I love Lee Gilmore’s latest painting.

Quote, “Peel is an MP3 blog reader and player rolled into one. Subscribe and stream music the minute it becomes available!” Awesome way to find new music.

M. Antoinette on Prom Night Fist Fight (and in the sketchbook.) Overlap is fun!

Great album covers drawn from memory with chalk at the 37signals/Coudal Partners office. I think every office should make chalk and/or whiteboard drawing mandatory.

Well, let’s get on with it then… .com/sketchbook

Some background: I’ve started drawing with much more frequency in the past few months. It’s a wonderful outlet from my childhood (back when that’s the only thing I knew how to do artistically) and it’s a nice break from pixels and design. Ever since I was young, I’ve always doodled and sketched in the margins of papers; it helps me listen and process (though convincing teachers of this was never a very successful endeavor.)

As I’m getting used to the discipline again I realize I pick up bits and pieces from other illustrators. Until those bits and pieces eventually reconcile themselves with my existing illustrative vocabulary and become something more “me” (whatever that means), I see tons of Matt Curry, classic Japanese art, and some art deco in my work right now. I’m sure you do too. I’m also sure this will continue to evolve, but I’m making no attempts to hide influences – just trying to learn to draw again.

Some of these new sketches are basically sermon notes from church (see the aforementioned listening comment), some of them are typography experiments, and some I have no explanation for. All in all, it’s just another piece of the puzzle I wanted to share with you (one that is much less polished and thought-through than my usual fare.)

This American Life is coming to TV via Showtime. This is (almost) enough to make me want to buy a television.

I hit the Internet Movie Database frequently (searching for movie details, trying to remember quotes, etc.) and the individual movie page profiles seem to have gotten style makeover. Check out the page for Frank Miller’s 300.

Kottke reports that Google Maps has added public transportation stops as well as metropolitan building outlines. (Downtown Dallas makes a little more sense now that I see building outlines.)

Illustrator Ray Frenden on YouTube inking an illustration in double-time. Fascinating to watch… I need to use my Wacom tablet more.

PureVolume at SXSW 2007. The full schedule isn’t up yet, but I’m sure the PV camp has plenty of things planned. See you there?

Quote, “Today I want to talk about piracy and music. What is piracy? Piracy is the act of stealing an artist’s work without any intention of paying for it. I’m not talking about Napster-type software. I’m talking about major label recording contracts.” Courtney Love does the math on a hypothetical million-dollar record contract. Interesting read, especially given her experience(s).

1. Wonderland
2. Alabama Limo
3. Woop Woop
4. Fair Dinkum
5. Cervantes Cycnus de Leon

Shane Vorhaben‘s illustrations (like this, this, and this) are quirky and wonderful. He is a friend of a friend of a friend (literally) so go say “hi.”

11 Ways to Find New RSS Subscribers for Your Blog has some good tips that I need to take to heart. (Actually, I need a solid week to rethink the structure and layout here, not to mention actually making an attemt to pay attention to archives.)

I picked up my parents at the Dallas airport today. They are currently chatting up a storm for the first time with my soon-to-be in-laws in the kitchen. I’m pretty sure this is some variety of a momentous, life-milestone moment.

I give them five minutes before they’re all crying.

Marian Bantjes handdrew all 150 Valentines she sent out. The variations on a theme are amazing.

I’m feeling the photography itch more lately (I go through these seasons where one artistic pursuit is the most interesting, and that’s certainly leaning towards photography and illustration right now) and I’m at a crossroads.

My faithful digital Canon Powershot has finally died, so I’m tempted by the 10mp Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 (which is basically a Leica knockoff.) But I’m also pulled in the analog direction by the magical film goodness of the Polaroid 680slr. Decisions, decisions.

What say you?

Quote, “Inspired by the same desire for simple form and smart function, our design is the perfect match for Macs and monitors. Milk, the Mac desk. Cute. (thanks, Katie Brock)

Quote, “X = A kiss. O = A hug… V = Both of us in bed, side by side, watching American Idol with our tops off. I’m holding the clicker.” Two Previously Known And 15 Brand-new Closing Signatures, To Be Inserted At The End Of Your Love Letters For Valentine’s Or Any Other Day.

The following greeted me in my inbox this morning via Chad Ballew, one of my favorite people at work, with the subject line “The Reason For the Season.”

“Today we celebrate the day that Saint Valentine went to battle against the Gorgolans 1500 years ago. He was covered in blood and ate over 1,000 men’s
hearts in that battle. The hearts gave him his strength to tear the head from the great beast that the Burokians were sacrificing young girls to every week. He liberated the people and from then on, Valentine’s day as we call it today has been one of symbolic heart eating, to give us strength and remember we no longer have to slit the throats of young virgins on the stone of the great beast anymore.”

I think that pretty much sums it up.

My old, junky Epson scanner decided to magically come back to life today. What does that mean for you? It means you get to see a slew of new Polaroids, medium format photographs, and a new web endeavor focused around my completely non-sensical sketchbook. Eventually. For now, a photo.