Just because it's still the funniest Halloween thing evar, I present you with this little gem and wishes of a happy Halloween.

The song, as odd as it might sound, is actually by the inimitable acappella band The Blanks. Indeed, they are none other than those occasionally featured on Scrubs.

If you're looking for other weird flash animations, then head on over to the source of this over at Something Awful's veritable cornucopia of bad flash at the Flash-tub. Stills for this were done by Shmorky, and the animation put together by Crabrock.

At the time of the opening it felt like a few things were left till the last minute, and we were all pushing to get things done on time. In the end, it all came together, and I'd like to call the night a success. We were able to sell a pretty good number of our books, and attracted a substantial crowd that night. Thanks to Brian, we've got a decent Flickr photo set for your enjoyment as well.



Rated "G" showcases the artwork of Wendy Kowalski, Brian Sillman, Michael Webster, Jamin Belmont, myself, and the stories were written by Joel Finsel. More details about the project were previously mentioned here and here. The books turned out quite well I think (pictured above). Again, they are limited edition hardcover coloring books, almost entirely hand-made by the artists. They feature a linen cover, silkscreen printed by Laura Venters, and all those who attended that night received copies signed by all the artists involved. In fact, a few signed copies still remain, but will be the last that include all of the signatures.



It would appear that there has been very good press coverage for this event. Not only did we get a great article about the show in Encore by Lauren Hodges (pictured above, and linked), but we were even on the front of the Star News' Today section (pictured at left, linked). The column was written by Amanda Green, so thanks go out to her as well. In addition, Focus on the Coast will be publishing another article about this exhibit in their upcoming issue, and that piece will be written by Joel Fernando.

For anyone who hasn't had a chance to see the show yet, its closing date has been extended till November 8. And if you're wondering where ERA Gallery is located, I'll make it real easy for you and provide this lovely little map. So if you want to know what all the buzz is about, now is your chance. I do believe it's a worthwhile endeavor, otherwise I would not be a part of it. Once you've seen it, feel free to comment on this post and tell us your thoughts!

Some time ago I created a vector of Curly Brace from Cave Story (Doukutsu Monogatari). What came before that, however, was a sketch I did of that same image. I had intended to make a larger piece from that sketch for a while and at one point I had begun working on painting it. I think I got about half way done with this painting before setting it aside.

I can't remember exactly what was happening at the time, but I must have gotten busy and lost a little of my motivation to finish this painting. So it sat there for a good few months unfinished, hanging out on the easel and looking at me expectantly. Thankfully, things have started to simmer down in terms of everything going on work-wise, and I find myself painting more and with renewed determination.

Last week I finally thought better of keeping her in suspense like that and decided to finish the piece. So here I present you with "Curly Brace." The canvas is 20 in. by 24 in. She's a bit of a symphony in blues, but that's because I wanted to keep to the original colors present in the game's character portrait (link).

When I am seeing art that resonates with me with particular strength, it is an experience of abundant clarity. Some artwork I know I like, but it's the especially good stuff that has a very specific effect on me. I always thought this was unique to me, and have never met anyone else who experiences art in this way. Yet I must allow for the possibility that many people do, but that they are simply not willing to admit or discuss this fact.

I would like to describe just exactly what I have observed to be happening to me physically when I am exposed to just the right type of artwork. Naturally, the visual stimulus comes first, followed by a gut reaction. Literally, I feel a tightening in my abdomen. My breathing and heartbeat quicken. More notably, I start to get goosebumps going down my neck, arms, back and all the way down to my feet. I feel energy build up in me, the energy to go off running and maybe even jumping for joy. Some or all of these symptoms may persist after the initial exposure for several minutes up to perhaps a quarter to a half hour even.

Admittedly this is a somewhat peculiar reaction, but nevertheless it's true. It does vary in magnitude, too. Thought it isn't every day that I actually feel this way from simply looking at art, it does actually happen not infrequently. There are a handful of artist which manage to get me going this way, and one in particular is Takashi Murakami. Though I don't suspect that you'll have this kind of experience from watching the video above, I think that you may find it intriguing and maybe even inspiring.

Above all, I am still curious to hear about other people's physical and emotional reactions to art that they find especially powerful. Maybe I'll even find someone out there who experiences it the same way I do. Someday.