Sunday Simulacra - Version 4.11

With Summer ending soon, we have to make sure we get the most our of our warm days. Today is Sunday, which is a day I love to spend with my husband and daughter. There are a few things we like to do on Sundays. Thankfully, our skull hunters sent in some great skull finds that fit right in to my typical Sunday.

Tommy Adams found this skull on the top of an engine he was working on. I definitely need a car for my Sunday adventures. I have places to go (normally to the movie theater).

On our Sunday adventures, we normally go out for lunch. These skull nachos that Corey Ike's mom made her look very tasty.

We like to take some time to play and Tommy Adams has come to our rescue again with this great skull play set.

Keep sending those found skull photos in to our submissions address. We are running low, so start searching and submitting! Just keep in mind that since we only post simulacra once a week it might take a little longer than normal for it to be posted.

Pen & Ink Skull

John S. Huss gets creepy, crawly with this wickedly drawn pen & ink skull.



The organic covering of this skull makes me wonder if it came from the murky depths of the ocean floor, or maybe it's the roots of an invasive plant that found a home in the buried cranium of an unmarked grave. Either way it's great to see what one can create with just a pen. Thanks, John!

[BONUS] 380. Birthday Skull II

A good friend asked me to decorate her son's cake for his birthday as a last minute favor. So I spent this morning with her homemade cake, which she had already covered in white frosting, and a bottle of black icing. I don't have any proper cake decorating tools so I basically just worked with a knife, a chopstick, and my fingers and treated the frosting like paint. It took me about two hours to finish. I think the birthday boy will like it, but I wonder if his guests' parents will concerned...

The first birthday cake I decorated with a skull was actually my own, for the last official day of the first year of this project! And yes I did eat that one.

[Flashback Friday] 187. Skull Clips

Welcome to another addition of Flashback Friday.** This year the guest editors, Azurafae, Tatman, and myself, Citizen Agent, 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.

#8: 187. Skull Clips

Half-way C says:

It is coincidental that this one falls about in the middle of my list, because that was about where it was in the original list. This has stood out in my mind because it is an amazing example of industrial design. The concept is simple, and the design intricate, but what really makes this work for me is the functionality of it. It really works as one imagines it should. Up to this point in my list I have focused on many readymades in the project that Noah was raising the status of them from the mundane into works of art. In this piece there is a great shift in that it represents turning art into the everyday object. This piece has had a lasting impression with me in that almost every time I need to turn something in with a paper clip attached, I secretly wish I had these to use. I am surprised that these have yet to be picked up by one of those stationary stores and sent these into production for sale.

**Flashback Friday was a weekly countdown of the fan selected top 52 skulls of Skull-A-Day 1.o. 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.

[BONUS] Blake’s Skulls

Blake Highland from Jonesboro, AR said: “I have followed Skull-A-Day since the beginning of year 3 and I am a huge fan of skulls, pretty much everything I own has skulls on it. I have made a few skulls to share. First, is a skull spoon I created using a plastic spoon that I carved by heating a bobby pin and cutting the plastic. Next, is a skull mini ramp that I made using google sketch-up (a 3D modeling program) and the skull (Alt+7) of the skullphabet. The ramp is built to scale and if built is totally skate-able. I am working on a future skate park based on skeletons and bones. ”

Retro C says:

Thank you for being such a loyal follower of the project. We are always happy to see how our readers have been inspired by Skull-A-Day. The image of the skull is very prevalant in the modern skate culture, so it is natural that a skull themed skate park to be a natural progression in it. Let us know when you get done designing it, and certainly remember us when it gets constructed.

Dia de la Abby: #11 - Frankenstein's Monster

My interpretation of Frankenstein's Monster's skull is a companion piece to last week's Bride of Frankenstein Skull.

The classic tale of Doctor Frankenstein and his monstrous creature is one we all know well, but if you don't, I highly suggest reading it. As with art, there can be a struggle between you and your artwork. The masterpiece in Frankenstein of course is his monster. The struggle is the relationship he has with him and the fact that Frankenstein built a being out of dead parts, then brought him to life. Who are we to play god? "Frankenstein" was inspired by Mary Shelley's experience with watching one of her father's friends apply electricity to a dead criminal, which caused his appendages to jerk, as if he was being brought back to life. This experience combined with a weekend spent with friends where a game of horror stories on a thunderous night, produced this thought compelling work. For me, I don't recall rain, but then again, I also don't consider my piece a master piece. The next time it rains, curl up with a good book. Might it be scary or silly, your imagination is better than any film adaptation.

As with last week's piece, I used the same supplies...acrylic paint, brushes and a paint pen to create this piece, so no tutorial.

Every week in the 4.0 year, I will be 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.

Frida Kahlo and Day of the Dead Skulls

Vanina from Sion, Switzerland sent us these Frida Kahlo and the Day of the Dead inspired pieces. She had a couple comments about the pieces

"I am also in disguise for Carnival and I think I have done well my makeup!"

"I made the decorations for my house and my friends."

First off, anything that is "Day of the Dead" inspired, automatically grabs my attention. All of these pieces are great and I can see both influences in them. The make up is a sugar skull. Her hair looks braided and is adorned with orange flowers (daisies maybe, though marigolds are traditional). Combined with the clothing and jewelry, I can see the strong Mexican influence. The 1st decoration is a sugar skull adorned with flowers (which is one of my favorite combinations for my own art). If this was a real sugar skull, I would want to eat it. The last decoration is a calavera with a nail through the heart. To die of a broken heart is a painful way to go, and really speaks to the deep feelings we have with love. I also like the unibrow that is seen in Frida's work. With Day of the Dead quickly approaching, I have sugar skulls on the brain a lot, so thanks for submitting these great pieces to keep us all looking forward to the celebration!

“Experimental Skull”

Virlan Paul from Romania sent us this submission titled “Experimental Skull”.


Dispenser C says:

I was immediately taken in my this piece with its ghostly image. At first I didn't realize that this was a digital image. It had appeared to me to have layers of Scotch Tape on it. Which after reading the wiki section on X-rays has given this piece a whole new interpretation for me. Thank you for submitting your work for us to share.

Micrography Skull

Gus, a self proclaimed professional basement troll from Alexandria, VA, rises to the upper floors with a homage to his lost friend. Gus describes it for us, "It is a micrography piece I did back in the nineties. I had originally given it to a friend as a gift, he was killed earlier this year and it was given back to me. The piece itself unframed is 19 1/2" x 17" and is composed of small hand written text. The writing forms the shapes and lines and then I add in underlining to shade and highlight. I call it "Dirk's Horned Skull Micrography" in honor of my friend Dirk."



It's been said that a picture can paint a thousand words, and I guess sometimes vice versa. This looks like it took many hours to complete and is well worth the effort. I'm sure your friend enjoyed it while he had it, Gus. Thanks for sharing it and your story with us.

Skull-A-Day on Display: Street Anatomy, Chicago

The fantastic Street Anatomy blog is hosting its first curated art show in Chicago next month and my work will be included! If you're in the area I hope you'll check it out...

STREET ANATOMY

A group exhibition featuring the human anatomy in contemporary art and pop culture.

International Museum of Surgical Science
1524 N. Lake Shore Drive. Chicago, IL

September 3 - November 19, 2010
Opening: Friday, September 3, 5-9 pm

Curated by Vanessa Ruiz 

Featured Artists:
David Foox 

Emilio Garcia  

Stephen Shanabrook 

Jason Freeny
Noah Scalin 
CAKE
Robyn Roth 
Heather Tompkins
Ryan Gerdes

Bone Orchard Revival Skull

Grant Netzorg sent us this piece. "This is a block print I did recently for my band, Bone Orchard Revival. I did an edition of 30 to give away with our record at shows, and I plan on doing one more small edition of 10 with bone colored ink on black paper. If anyone wants one, I can be contacted through the band's website", Bone Orchard Revival.

I like the rawness of the uneven print. The print quality in combination with the overall design makes me think this would be a Rockabilly type band, and in deed, when I gave Bone Orchard Revival a listen via their Myspace page, they are a similar style. The themes of the music are dark, like the theme of the print. The soulful music makes me think of a small town speakeasy that you can only get to by boat where the locals go to drink and play poker away from the lawmen. Regardless of the hardness of the times, this music always has a soothing quality to me. This the way I want to spend every day.

Sunday Simulacra - Version 4.10

It's Sunday again, skull lovers, and that means it's time to display the hidden skull treasures that our readers have managed to capture.

Fiona found this evil looking moth in her back yard in Saluda, Va. She's, "Not sure if it's an actual Death's Head Moth, but it's definitely got some 'skull and crossbones' action going on."



M@ was sharing a tender moment when this spooky skull made an appearance.



Lora Ditko "spotted this skull turret at the Great Lakes Medieval Faire."



Thanks for sharing these. It seems to be getting harder to catch these sneaky little skulls these days. If you find one lurking about then submit it to us so we can proudly display your prize as well.

Super Skull Saturday (Heavy Metal Style)

Crank it up to 11 for today's Super Skull Saturday post, skullnatics! It's my honor and privilege to introduce Tom Adams from Canton, MI to the Skull-A-Day stage to take you to a new level of heavy metal skull making. This stuff is so heavy you're beard might even grow a few inches.

Every artist has their influences in childhood that guide them down that long and winding road. Tom tells us, "As a child I always wanted to grow up to be a paleontologist and was always interested in bones, bugs, fossils and things of that nature. I was also fascinated by death. In school I was never very good at academics but had a knack for art, especially sculpture."

Tom's road happened to have the bike path from Hell on it and hence we arrive at the awesomeness that Tom has pedaled into place. "Here is one I call the "Skelebike" that I built in 2008. It is all steel and is a full functioning bicycle. I showed it at the last two Detroit Autoramas where it was very well received and won multiple trophies."



The metal gods command that you check out the means by which Tom transformed a girl's bike into this vehicle of wickedness!

All right! I know this next piece isn't metal, but it's HEAVY! "It's made out of an actual piece of a grave marker that was replaced due to an error."



I mean come on, it's a tombstone skull! You bet yer ass Tatman's tombstone will have a skull on it! Let the metal continue....

"Here's another one I made out of stainless steel. I like to set this one on a shelf in it's open position, when somebody touches it, it collapses and makes a wonderful metal clank sound. Not to mention it usually also scares the $#!+ out of them too, which is a nice side effect."



Tom felt the fire burn in him to wield and weld the metal to do his bidding, passing along the gift of metal to those who desired to be heavy. "Here is the one that started it all for me in steel. I have probably made over a thousand skulls in my lifetime and gave most of them away to anyone that had a shared interest in them."



He even goes old, old school and kicks Jur"ass"ic with this wrenched out Triceratops.



As fate would have it(or as the metal gods intended it), Tom tells the tale of divine intervention, "Over the years I had tried many mediums but after being required to take a welding course for my job, I was hooked. I felt a strong sense of permanency in my work. It feels good to do work in a medium that isn't practiced by many artists."



Tom gets down right hard as rusty nails with the "Termin8r".




This trip into the metal bending mind of Tom Adams comes to end, but we can't go out without thanking him for sharing all of his great work. Thanks, to you, Tom! May the metal gods always shine bright on your supply of tools, materials, and inspiration. Thanks for being a part of Skull-A-Day and for keeping it HEAVY!



I told you this post was heavy. Tom was clean shaven when we started.

[Flashback Friday] 112. Construction Barrier Skull

Welcome to another addition of Flashback Friday.** This year the guest editors, Azurafae, Tatman, and myself, Citizen Agent, 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.

#9: 112. Construction Barrier Skull


Local 180-C says:

Looks like we've got another overlap here. Being that it was NYC I wonder how much it actually cost the site to hire someone to come in and remove it or did they just let nature take care of it? Who knows maybe some enterprising reader went out and found this after you posted it and you will find it posted for sale someday. It has been mentioned before that the job of an artist is to see the potential in a form and allow that potential to come out. I admire that you were able to give birth to this just by casually walking by and seeing the potential. I also like that this was non-destructive graffiti, in that at anytime it could be undone and returned to its original state. Some thing I have always wondered about, what were the actions that you ended up with the materials to do this? After your meeting did you tell them you were having an art emergency and needed, a piece of construction paper, scissors, and tape stat?

**Flashback Friday was a weekly countdown of the fan selected top 52 skulls of Skull-A-Day 1.o. 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.

Dual Skull Goalie Mask

Gary Lockwood in Los Angeles, CA told us: “This is a hand painted vintage style goalie mask for hockey. I painted it so that it is a skull right side up or upside down. It is part of my own A-Day project called MASK365 inspired by Skull A Day.”

Right side up

Up side down

In use

Blue Line C says:

You had me at mask, but the final results are amazing. Although I don't know many goalies who stand on their heads, the creation of this piece to be dual sided is a wonderful concept and well executed. Thank you for sharing this with us, and thank you for letting us know about your “MASK365” project. We are always happy to be notified that one of our readers have been inspired by the site to create more.

Dia de la Abby: #10 - Bride of Frankenstein

With Halloween coming soon (well, 86 days away), I've had monsters on the brain, so I've made a couple monster skulls for you...one for this week, and one for next week. I even plan on becoming a monster for Halloween, but that is for another post that is closer to Halloween.

This lovely lady, is of course the iconic Bride of Frankenstein. When I think of female monsters, this is the one that I immediately think of. The Bride/Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, aptly named after the author of "Frankenstein" or "The Modern Prometheus", is played by Elsa Lanchester. She has stiff tall hair which is a result of her life giving electrocution. In this piece, I've portrayed her as post mortum (post post mortum?), but with hair intact as if her body bandages had mummified her hair some how or maybe her hair is just that impressive, that it needs to stay. The choice of black, white and gray are of course because the movie is a black and white movie, which are my favorite kind. Despite having color TVs in my household as a youth, I always preferred to watch TV on my mother's old black and white TV...you know, the kind with the rabbit ears, that only gets a few channels. Granted, I was watching mostly regular shows, occasionally I could watch old ones, and that unified the nostalgia of the black and white tv experience. Since we are on the topic of old movies, what is your favorite old movie?

There is no tutorial for this one. I used acrylic paint, a medium paint brush (for the grey background and black hair) and a black paint pen (for the skull and waves of the hair). If you haven't considered using a paint pen in your paintings, I recommend it. You get better control of lines and details. I've used them for various paintings and am always pleased with the easy of use and result.

Every week in the 4.0 year, I will be 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.

Huge Skull Painting

Mitzi Melville submitted this "huge skull painting". I cropped the photo, but it really is huge!


I like the contrast of the swirly gray & silver skull against the bold red back ground. The swirled skull reminds me of the texture of a grinder swirls on metal sheets. the pattern reminds me of how worms eat wood, leaving trails of where they have eaten. It's a beautiful path and very appropriate for a skull. Perhaps worms make the same sort of trails when devouring human flesh. I'm sure some wacky scientist know for sure. The pieces makes me ponder much more, which is the point of art, right? ...to make you think beyond the basic image of a skull. The way in which a classic image is portrayed, is what gets my mind generating alternative meanings, so in my mind, it's a successful piece.

Sheet Metal Skull

A man of few words “GDW” sent us this skull made from a steel heating duct.


HVA-C says:

This is an interesting piece with so many future possibilities. Your work has the potential to transcend being passive art and become alive. For example you could use it as a stencil and it might be interesting to see it displayed after it has been in service and what paint it might have collected. Another possibility might be to use it with light source for shadows. or simply fixing it to a duct, so that in the future when someone goes to check a duct in a cramped darken space, they get a surprise. I also enjoyed the staging of this picture, it makes me think of either a crime scene or an archeology find. Either way a skull find would be out of the ordinary. Thank you for submitting your work for us to share.

And the Eggs & Bacon Skull shirt winner is ...

Congrats to Essie as the randomly selected winner of the scrumptious Eggs & Bacon Skull shirt giveaway.

Thanks again to everyone for participating. It was great reading all of your ideas, even as gross as some of them may have been(but that's why we love you).

And of course even if you didn't win you can still get your own Eggs & Bacon Skull shirt, or choose from a whole slew of designs at Zooky shirts.

"Celexa" Skull

Lace-D joins the ranks of skull loving artists. "I love your site ....I'm a skull lover.....happy to see I'm not alone . This is an original piece that I painted-it's called 'Celexa'."



There's a lot going on here that I like. The urban warrior skull seems to be bursting onto the scene with his incandescent cans of paint making the bleak world of death a brighter place to be. I don't know whether or not your title is inspired by the real celexa, but your super colorful work is a great antidepressant as well. Thanks for sharing it!