Skull-A-Day Book Signing: Richmond, VA

Folks in the Richmond, VA area come find me this Sunday at the BOOKS & BEER HOLIDAY BREW-HO-HO and get your signed copy of the first edition of my new Skull-A-Day book before we run out!

On Sunday, December 14th from 3-6, Chop Suey Books and Hardywood Park Craft Brewery will team up to host 27 local authors for our first annual BOOKS & BEER HOLIDAY BREW-HO-HO. This informal, family friendly event will be a great place for Richmond to meet the creative forces that make up the local literary and art scenes as well as the spot to get SIGNED books for holiday presents. In addition to the great authors, the Samson Trinh Trio will be play music throughout the event, Goatocado, BoDillaz, and Bonbontruck will serve hot food and non-alcoholic beverages, and Richmond Young Writers will host writing events for children and young adults. Oh, and don't forget Hardywood's seasonal Gingerbread Stout!!! This event is free and open to the public.

Make sure you come by to meet the following authors:
Gigi Amateau
Andrew Blossom
Terry Brown
Dale Brumfield
Tom De Haven
James Callahan
Gene Cox
Lee Graves
Dean King
Bizhan Khodabandeh
James Moffit
Meg Medina
Mary Miley
Theobald
Howard Owen
Emilia Phillips
Joshua Poteat
Kevin Powers
Virginia Pye
Ian Sampson
Noah Scalin
Jon Sealy
Allison Seay
Tim Skirven
Ryan Smith
Gordon Stettinius
Allison Titus
Anne Westrick

[BONUS] 428. Coffee Skull

When the Skull-A-Day Facebook page recently hit 50,000 followers I asked the fans to suggest a new material for me to work with. The most popular suggestion (that I hadn't worked with previously) was coffee and the kind folks at Death Wish Coffee Co. offered to send me a couple of pounds! My studio smells great now.

Skull-A-Day at The Mütter Museum

I had the great honor to return to Philadelphia's fantastic Mütter Museum recently to do an event for my new Skull-A-Day book!

photo by Anna Dhody

photo by Evi Numen

The museum's curator Anna Dhody, who wrote the foreword for the book, filmed an interview with me for their No Bones About It web show while I was there...


I also got to spend some time behind the scenes of the museum and captured a few images of their amazing collection that's not currently on display...

Signed copies of Skull-A-Day the book are available at the Mütter Museum and I highly recommend a visit anytime you're in Philly!

Skull-A-Day at The Evolution Store

I had a fantastic time visiting The Evolution Store in NYC to celebrate the release of my new Skull-A-Day book! A limited number of signed copies are now available at the store so don't miss out.  Photos by Ben Warner.

Want me to do a talk/book signing in your town? Get in touch!

[BONUS] 427. Pumpkin Anatomy IV

What really lies beneath a pumpkin's orange skin?

My mother-in-law gave my family an enormous white pumpkin and it inspired me to do something a bit different in my Pumpkin Anatomy series this year and focus in on just part of a skull.

And it looks even better after sitting outside for a week...

See my previous anatomical pumpkins HERE, HERE, and HERE.

My original pumpkin skull can be found in my new Skull-A-Day book, available HERE.

[BONUS] 426. Book Display Skull

As part of the release of my new Skull-A-Day book I created a special display in the window of Chop Suey Books, the folks that published it!

Skull-A-Day T-shirts!

Two classic Skull-A-Day shirts are available once again thanks to Chop Suey Books, the publisher of the new Skull-A-Day book! Get your fashionable United Skull of America and Ornamental Skull Ts HERE.

Skull-A-Day The Book!

Skull-A-Day the book is now officially available!

This brand new hardcover features 260 full-color pages of all 365 creations from my original Skull-A-Day project.

The book also includes a new foreword by Mütter Museum curator Anna Dhody and a history of the project, as well as new anecdotes and previously unseen behind-the-scenes images.

Skull-A-Day is currently available directly from Chop Suey Books online HERE and can also be bought in person at the store. More locations will be announced soon.

Book signing events are happening throughout the rest of the year and into 2015. For details on the events in October/November go HERE.

The Mammoth Book of Skulls

I'm honored to be one of the artists featured in The Mammoth Book of Skulls edited by writer/artist ILYA. The hefty 448 page tome really lives up to its name and is a truly incredible collection of work. Below are just a few of the many spreads that include a range of my art from the original Skull-A-Day project as well as several other more recent works. I highly recommend any fan of skull art to pick up their own copy. The book is available from your local independent bookstore or online in the US HERE and in the UK HERE.

Skull-A-Day Book Events: PHILLY / RVA / NYC

Skull-A-Day the book will be officially released at the beginning of October! To celebrate we are having a series of book signing events around the country, starting with New York City, Philadelphia, and Richmond, Virginia. Copies of Skull-A-Day will be available for purchase at all events listed...

October 2, 2014 – 6-8pm

Krause Gallery

149 Orchard St. South, NYC
The event coincides with my exhibition of new portrait work: Manhattan Project.  

October 7, 2014 – 5-7pm

Chop Suey Books

2913 W. Cary St. Richmond, VA

This is the official release party for the book at the bookstore that published it!

October 23, 2014 – 4-6pm

The Evolution Store

120 Spring St., NYC

One of my favorite places in NYC, pick up an actual skull or two when you visit!

November 4, 2014 – 6-8pm

Mütter Museum

19 S. 22nd St., Philadelphia, PA

The Mütter's curator and longtime Skull-A-Day friend, Anna Dhody wrote the foreword to the book!

Photo via Jill Tracy

Stay tuned for future events in other cities later this year and in early 2015. And hey, if you want us to visit your town and have a connection with a local bookstore or museum drop me a line. Hope to see you soon!

The Skulls of Human Kindness

Photo by Ansel Olson.

I recently had the pleasure of co-teaching a workshop with the amazing Patience Salgado AKA Kindnessgirl as part of the Shop Class program here in Richmond, VA. Our class was titled The Skulls of Human Kindness and was designed to be a mash-up of our two aesthetics and done in the spirit of our mutual interest in creating real connection through the practice of making and sharing art. For this class we focused on one big question: "What is one thing you know to be absolutely true in your bones?" We asked participants to answer this in a variety of ways and ended the workshop with a call to action. Each person was required to decorate a skull we provided and then add a tag with two things: a truth that they wanted to share with other people and the statement, "What is the #TruthInYourBones?" They were then given 24 hours to leave that skull in a public place and document and share it via their favorite social media platforms. The workshop was a really wonderful and moving experience and we hope you'll take up the challenge as well. Please comment below or post online with the hashtag #TruthInYourBones and let us know what one thing you know to be true in your own bones. Don't think to hard about it, just do it!

And if you'd like Patience and I to bring this workshop to your business or group reach out to us through the The Alternative Speakers Bureau. 

p.s. The truth in my bones: Everyone is faking it.

Photo by Ansel Olson.

Photo by Ansel Olson.

Photo by Ansel Olson.

Photo by Ansel Olson.

Photo by Ansel Olson.

Photo by Ansel Olson.

Photo by Ansel Olson.

Photo by Ansel Olson.

Photo by Ansel Olson.

Photo by Ansel Olson.

Photo by Ansel Olson.

Photo by Ansel Olson.

Photo by Ansel Olson.

Photo by Ansel Olson.