Skulls: #51

To celebrate year 5 of Skull-A-Day (June 2011-June 2012) 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'm starting the second half of this project with a first: I was asked specifically to make a painting in honor of an exhibition! In this case, the fine folks at the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen in Mannheim, Germany asked me to make something to celebrate their current skull-themed exhibition Shädelkult! I chose to honor the one of the pieces in the show: the skull of Andreas Kreis, whose name and date of death (1823) are painted directly on his cranium, since it comes from a traditional Beinhaus (bone house). Sadly I won't be able to see the show, which is up through April 29th, in person myself, but if you live in the area I hope you'll check it out!

If you'd like to own this piece you can buy it in the Skull-A-Day store HERE.

And hey, if you have a real human skull you'd like me to feature in the second half of this project and have a high resolution photo you can send me of it please get in touch! 

CONTEST REMINDER: Win a 'Good Art Hlywd' Sterling Silver Skull Pendant

This contest has ended.  Thanks to everyone for all of the great comments and supporting Good Art Hlywd's killer work.

Don't forget that you only have until Midnight tonight to enter to win one of 5 sweet ass silver skull pendants from Josh Warner and the good folks at Good Art HLYWD. Time is running out so do it now if you haven't already. Visit the original contest post here, or click the ad on the sidebar over there----->.

Of course you don't have to wait until the end of the contest to get your own pendant, ring, or chain. The Good Art Hlywd website is always open to bring you a chance to spoil yourself with "Genuine American Luxury". Thanks, Josh & Rachel!

100 Painted Skulls: #50

To celebrate year 5 of Skull-A-Day (June 2011-June 2012) 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...

Whew, finally made it to the halfway point! I was hoping to get there a bit earlier in the year, but my life has been way more hectic in the last several months than I expected. It's all been good, but finding time for painting has been tricky. However, I've really enjoyed the experience. I love having an excuse to practice my painting and I'm looking forward to seeing where the next 50 paintings take me!

If you'd like to buy this piece you can get it in the Skull-A-Day store HERE. 

And just for fun here's what the last 25 pieces look like together as a group...

You can see the first 25 as a group HERE.

Dia de la Abby: #71 Snow Skulls

On Monday, my daughter and I played in the snow. We made skulls of course. If we ever get a large amount of snow, we'll make snowpeople.

This is my snow skull. I smoothed out the icy snow. Then, I used my finger to poke holes through it, so I could form a skull. The darkness it the soil under the thin layer of snow.

This is my daughter's snow skull. She was having trouble making a sculpture with the ground snow. I suggested she use the snow off the sidewalk and steps to craft something. She decided to pile snow on our large step and make a skull with a bow tie.


Every other Thursday in the 5.0 year, I will post my own Dia de la Abby creations   Every Thursday in the 4.0 year, I posted my Dia de la Abby creations and occasionally tutorials with instructions on how I made my pieces. Hopefully you feel inspired by my posts just as I was by Noah's Skull-A-Day 1.0 daily project. Need more of me than just a weekly dose, follow me on  Facebook, Google+ and/or Twitter.

Perler Beads Skull

Madelen Skogstad from Norway, said "I look for skulls all the time, and today at work (I work at a kindergarten) I even made some !"

The Perler Beads that Madelen used come in a large variety of colors. They can easily be melted together with a hot clothing iron. I've melted some in an oven before, but that was to completely distort them. I like how easy these little beads are to use for creating anything, even skulls.

Designed Skulls

Stephen Brandt from Richmond, VA sent us a pair of designer skulls,

Stephen first wrote: “Here's a still from the animated film ‘Lasagna Dish’ that I did showing off the piggy skull wallpaper I designed for the background. If you would like to see it for yourself, viewers can see the skulls in action HERE.”


Stephen also shared a collection of arranged type skulls with us.


One C says:

Your short film that featured the wallpaper is hilarious, you have a wonderful story telling style, yes I watched them all. Also thank you for your arranged type. It has been interesting to see over the years how artists work type into more traditional logographs. Thank you for sharing these wonderful works with us to share, and I will be looking out for your next video installment.

100 Painted Skulls: #49

To celebrate year 5 of Skull-A-Day (June 2011-June 2012) 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... 

Playing with adding a bit more color to the watercolor technique.

If you'd like to own this piece you can buy it in the Skull-A-Day store HERE.

United Skull of America Poster on Sale

In honor of Washington's birthday the United Skull of America poster is on sale!

Get your copy of this educational, limited edition silkscreen poster HERE.

100 Painted Skulls: #48

To celebrate year 5 of Skull-A-Day (June 2011-June 2012) 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... 

 


If you'd like to own this piece you can buy it in the Skull-A-Day store HERE.

CONTEST REMINDER: Win a 'Good Art Hlywd' Sterling Silver Skull Pendant

This contest has ended.  Thanks to everyone for all of the great comments and supporting Good Art Hlywd's killer work.

Don't forget that you only have a few days left to enter to win one of 5 sweet ass silver skull pendants from Josh Warner and the good folks at Good Art HLYWD. You have until Midnight EST on Friday, Feb. 24th to get entered so don't delay.  Visit the original contest post here, or click the ad on the sidebar over there--->

Of course you don't have to wait until the end of the contest to get your own pendant, ring, or chain. The Good Art Hlywd website is always open to bring you a chance to spoil yourself with "Genuine American Luxury". Thanks, Josh & Rachel!

Sandy Tran's Trio of Skulls

I don't know. Maybe you've been to Las Vegas' "Rock N Roll" tattoo shop before, and maybe you met today's submitter Sandy Tran who flexes her diversity card by bringing us a triple skull Tuesday. A lovely painting, a sinister tattoo, and a self portrait of her as a Dia de los Muertos girl.

I've never experienced a trip to Vegas(yet), but I'm glad to have experienced Sandy's variety of cranial creativity. A mixture as diverse as the Vegas strip's population. Thanks for sharing these, Sandy!

Mexican Skull Sculpture

Sophie Brunet from Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, made a "sculpture of Mexican skull ".

The shape and colors bring a cheerfulness to this skull. It reminds me of the cakes, sugar skulls, and masks of Dia de los Muertos. This festive skull is true to the joyous celebration of ancestors on this Mexican holiday. Dia de los Muertos is also celebrated in other countries, but it's root origins are in Mexico.

100 Painted Skulls: #47

To celebrate year 5 of Skull-A-Day (June 2011-June 2012) 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... 

Whew, this one was way harder to make than I expected! The more subtle the shading the more difficult a piece becomes for me and this one really felt like it wasn't going to come together until suddenly it just snapped into place.

If you would like to own this piece you can buy it in the Skull-A-Day store HERE.

Sunday Simulacra - Version 5.38

The skull hunters came through this week with some more great finds. Let's get to them.....

Wendy Boggs of Richmond, VA was on a trip out West to the Nevada desert and nabbed a pic of this rock formation that has been dubbed "skull rock".

Back towards the Midwest Gemma Heilmer of Illinois noticed this gooey skull on the inside of the lid to a jar of marshmallow creme.

And ending back on the East side of the states in Georgia we have self proclaimed skull fanatic Hollie-Marie Roswell who spied this air freshener with a subtle disguise.

Thanks for coming through with some simulacra sustenance, skull hunters. Remember to submit your hidden skull finds to help keep this weekly feature going. It thrives on the trophies you collect. Good luck!

CONTEST: Win a 'Good Art Hlywd' Sterling Silver Skull Pendant

This contest has ended.  Thanks to everyone for all of the great comments and supporting Good Art Hlywd's killer work.

The road to success contains many intersections. Imagine yourself at the intersection of hard work and dedication. On that corner is a jewelry shop that houses it's own foundry and the capability to make magnificent works of metallic ornaments to adorn your body with. On the outside of that building is a sign that reads "Good Art Hlywd". The time for you to own a piece of 'Grade A' L.A. style is here, and the time to enter is now.












Josh Warner is the most gracious owner of Good Art Hlywd and he is here to dazzle us with the most illustrious of giveaways. Each of the pendants above (including a second one of the first image), along with the some  of the goodies shown in the bottom image, will go to a different lucky reader drawn at random! That's right! There will be 5 winners! The five winners will each receive one of the items, but no guarantee will be made as to which one.

Josh's crew of amazing metal smiths cast these creations in sterling silver and they're as solid as they look. Luxury is the name of the game when it comes to owning quality like this. The hard working, American made spirit that goes into making each piece is accentuated by Josh's own outlook on the art and aesthetic.

"The necessity of a two thousand dollar lighter is an absurd question; the pure joy of its luxury is however an experience to relish. The degree to which an object can communicate or evoke a state of mind is a mark of its magnitude. I believe art is communication, and art has the ability to effect how you feel. As a work of art can uplift the spirit, so too can an everyday object bring joy well beyond its function. And if it does, it may well be art." -taken from the GAH website

Take advantage of this opportunity to feel the same way for the mere cost of a moment's time. To be entered in this contest leave a comment stating your skull's idea of luxury. Mine would love to own a motorcycle so expensive I'd be afraid to ride it, but what the heck, you only live once. (If you also don't want to crash your bike then simply say what you would buy your skull if you could give it anything.)


[NOTE: If you're reading this on Facebook or Google+ then be sure to leave your comment on the original Skull-A-Day.com post if you want to be officially entered in the contest.]


IMPORTANT: Don't forget to include a way of contacting you(either an email in the post OR be sure your blogger profile has a working email link for you). Entries are only valid with this information.


You have until Midnight Eastern time Friday, February 24th to enter so don't wait... do it now.

Note: Due to international shipping costs this contest is limited to winners in the US and Canada only.  Apologies go out to everyone else.

Of course you don't have to wait until the end of the contest to get your own pendant, ring, or chain. The Good Art Hlywd website is always open to bring you a chance to spoil yourself with "Genuine American Luxury". Thanks, Josh & Rachel!