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
My Brain Today
Posted by Troy | Filed under Culture, Thoughts
Bothersome
- The Superbowl
- The Bachelor/Biggest Loser/American Idol/Golden Globes/etc
- Jay Leno
- iPad
Interesting
- Health Care
- Romans 12
- Haiti Aid
- Grain Edit
- Destination Truth
- Animoto
Obsessed
- Worst Cooks in America
- Lost
- Vampire Weekend
- (500) Days of Summer
- Super Mario Wii
- Independent Lens
- Unitasking
Don’t forget to follow Strong Odors!
Tags: original illustration
(500) Days of The Smiths
Posted by Troy | Filed under Culture, Film
(500) Days of Summer is the best thing I’ve seen in a while.
The title sequence alone is a great reminder of why I love movies.
But I think what really made me love it was how familiar it was.
Eerily so.
Tags: Film, Music, original illustration, The Smiths
Prediction for 2010: More Crap
Posted by Troy | Filed under Faith, Thoughts
Every time New Year’s Eve rolls around I think, “Phew… I’m happy that year is over…”
“Now on to the next… it’s gonna be great!”
Only to find a few weeks later the new year is just as tough as the last.
So what can you expect for 2010?
Tags: hope, original illustration, trials
Personal Update
Posted by Troy | Filed under Cancer
I apologize for the sparse content lately…
I’ve been a little distracted…
hence this unusually prayer-chain-style bit of writing for those who have been wondering about my health.
About 4 weeks ago I received a call from my oncologist to alert me that some sort of nodule had shown up in my routine chest x-ray.
He wasn’t exactly sure what to do next… so I had my information and films sent to the doctor at the Cleveland Clinic who treated me during my last bout with cancer.
Then waited.
Tags: Cancer, original illustration
Pretend it’s O.K.
Posted by Troy | Filed under Cancer
Right now I’m waiting…
Waiting to hear from a big-shot doctor.
Waiting to find out test results.
Results that probably won’t say much at all…
But at least we’ll be able to move on to Step 1.
Problem with Step 1 is that it changes your life.
Waiting is waiting.
But at least when you’re merely waiting you can still pretend.
That everything is ok.
Kids go to school.
Feed the dogs.
Work on some junk and stuff.
Pretend everything’s ok.
When the waiting ends… everything changes.
Tags: Cancer, original illustration
The Real Wolverine
Posted by Troy | Filed under Autism
Received an article today about Autism in the workplace.
How certain behavioral skills characteristic of individuals with (high-functioning) autism may make them more adept at particular occupations than the rest of us, and how some new companies and non-profits are providing training to foster the strengths of these individuals by providing specialized training with their unique minds in mind.
At first it seems fantastic.
Tags: Autism, nbc, original illustration
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
A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall
Posted by Troy | Filed under Cancer
So I just got a voice mail from my doctor saying “something is showing up in your chest x-ray”
I’ve gotten a few of these calls.
Today was the first time in over three years since i’ve had anything but good news.
The weird thing is that it didn’t really surprise me… lately i’ve been feeling that something like this might happen…
that one of these calls was in my near future…
I don’t know why i’ve been feeling that way, i just have.
Maybe i’m a prophet.
Whatever I am, I’m not sure I’ve got enough lives left to endure another battle.
Tags: Cancer, original illustration, self
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
