february's random sample

let it die - the dutchess & the duke
blood bank - bon iver
ghosts - laura marling
bedside manner - dawes
the execution of all things - rilo kiley
happy when i'm gone - sera cahoone
in my time of need - ryan adams
my hanging surrender - nathaniel rateliff & the wheel
dismantle me - the distillers
clean getaway - maria taylor
thirteen - big star
the cave - mumford & sons
the fool - neutral milk hotel
lover's spit - broken social scene
colors - april smith and the great picture show
get well cards - conor oberst
look at miss ohio - gillian welch
bad romance - lady gaga
cape canaveral - conor oberst
blindness - metric
beat your heart out - the distillers
cross bones style - cat power
knives out - radiohead
103 - whispertown 2000
test pattern - the thermals
mistaken for strangers - the national
midnight coward - stars
goodbye england (covered in snow) - laura marling
astro - the white stripes
high on a mountain top - loretta lynn
biggest star - the elected
that western skyline - dawes
how we fade - the thermals
star witness - neko case
sinnerman - nina simone
sister i'm a poet - colin meloy (originally by morrissey)
to go home - m. ward

Creators worth mentioning

Listening to: The Distillers, The Dutchess & The Duke, Whiskeytown, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Wheel, Conor Oberst

So, because I'm getting over a weird flu/sore throat thing and have some spare time to make up for my missing Cool Person of the Week, I decided to provide some links to lots of artwork by contemporary artists that I'm really interested in and lots of images for your viewing pleasure. It's kind of a bargain, because instead of just one cool person, you get As of this year I've developed a real fondness for typography/font work, and also a bend toward more graphic illustration work. But I definitely maintain a constant fondness for extremely well-executed painting. Considering it's my major, I think I should.



This amazing Darwin illustration is by Sarah King. She gives a whole new meaning to the "pictures are worth 1000 words." It looks like there are way more than a thousand words in this drawing. You can see more of her work here.



Chris Scarborough


Michael Hsiung has some really interesting stuff going on. I really love minimal pen and ink and he totally makes it work in a simplistic style. I love the little hints of patterns and little spots of color here and there, and also his fondness for weird mermen and lumberjack people with facial hair.

More to come tomorrow (maybe).

Rachel

Inspired by...

I just wanted to share a few artists I follow religiously for inspiration.

Sarah McNeil: This Melbourne artist works adorable magic with pen and pencil to create delicate illustrations of animals and humans. Her work feels very approachable yet formidable. Creating solid work out of such commonly used media is something I really aspire to. She just goes to show that you don't need to work your canvas too hard to create something great. You can find her portfolio at http://www.400pencils.com/, which also links to her blog and Etsy shop.

Carson Ellis: I originally came across her through my love for the Portland-based eclectic pirate-y rock band, The Decemberists. This being said, I gravitate most toward her album artwork. I'm fascinated with the fact that she can draw the viewer into scenery from centuries past with just a touch of watercolor and a little black ink. There's such a clear method to her typography as well. One of my favorites is her work for the "Billy Liar" single. Her ribbons are gorgeous! You can find Carson's work at http://www.carsonellis.com/index.html

I'll update with more of my favorites soon.