Music Inspires Me: ReadyMade, Creative Allies, SXSW
Posted by Troy | Filed under Art/Design
It is no secret to readers that I’m inspired by music.
I’m not exactly sure what connects me to any particular songs.
When I’m creating something visually I always have to have music playing… sometimes I can even look back at past artwork and know if I had been listening to Smashing Pumpkins or Sigur Ros or Radiohead or Bob Dylan while creating.
There is something about great music that is inspiring… it can’t be just the music itself, because different music inspires different people in different ways.
But when that perfect combination of melodies, harmonies, rhythms, ambient noises, or whatever comes together in a way that connects with me on a spiritual level…
I think it may be one of the top reasons why I believe in God.
UPDATE 3/3/2010
I found out this weekend that my submission to the Creative Allies for a ReadyMade Magazine contest is going to be featured in the exhibit at the ReadyMade Party during the SXSW Festival!!
If I’d had more time to enter multiple designs in the contest, I might have had a better shot at winning the Grand Prize… a trip to SXSW and party with the ReadyMade crew…
Would’ve been sweet… just saw this cool mix from NPR today and it’s got me wishing I could go to see some sweet bands like The Antlers, Band of Horses, Japandroids, Matt Pond PA, Rogue Wave, She & Him, and even Churchill will be doing a show there…
Not to mention a crap pile of the most snob-worthy bands so fringe they don’t even exist in real life… I’m sure one of them is probably my favorite band ever… too bad I’ll never know.
You can see all 12 pieces in the exhibit here and check out some close-up detail images of my illustration on my portfolio.
Tags: original illustration
Always Inspired by Colored Pencils
Posted by Troy | Filed under Art/Design, Kids
Feeling uninspired lately.
I’m not sure if it is because I’ve been focusing on work-related stuff… or because I’m waiting for cat scan results to see what’s the next step.
But for whatever reason, I haven’t had much to say lately…
and because I’m committed to Strong Odors being quality, not quantity…
I’ve decided to share this illustration rather than ramble on about something no one really needs to read.
Not exactly sure what’s happening here… but one of my favorites from my daughter (who did this one back in the first grade).
I can’t come close to expressing the creativity that she can unleash with a single stroke of a pencil. Take a few minutes to discover all the detail and emotion and story in this one.
She challenges and inspires me as an artist.
Also threw some Passion Pit into the playlist… lots of Passion Pit echoing around our house lately.
Tags: illustration, kids
New Site for Thunderbeard
Posted by Troy | Filed under Art/Design
My bro-in-law asked me over Thanksgiving to create a new header or at least an avatar for his blog…
I was kind of hoping he’d ask…
Even though he’d done a fine job choosing just the right theme for his Wordpress blog, with the free WP hosted sites you only get so many options…
So I created this super fun illustration (his idea) for his blog…
and then went a little overboard and continued to customize a sweet new site that more appropriately fits the quality of his writing…
I don’t think of Strong Odors as a “Christian” blog, though I’m sure any regular readers can see my faith is a big part of everything I experience and write about…
Thunderbeard however writes from an unabashed Christian perspective… with honesty, transparency, humor and grit.
and because I know him so well… I know that every struggle or victory he shares is for real.
a real guy dealing with the real battles of being a man, losing a parent, finding faith and learning to be a better husband and father.
His readers are always really excited to catch anything new he puts out.
So check out the new Thunderbeard and Lightning!
Tags: original illustration, thunderbeard
Haunted State Hospital
Posted by Troy | Filed under Art/Design, Traverse City
It is starting to smell like winter outside.
So I took advantage of some unusually nice weather and shot some photos at Grand Traverse Commons.
The old state mental hospital.
Some say it is haunted.
Tags: ghosts, original photo, Traverse City
No Headlines when a Black Girl Dies
Posted by Troy | Filed under Art/Design
I love Canada, but I’d never really considered looking beneath the veneer of the friendly, relaxed world with which I had grown so familiar.
This illustration is inspired by a Kathleen Edwards song that challenges the listener to do just that:
Tags: kathleen edwards, Music, original illustration, social justice, wealth
The Grunge Movement
Posted by Troy | Filed under Art/Design, Books, Culture, Music
I spent my freshman year of college at Bob Jones University (it’s a long story for another post) – the world’s bastion for conservative Christian fundamentalism.
When I say “conservative” I mean it… these guys call Billy Graham and Jerry Falwell liberal…
Within a few weeks I was confronted by my dorm supervisor… brought into a private meeting.
I think he was trying to tread lightly, since they have so many culturally-sheltered students when he asked me…
Tags: 90s, Culture, Music, photography
Return of Looney Tunes Tees
Posted by Troy | Filed under Art/Design, Culture, Fashion, Humor
Looney Tunes has collaborated with fashion T-shirt designer Johnny Cupcakes to release these limited edition shirts.
Looney Tunes back en vogue??
I’ve been saving a purple Wile E. Coyote shirt (
ca. 1991) just for this occasion. Now if only I can find some red Arizona jeans and I’ll be able to recreate the entire ensemble.
Tags: Fashion, looney tunes, t-shirts
Chris Koelle Illustration
Posted by Troy | Filed under Art/Design
About a year ago I was introduced to Chris Koelle’s work through mutual friend Aaron “Ernie” Greene.
He showed me the animated short film Men in Black (not the Will Smith one) that Chris had done the drawings for… I thought it was sweet and even used it as inspiration for a promotional video I did for the camp where I worked at the time.
Chris has continued to impress and inspire me and at least two books he’s illustrated sit on my shelf (Job and Death by Love).
Despite the religious titles, his depth of talent will assure he won’t be pigeonholed into the realm of Christian bookstores…
Right now he told me he’s working on a couple books, including a graphic novel (unfortunately he couldn’t share any images yet), and he seems to be really excited about his poster being included in the ARTCRANK poster show…
Besides that, he and his wife Annie (a pretty fantastic artist herself and one of my favorite Design by Humans contributors) always seem to have a fury of projects happening:
- Annie’s piece in the Wild Things exhibit Terrible Yellow Eyes
- featured seller on Poppytalk this month
- Their Etsy shop (and Chris’s Bicycle Art Etsy shop)
- And of course keeping us all up-to-date on their joint efforts on the Koelle Art blog.
It is pretty cool to see a couple with such strong shared interests who can work together and challenge each other to get better and better…
These two are destined for some big stuff man… it’ll be fun to watch.
Accidentally True Story
Posted by Troy | Filed under Art/Design, Faith, Film
Walked out to the forest, plugged in my headphones to some Neko Case and started writing a story about a girl named Nadya and her family.
I used some historical facts and stories as a basis, but for the most part I was just making stuff up…
Tags: video
Vote for Strong Odors
Posted by Troy | Filed under Art/Design
We Love Wordpress is a really cool gallery site featuring the best examples of Wordpress sites around the web.
Visitors can browse through the 2-years-worth of Wordpress sites that have been collected on We Love Wordpress and rate the best of the best.
It is a really cool site and a great inspiration resource for anyone blogging or developing with Wordpress.
I’m really excited and proud to be included in this gallery.
Please take a second to check out Strong Odors on Wordpress Gallery and be sure to give it a 5-star rating!!
Update: Strong Odors is also featured on another site right now, Nicely Done CSS. I’d give it 10 stars!
Update #2: Also featured on Blog Design Lab
Tags: strong odors, vote
