Plush Skull

Artist Lana Crooks from the Chicago Area creates plush skulls. She wrote: “They are hand sewn using felt, fleece and fiberfil. I make various sizes and animals they are all within my ‘Paleoclothic
collection’ in my etsy shop.”


All New Materials C says:

Simply amazing! I am in awe by your ability to turn flat material into a flawless 3-d shape. The curving smooth lines and added detail of the eye ridges are stunning. Thank you for sharing your work with us.

Limestone Skull Table

Today we're pulling up another skull table to our Skull Cafe with a visit from Samuel Sutherland of Sanata Barbara, Ca. Samuel writes, "The 'skull table' is sculpted by me out of conchuela limestone, which comes from the Yucatan, and is composed of tons and tons of fossilised sea shells and coral. The black spots on the corner skulls are all level for a sheet of glass to be placed on them. The stone sculpture took me more than three weeks of solid work to complete."





I'd like to reserve this table for my visit to the Skull Cafe. Simply put, this is amazing. The detail and design are phenomenal and it's just that much cooler having the fossils in it. Awesome work, Samuel! Thanks for offering a table that perfectly fits into our space.

League of Space Pirates

For those of you who don't know I have a band called League of Space Pirates and we're now offering our new digital EP as a pay-what-you-want download. I hope you'll check it out and share it far and wide! Download it today HERE.

Also there are still a few copies of our ultra limited edition vinyl single (above) still available. This includes a letterpress print of the 347. Skulledelic image that is not available anywhere else! Don't miss out, get yours today HERE.

Hands, Hat, & Skully Teeth

Patricia Whitworth Daniels sent in this image she created. "Your site inspired me to create a blog all about hands in which I attempt to "average" a hand a day."

"Hands, Hat, & Skully Teeth"

I like seeing things that are made with hands and shadows. Patricia's project with her love of hands, does feature a few other skull creations too, so it's worth checking out. Also, she has quite the collection of hands, which is very creepy. Shadow play is one of the easiest games to do. As my daughter gets older, the cat seems to be the only one interested in my silly shadow play. Though, if I could figure out how to make a skull out of a shadow, I'm sure she would play along.

[BONUS] Ornament(al) Skull Wallpaper II

A few years ago I licensed my Ornament(al) Skull pattern (that is used on the background for this blog) to a wallpaper company and I just found out that the company has created a new version: white ink on silver mylar! Check it out...

You can also see the purple on black version of my wallpaper in use HERE.

Visit the Designer Wallcoverings & Fabrics for more info on all of the wallpapers they make with my pattern. 

Sunday Simulacra - Version 4.41

Today's skulls are going on a journey...

I'm feeling a little cold, so I need some wood to make fire. Yeah, that will warm me. So lets go to a forest.

Lori Hamilton from NYC found this skull at a volcanic park near Rotorua, New Zealand (North Island).

Of course, I need to find a suitable tree to chop down. 

Jason A. Yandow from Swanton, Vermont "Found this today in an old, pretty much dead Maple tree I cut down."

We have the wood, time to make a fire.

Jozip from Sedona AZ found this skull "Just stokin’ the woodstove. Knotholes become eye sockets. Ashes to ashes...."

Mason's Super Skull Saturday

Today, fellow skull lovers, I have the distinct honor of introducing you to one of the youngest members of our tribe. I'll let Katie Gaines tell you more...

"I just wanted to send an email to let you know how much your Skull A Day project has inspired me. As of 1/1/11, I have started my own 365: Make Something Every Day project which I hope to submit/share on the “makesomething365” blog one day. But first, I wanted to share how much my six year old son, Mason, LOVES Skull A Day!"



"He’s always been obsessed with skulls and skeletons…I can’t remember a time when he wasn’t drawn to images, clothing, objects, toys with skulls or skeletons. It seems like even as a toddler, before he could really talk…he would point and smile when he saw skulls. At first, it kinda creeped me out, but it’s all started to grow on me and I think they’re pretty cool too."



"Once Mason started picking up crayons and pencils to draw, I noticed that he always drew skulls or skeletons. He loves to draw, and does so almost every day. I’d have to say he’s like your “Mini-Me” because he seems to draw, make or wear something skull-related on a daily basis….even before we found Skull A Day!"



"We happened upon the Skull A Day blog/website right around the time I was planning his 6th birthday party in August. He wanted an Indiana Jones theme, with an emphasis on skulls as a motif."



"We were SO excited to find your project and we’ve been big fans ever since. Mason asks me every day what today’s skull is. He’s not only obsessed with skulls, he’s now obsessed with following your blog!"



Mother and son alike are inspired by Skull-A-Day. Just as Katie mention, she has started her own 365 blog over at 'Love Paper Paint'. It's great to see art, especially skull art, bring a family closer together. Rumor has it that Mason has tons more of great skull art so hopefully we'll get to see more in the future. Thanks for the excellent story, Katie, and thanks to you, Mason, for the great skull sketches. Keep up the skullrrific work!

[Flashback Friday] #210 Safe Skull

Welcome to another addition of Flashback Friday.** This year the guest editors, Citizen Agent, Azurafae, and myself, Tatman, are taking turns counting down our personal favorite 17 skulls from the Original 365.25 Year. So please join us as we visit the archives and add our additional commentary on some of the original pieces.

12. #210 Safe Skull



I distinctly remember the day Noah posted this because I was thinking, "That's it! There's nothing that this guy can't use to make a skull!" I've been blown away by the Skull Master's artistic talents many times, but this just "topped" them all. It was only after the fact that I came to realize how much of a message can be found in this piece. Safe sex is something that we all need to be aware of and in touch with. Once again Noah's broader mind goes beyond the limits of his mediums.

**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.

$36AUD Skull

Oscar the Fox, creator of the 365 Another day another Dollar project shared with a his creation from day #72. He wrote: “It is made from 36 Australian dollars assembled into a half skull and then copied and flipped to make the whole image.”


Walkabout C says:

I am really enjoying your project, I cam across it a while back and loved the idea of creating through addition as well as creating within the confines of the material. I also like that your materials will be donated to charity at the end of the project. Thank you for submitting this piece and for showing us that a little sacrifice each day can add up to make a larger impact.

Dia de la Abby #41: Marie Antoinette

I've been wanting to do a series of art featuring different deceased famous people. For today, I decided to choose Marie Antoinette, since she was a very ornate lady. I drew her in pencil 1st and then refined the lines with a black ink drawing pen.

My drawing is based off of this painting of her.

You might wonder, why this is in black and white. Well, that is for you to be able to color it how ever you want...colored pencil, digital, crayon, paint...what ever suits you. If you notice, Marie isn't decapitated, like she is currently. This was so the image would be similar to the painting. She also wasn't ornate at the time of her death. I always think of her as an ornate queen vs a stripped down woman awaiting her beheading. Anyway, have fun with it. If you make a colored version, definitely submit it to us and we will share it.

Every week in the 4.0 year, I will post my own Dia de la Abby posts as well as a tutorial with instructions on how I made my piece. 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 Twitter and/or Facebook.

Mail Art Call for Entries: Skull Appreciation Day

We have a bunch of exciting things in the works to celebrate the upcoming first annual Skull Appreciation Day on June 4th and while details are still being finalized for a big event here in Richmond,VA, you're invited to participate wherever you are by creating and sending in some mail art!

Here's the details from the call for submissions put together by my Mim...

Theme: SKULLS (of course)
Deadline: 27 May 2011 
size: standard postcard
medium: any
send to:
Skull-a-Day
P.O. Box 73236
Richmond, VA 23235
U.S.A.

The art will be on display for a month at Gallery 5 as part of a larger exhibition we're curating and will be featured on Skull-A-Day as well!

p.s. And don't forget we also want your quilt squares for the charity quilts being put together by Abby which will be auctioned off that weekend too! Details are HERE.

Image: 121. Junk Mail Skull

Alexander's Three Skulls

Alexander,  from the Ukraine, sent us these 3 pieces. "I like to paint in various techniques and most of the works are a skull."

Vendetta

"This work was done in PhotoShop."

4 Season

"Drawn with colored pencils on A4."

RGB Skull

"This is my vector work done in Corel draw."

I like seeing the varations in skull designs and mediums. That is how we do Skull-A-Day...different skulls, different mediums. I like how viscous the blood looks in the 1st one. The idea of seeing the four seasons in art, is something that I've wanted to play with. I like seeing this skull on a cherry tree and how the cycling of the seasons affects it. From Fall where it's shade of leaves falls, to Winter where snow chills it, to Spring where it's brightened with blooms, to Summer where the tree provides cherries, which will attract bird visitors. Makes me miss my grandparents' cherry tree from my youth. The last piece has a pop art quality with it's change in colors and a tattoo quality with the classic flaming skull. I love seeing this variation in work from one artists and all of our submitters.

Alex’s Skulls

Alex’s mom wrote: “I got excited about your work because my ten year old, Alex, loves drawing skulls and making them out of all kinds of stuff. His dad and I gave him your first book as a birthday gift and he loved it. It was a huge hit. He has since made skulls out of legos, jenga blocks, wire, and beads, among other things.

Alex is in an amazing after-school art class taught by one of his friend’s dads, who was teaching them just recently about Alexander Calder and his wire sculptures. That spawned a teeny wire skull– Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for inspiring all kinds of people – big and small. ”


Soapbox C says:

This is an amazing body of work. Thank you for sharing this with us. We never tire of seeing how the site or the Skullmaster’s book continue inspired creativity in all.

Certainly in times when art programs are falling under the budget knife, it is wonderful to know that others are taking up the cause to make sure our children’s education is richer than only what they need to pass a standardized test.

Morbid Attractions

What would a Skull-A-Day television show look like? With the help of a few of my friends, including the great people at the Mütter Museum, we finally know...

So what do you think? Would you watch a show like this?

If you do like it please spread the word and hopefully we can get it in front of the right people to make it a reality!

Thanks to all the people who helped make it happen...
Director: Jerry Kolber
Editor: Joshua Moïse
Writer: Ilise Carter
V/O Recording: Carlos Collazo

p.s. Be sure to check out Joshua Moïse's own film Treasury Men In Action. 

"Mickey" Skull

Washington D.C. artist Jamin sends us this mind warping skull image where..."In my current work I use the skull as a means by which to extract what lies within the deepest confines of your soul---then hang it on the wall."

"Mickey"

This could easily be some hallucination scene from a really trippy psychadelic film or it could just be what's inside us all. The depth of our souls could be an expanse that we never reach the end of or it could just be our minds playing a trick on us. I'll let you decide what you feel while I thank Jamin for blowing my mind.

United Skull of America II - X Gallery, Richmond, VA

I was invited to create an installation for Main Art's outdoor X Gallery here in Richmond, VA for the months of March and April.

This 9'x 9'(274 x 274cm) piece, based on my United Skull of America design, is made of paper that has been hand cut, glued directly to the wall, and sealed with a waterbased varnish.

If you're in the area I hope you'll come by and see it in person. Since it's outdoors, it's on display 24 hours a day!

And hey, if you want a United Skull of America of your very own, check out the T-shirt & poster that are available in the Skull-A-Day store. As well as the 9' x 9' laser cut wood version that is available from Street Anatomy!

Circuit Board Skulls

Long time Skully friend Tom Adams, sent us these that his son made. "Here are a couple of skulls made from circuit boards that my son Nolan has made. Hey what can I say, like father like son. I made the green one after seeing it in his pile...he inspires me."

Nolan's

Nolan with another skull

Tom's

I love seeing what kids create and how they inspire adults. These are great examples of a kid inspiring an adult. Circuit boards are technology art. I love the shapes of the passageways and connections. My daughter, is constantly drawing me skulls. Obviously, there is no question why. She makes great work. We should probably do one together.

[Bonus] Skull Cup Review

A short while back we posted some wicked ceramic cups made by Nicole Pangas. You can see that original post here. I managed to get my hands on one of these bad boys and here's the new cup that's now kickin' ass in my kitchen.



Nicole hooked me up with skull and crossbone designs on both sides. You can't see the bones on the big one, but they are there. This cup is a solid piece of craftsmanship. It feels firm and comfortable to hold and drink from, and it looks f'ing awesome on the dinner table. I love having this new addition to my collection of skull glasses. If you want to get one for yourself then check out her Etsy store. You can bet mine will be used for quite a few tasty beverages. Thanks again, Nicole!

[BONUS] The Gift of Skulls: Pirate Booty

I got two wonderful packages of skull gifts from friends new and old this week!

First up, this awesome hand printed T-shirt sent by my good friend Jen Primosch. It's her personal pirate flag, featuring a schooner based on the Pioneer and two butterfly knives, which are her signature weapon in Kung Fu! Hopefully she'll make more of these for sale, in the meantime you can check out her other work on her site HERE...

And then I got a fun package from fellow 365er Crazy Rebecca. She knit this lovely hat as part of her own daily stash use up challenge! Also included was an appropriately skully "anti-Valentine" mini crazy quilt, a photo of a crazy quilt in progress, a found skull image, and (not shown) a CD of her music, which is really very lovely! Find out more about Rebecca and see what she's up to on her site HERE...

Thanks again for the wonderful gifts!

Sunday Simulacra - Version 4.40

I have to begin this week's round of simulacra by bragging about my own wife, Mrs. Tatman. She discovered this delectable fellow in the dough for her delicious homemade pierogies.



Michelle Bernard sent this pleasant note, "Love your site, the 365 concept and your work! I’ve attached a photo taken on my cellphone (sorry it’s not better quality) of a “bird poop skull”! I could not believe this was actually on the windshield of my friend’s car when I got inside. It was just so perfect."



And Henrique from Brazil was having a great time with some friends on New Year's Eve when they spotted this neighbor's balcony with Christmas lights on it.



Thanks again to everyone for another round of great submissions. It just goes to show that no matter if you're cooking, going for a car ride, or partying with friends, these hidden skulls WILL find you. Be sure to snap a pic and submit it to us.