[CONTEST REMINDER] Win a Crystal Skull Print from Rachel Quinlivan

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED. Thanks for participating.

Don't forget you have until 11:59pm Eastern USA Time Friday, March 14, 2014, to enter the the current giveaway. Rachel Quinlivan is giving away a "Crystal Skull" print to one lucky Skull-A-Day fan. You can find the original contest post by clicking the side bar ad, or this link.

[NOTE: If you are reading this on Facebook or Google+, you must go to THE ACTUAL BLOG POST HERE to enter this contest! You CANNOT enter this contest by commenting on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+]

The Many Faces of Skullebrations

Once again we've got a great set of fan face paints from readers who are trying to let their skulls out. These bony faces of death bring warmth and life to those who don it's mask.  Usually done for festive celebrations, it seems that letting your skull come through it a great signs of good times.  At least these people feel that way....

Tommy Perillo was enjoying a gala with a lady friend(I have that same tie!)

Cayce McCall had the chance to do some face painting at "the best wedding I've ever been to".

Justin Jaymeson painted these fancy faces of his family for some trick or treating last Halloween.

Sugar Skull Death Head Moth

Determined not to let the Death Head Moth receive a bad reputation because of one movie, Danny Hernandez is buzzing our scene with a newer, more festive version.  Instead of appearing lodged in the throats of murder victims as a sign of transformation, Danny's moth is appearing here in celebration of another day that your skull gets to appreciate this one.  Now, go rub some lotion on your skin(you know you were thinking it).  Thanks for sharing, Danny!   

[CONTEST] Win a Crystal Skull Print from Rachel Quinlivan

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED. Thanks for participating.

Rachel Quinlivan is an American artist who specializes in oil paintings. Many of her paintings are fossils and skulls, but she's also done animal portraits. She is inspired by fairy tales and ghost stories. You can check out her work in her etsy shop, Quinlivan Art Emporium, and on her Facebook page. She wants to share one of her recent paintings, "Crystal Skull", by giving away a print to one lucky Skull-A-Day fan!

PRIZE INFO: One 8"x10" print of "Crystal Skulls" on metallic paper.

HOW TO ENTER: Rachel is often inspired by fairy tales and ghost stories. To enter, comment below telling us your favorite fairy tale or ghost story. For example, I like "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and any ghost story with historical ties.

CONTACT INFO: The winner, chosen at random, will be contacted via email by one of the Skull-A-Day editors within 7 days of the end of the contest. If that winner doesn't respond, another winner will be chosen. With your comment, please INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!!! Entries are only valid with this information.

WHERE TO ENTER: All entries must be made on this blog post, on Skull-A-Day.com. You CANNOT enter this contest by commenting on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.

CONTEST CLOSES: 11:59:59 PM Eastern USA Time Friday, March, 14, 2014.

NUMBER OF WINNERS: One

PRIZE SHIPS: This contest is open to all skull lovers around the world.

IF YOU DON'T WIN: Don't fret, in Rachel's shop, Quinlivan Art Emporium, there is a 10% discount on all orders over $25 until Sunday March 9th. Enter coupon code QuinlivanArt1 at checkout.

Sunday Simulacra - Version 7.41

Today's skulls are large rocks. Rand Workman says this rock is in his front yard on Whidbey Island in Washington State. Jenny J Rock found this skull within the rocks of a stream. Look on the left side of the front rock formation, in the white water. If you've found a simulacra skull, please submit it to us. We love sharing what our skull hunters find!

Super Sugarskills Saturday

Today's super set of super sugar skulls come from Izzy Cammareri and Lynsey Morgann Laurence. Recently,the girls were featured at a showing at BrickLane Annex Gallery in London. I love the background bio that they included:

"Izzy Cammareri and Lynsey Morgann Laurence met whilst studying Illustration under Bill Wright at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London. Between them they have resided in London, Hong-Kong and Australia. A global alliance; when unable to work together they share and plan ideas online. Exhibiting throughout London, in recent years they have forged the art and illustration company; Sugarskills.

Isabella and Lynsey devise sugar skull designs that have the dreams, desires and demons of a departed soul painted and collaged across the forehead. Based on no one person, each skull asks the onlooker to play the part of both dream interpreter and forensic anthropologist. Once engaged with the subject you are challenged to solve some part of it’s identity; to decipher the complex and detailed story of it’s perpetual life. Both mysterious and evocative, disturbing and comical, each skull holds a labyrinth of symbols and imagery that beckons the audience into a wonderland of cavernous questions and profound discoveries.

Together the girls of “Sugarskills” take the totem metaphor of death and dance with it. Their work is a series of appositions; chaotic but ordered; moribund but hopeful; as wise as it is immature. Each canvas is celebratory, mischievous, calculating; sentimentally childish and unapologetically spirited. Impishly waltzing through layers of creativity like a pair of rogue opportunists; Izzy and Lynsey pick up the bare bones of life and puckishly paint them into a myriad of Mexicana colours. With every stroke they dare the on-looker to come and play with them."

Thanks for helping to make this Saturday super skullified, Isabella and Lynsey!

                            

Beach Skull

Colin Kilpatric drew this skull for us on a beach. We've had a cold winter in Richmond, VA, which is rare for us. I'm yearning for the warmer weather to arrive and stay, so I can make multiple beach trips, and draw in the sand. If you've been following us for a while you might recall some other beach skulls. Noah's made Sand Skull 1 and Sand Skull 2, during the 1st year of the project. I made this Sand Skull while at my favorite beach. Hoping this inspires you the next time you're at a beach and have time to make some skull art.

[CONTEST REMINDER] Ketsin Skull Giveaway

This contest has ended. Thanks to everyone who entered by leaving a comment. Our winner will be notified via email. Stay tuned for more upcoming giveaways!

Don't forget that you only have until 11:59:59 PM Eastern Time TONIGHT to get entered to win one of 1 FREE Ketsin Design Crafts skullpture.  There are many more to choose from than what you see here.  You can find more here.

[NOTE: If you are reading this on Facebook or Google+, you must go to THE ACTUAL BLOG POST HERE to enter this contest! You CANNOT enter this contest by commenting on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+]

Don't let the chance to own one of the killer pieces slip by you.  Which will you choose, Tatoto or Mono style?  Click the link above and make your comment to be entered.

 Thanks to Omar Vitela from Ketsin Design for sponsoring such an awesome giveaway!

3D Quilted Skull

Rebekah Kortokraks, aka Trixie Delite, of Brighton, UK, created this 3D quilted textile skull. She explained "The skull represents death and darkness. As the warmth and light of spring approached..., I created the flowers and butterflies which represent growth, hope and transformation." "I was inspired by Carl Jung's theory of 'the gold in the shadow': his belief that what consciousness rejects is often the stuff of life that may give it its highest value. 'One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light but by making the darkness conscious' - Jung. I wanted to transform the skull (an object that is generally regarded as morbid and creepy) into a thing of beauty." I use a mix of life and death in my skull artwork, so I can definitely related to how she views her creation. To see what else Rebekah is creating, check out her Blog, and Facebook page.

A look at the other side of the skull.

[BONUS] 424. Polar Vortex Skull

Like many people in the US my hometown has gotten hit with more snowstorms this year than I've ever experienced before. Most of the time it was just too cold and the snow wasn't good for packing, but the most recent (and hopefully last) snow of the season was just right...

See my previous snow skulls HERE, HERE, and HERE.

[CONTEST REMINDER] Ketsin Skull Giveaway

This contest has ended. Thanks to everyone who entered by leaving a comment. Our winner will be notified via email. Stay tuned for more upcoming giveaways!

Don't forget that you only have until 11:59:59 PM Eastern Time, Friday March 7th to get entered to win one of 1 FREE Ketsin Design Crafts skullpture.  There are many more to choose from than what you see here.  You can find more here.

[NOTE: If you are reading this on Facebook or Google+, you must go to THE ACTUAL BLOG POST HERE to enter this contest! You CANNOT enter this contest by commenting on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+]

Don't let the chance to own one of the killer pieces slip by you.  Which will you choose, Tatoto or Mono style?  Click the link above and make your comment to be entered.

 Thanks to Omar Vitela from Ketsin Design for sponsoring such an awesome giveaway!

Leather Skull Wallet

This finely crafted piece of leather work is from Sam Cortina and his King's X Custom Leather in Round Rock, TX.  These are pieces for his new wallet, which had to feature a skull, that will be card pockets for the exterior.  Sam says that leathercraft is one of his hobbies, but I'll bet he could sell one or two of these if he tried.  Thanks for sharing this with us, Sam!

Custom Handmade Día de los Muertos Skull by Anatomical Element

Skull-A-Day friend Rachel B. Stork Stoltz, MS is a supremely talented medical illustrator and the creative mind behind Anatomical Element.  She was a featured artist at the Face Off Exhibition for Skull Appreciation Day 2013 in Chicago, plus she has sponsored one of our wonderful giveaway contests.

This masterpiece of metalsmithing is truly blowing my mind with everything that is included in it.  I'll let her tell you more: "Made from copper, brass, and sterling silver. All pieces are hand sawn and either soldered or riveted together. Real human teeth are set for the eyes and flower. Stainless steel jaw plates are used as the hanging mechanism. Designs representing a neuron and fibromuscular dysplasia adorn the skull. This piece measures about 2 inches by 3 inches and can be adjusted to hang high or low. All teeth and jaw plates came from the customer. This is a very personal piece and is bound to start countless conversations!"

Rachel says that she's starting to really like this style, and I couldn't agree more.  The use of real pieces of anatomy is just fantastic.  Thanks for sharing this truly awesome piece with us, Rachel!

[CONTEST] Ketsin Skull Giveaway

This contest has ended. Thanks to everyone who entered by leaving a comment. Our winner will be notified via email. Stay tuned for more upcoming giveaways!

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN!!!!  You know how much we love being able to hook up our awesome readers with some kick ass skull art, and now the time has arrived to do it again!

Admit it, you know you have a skull collection.  That collection of craniums ranging in all different sizes, colors, and styles that remind you of different times in your life.  Like that time you were reading Skull-A-Day and discovered the coolest skullptures, and they were giving one away for FREE!  Ketsin Design Crafts wants to make that happen for you today.  Our friend Omar Vitela has been kind enough to offer up one of these bad ass skulls to one of our lucky readers.  Made from polyester resin and enamel paints and sure to take a prized place in your skull collection.  Omar has even been nice enough to offer a 25-50% discount in their store to a couple of select readers.  Be sure to read below for how to enter and how to receive a chance for the bonus discount.  

"Inspired by Pre-Hispanic art and popular traditions, we take one of the most representative icons of Mexican art, the skull, transforming it into a decorative object with a contemporary aesthetic based mainly in minimalist and body art."

"Ketsin is a project of Craft Design made in Mexico. We chose the skull as a means to develop our creativity for its rich symbolism that transcends eras and borders. All items are made by request and we give our customers the ability to customize it choosing any color combination."

PRIZE INFO: One randomly selected winner will receive their choice of one(1) skull of their choosing.  The skulls measure 19cm x 13.5cm (approx. 7 1/2" x 5 1/4").  You can see more Tattoo and Mono choices in their gallery here.  

HOW TO ENTER(this is important): Let's make it a popularity contest.  Leave a comment stating your choice if you were to win, Tattoo or Mono.  I'd go with the Tattoo style personally, but I know some of you have a little more subdued personalities, so just tell me what you think.  Don't worry, you can still change your mind if you are the randomly chosen winner.  Your vote is by no means a final choice.   

CONTACT INFO: If you win, we need to contact you. With your comment you must include your email address.  Entries are only valid with this information!  You can break it up to avoid spammers(i.e. skulladayfan AT skulladay dot com).

WHERE TO ENTER: All entries must be made on this blog post, on Skull-A-Day.com. You CANNOT enter this contest by commenting on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+.

CONTEST CLOSES: 11:59:59 PM Eastern Time Friday, March 7th.

NUMBER OF WINNERS: One (1)

PRIZE SHIPS: Due to shipping costs this contest is only open to skull lovers in Mexico and the contiguous United States.  Sorry to those overseas, Canada, Alaska, and Hawaii.  Your time is coming.

IF YOU DON'T WIN: You can still visit the Ketsin store to be a guaranteed winner by purchasing a skull of your own.  Here's the bonus- the first two(2) readers who email Omar directly here will receive the discounts.  The first response will get 50% off and the second will get 25% off.  Thanks to Omar and Ketsin Design Crafts for the awesome giveaway and substantial discounts!

Sunday Simulacra - Version 7.40

Today's skulls were found on beaches. Marion found this piece of either worn shell or worn coral on Dead Man's Beach, in Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia. Colin Kilpatric found this skull rock on a different beach. If you've found a simulacra skull, please submit it to us. We love sharing what our skull hunters find!

3D Skulls

If you're a fan of CG graphics and drawings then you'll want to know that Luke Dwyer is the creative mind behind these 3D skulls.  His entire collection features a heavy mix of living nature mixed into the universal symbol of death thereby keeping the lifeblood of creativity flowing.  Thanks for sharing these with us, Luke! 

Wanna be a Dead Rock Star

NYC band, Wood Shampoo, have a death themed music video to accompany their song "Wanna be a Dead Rock Star". The digitally animated video features a singing skull riding a skull adorned tractor trailer. Murph Daniels sent us some stills from the video. You can watch the video, below the photos. To see what else Wood Shampoo is up to, check out their website, YouTube, and Facebook page.

Their music video, "Wanna be a Dead Rock Star".

Skull Mask Makeup

Jak Flash, of Bristol, England is a photographer and art director. I came by him by seeing his incredible makeup tutorials on YouTube. This Skull Mask Makeup is part of mask series he did. This skull makeup has colorful and metalic streaks through it, which gives it a painterly quality. You can see more of Jak Flash's work on his Website, YouTube, Tumblr, and Facebook.

Here is the Skull Mask Makeup Tutorial and the mask in action.

Zombieking Skulls

Liverpool, U.K. must be the most undead place on Earth. It's home to Chris "Zombieking" who is the BRAINS! behind these two colorfully undead paintings.  The first shows a glimpse of the "dark" side of being left to a burning eternal damnation.  The second reminds me of a some kind of totally stellar Grateful (un)Dead poster.  Each of these pieces is killer for their own reasons, and we thank you for sharing them with us, Chris!

"Left To Rot"

"Rainbow Death Vomit"

Blinded by Love? Skull

Today's skull is from Kayleigh Sparks of the UK. She submitted this for Valentine's Day, but unfortunately we did not get to it in time. Luckily, we show the love for skulls EVERYDAY here on Skull-A-Day so this is a perfect piece for any day of the year. Thanks for sharing the love with us, Kayleigh!

Skelly Nesting Dolls

Leigh Hannan, is back with a set of painted Skelly Nesting Dolls. The littlest stands at just .5" high and the biggest is 4" high and just over 2" wide. She explained, "These lovely ladies were made in Russia, and shipped to me for painting. Four have big, fun, colorful hair (some with bones tucked in!), and all have flowers to adorn them. The biggest is nestled in her purple coffin with bone yard flowers all around, and the middle doll is set amongst a damask design." These are great pieces of artwork, and available for purchase in her Etsy shop, Skelly Chic. You can find out what else Leigh's creating on her Facebook page.

Sunday Simulacra - Verion 7.39

Today's simulacrum will have all of the meat eaters out there ready to fire up their grill and get to some sizzlin'! The first mouth watering find is from Kenny O. who is making his "attempt at Swiss cheese infamy". The second is from Kevin McIntyre of Raleigh, NC. Kevin found this unexpected dinner guest staring up at him after he prepared his hamburgers. I enjoyed both of these so much that I feel like I should include a salad simulacra just to balance things out. Thanks for sharing your juicy discoveries with us, Kenny and Kevin! Remember to submit your own hidden skull finds if you have the chance.

Super Skull Clock Saturday

These killer skull clocks are from Bat Fastard of the U.K. He's back from the past with a new set of painted skulls. Never mind the fact that time doesn't really exist, just appreciate the fact that you are in the here and now enjoying some cool looking cranial chronometers. Thanks for making some "time" for us with your submission, Bat Fastard!