5 Blogs Featuring Great Artists & Illustrators

I follow quite a few blogs and I don't usually have time to read every word of every blog. It is nice to have a few blogs that deal mainly in pictures rather than words. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Matte Stephens http://matteart.blogspot.com/
2. MATTIAS ADOLFSSON http://mattiasa.blogspot.com/
3. iotacons by Andy Rash http://iotacons.blogspot.com/
4. INCIDENTAL COMICS http://thoughtballoonhelium.blogspot.com/
5. ABSTRACT COMICS http://abstractcomics.blogspot.com/

I considered writing a description of each of the blogs, but pictures speak louder than words so go to the blogs and let me know what you think. What are your favorite blogs with art and illustration?

Creativity is just connecting things

via thinkjarcollective.com

Music Memories: The Early Years

Music Memories  is a series of blog posts that include musical memories and the role that music has played in my life. To see other posts in this series, click here.

The earliest memories of music that I have of music include record players and cassette tape players or maybe the voices of my mom and dad.

Care Bear’s records at my parents house

I remember in kindergarten singing “This Land is My Land” or was it “America the Beautiful”... (maybe both). Mrs. McDougal talked about the lyric about purple mountain majesty and showed us all a picture of the mountains that seemed to be purple. In that class we also listened to records about different personified letters of the alphabet.

I was in a singing group which was called Talent Sprouts for 8 years starting when I was 3 or 4 years old. I remember a couple of songs that we used to sing.

When I was little I remember quite a few Wee Sing cassette tapes. I also remember a few videos that my brother and I used to watch with my cousins, especially Wee Sing in Sillyville and Wee Sing The Big Rock Candy Mountain.

I also probably listened to and sang many songs from the Children’s Songbook, but I don’t have any specific stories or examples.

Music Memories: The Influence of My Dad

Music Memories is a series of blog posts that include musical memories and the role that music has played in my life. To see other posts in this series, click here.

My Dad has been a big influence in my life. Especially musical influence. My dad loves music and some of that love for music has brushed off on me.

The first concert I went to was Boston with my dad. My aunt Lana bought tickets. We had floor seats. Everyone on the floor stood up the entire concert. I was 12 or so and not very tall. I couldn’t see a lot of the concert. But I do remember a cool spaceship thing above the stage that was lowered down and it moved. I also remember an organ solo.

My dad listened to the Beatles a lot growing up. I am a big fan of the Beatles, especially Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

The first album I remember owning was given to me by my father. It was Weird Al Yankovich in 3D. He gave to my brother a best of Men at Work CD. I also remember convincing my dad to buy me a collection of cartoon theme songs.

Riding in the car and listening to music with my dad is fun. He knows a lot of music and will sing along and even harmonize with many songs.

Other musicians that I claim to know about and love thanks to my father include: The Who, Billy Joel, Peter Gabriel, The Eagles, Joe Walsh, Elton John, The Cars, Pink Floyd, Wings, and many others.

Huntsman Holiday Card Contest

I created the Holiday Card in a very short amount of time.

The Jon M. Huntsman School of Business is doing a Holiday Card Contest. The school is looking for holiday cards that they can use... I suppose to send to alumni or whomever they feel like. Students create a holiday card and upload it via a Facebook app. Then people will vote for the card that is the best. I wasn't going to participate in the contest, but late Sunday night I noticed a Twitter post from the Huntsman School say their was only 45 minutes left to enter, so on a whim I decided to create the greatest holiday card the world has ever seen. 


(You can vote for my card here.) 

I used a picture that I had drawn in the margin of one of my notebooks that I had colored and scanned. Then I used the built-in Creative Kit in Google+ to play with some of the color and contrast settings and add text. Here is my finished product/submission: 

If you would like to vote for my submission to win the prize, you have until Friday, December 9. You can vote once every 24 hours. I have decided that if I win the grand prize, I will send a holiday card to everyone who voted for me. Here is the link to vote: http://bit.ly/vF8hJK. Thanks in advance.


And happy holidays.

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

I have never written a novel. But that doesn't mean I can't try.

I just signed up for National Novel Writing Month (http://www.NaNoWriMo.org).

One time I started writing a novel. I wrote the beginnings on one of those free notebooks that they have on side tables at hotels. I think I kept what I wrote, but I don't know what I ever did with it. I bet the idea was worthy of a best selling novel.

Have you ever taken part in NaNoWriMo? Do you have any advice for writing a novel? My friend Jen (who invited me to take part in this - Thanks) gave me the advice to don't edit, rewrite, or criticize until the month is over.

I think this could be fun.

Everything's Going to Get Better

That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not that the task itself has become easier, but that our ability to perform it has improved. -Ralph Waldo Emerson