Casper

Some selections from my friend Ruby's ongoing project: "A portrait of my child once a week, every week in 2013". It was hard to choose just a few, because they're all so beautiful, but you can follow Ruby's progress on her tumblr and blog  ♥

Here's one more of Casper and his dad, Steve, that is not part of the series, but I love it so much:

All images by Ruby Hoppen

The Third Dimension

Another weird crafting book found in Utah. This one's so psychedelic!

Us

(via Scrapbook.)

This is a picture by Anna Emilia, an illustrator from Finland. I don't know her, but I feel like this could be a picture of me and Mads. Doesn't it look like her? And the hair may be a little lighter and straighter than mine, but it has that same all-consuming quality. Love it.

Should Be Studying

I like this video, but it would never work for me. In fact, just watching and then posting this video are evidence of me putting off schoolwork again! Thanks for nothing Miranda July (and you too Naomi Davis and your adorable baby).

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

I'd like you all to meet "The Monkey Head"-- a precious family artifact that we have been holding onto for generations. By my calculations, this little guy will be turning 40 this year, and that is cause for celebration. You see the reason my family (my sisters and me in particular) are so attached to "The Monkey Head" is that it was made by my dad in grade ten art class. And it is in fact, a self-portrait. From the individual lines of hair, the green thumbprint eyes, highlighter-yellow skin, paintbrush-poked breathing holes, and circular shoulders, to the strip of masking tape holding the whole head together, the resemblance is uncanny! It set a precedent for decades of amazing doodles drawn on church programs and paper tablecloths, and I still count my dad as one of my favourite artists. So Happy Birthday "Head", and thanks Pop, sure love ya!

Weg the Dog

I nearly forgot about how much I love William Wegman. Shame on me.

Best in Shows

Maddie is starting to actually sit for a reasonably long time to watch TV. At this point she'll watch pretty much any kids' show that happens to be on, but when we she does ask for something I can't help feeling happy that it is usually "Lalo" (Charlie and Lola) or "Peepee" (Pee Wee's Playhouse). Here are the following reasons why I prefer these shows to others:

1. They have characters that sound and act like real kids. PWP has the Penny Cartoons, which are claymation representations of the kind of rambling and incoherent stories kids tell, and C & L features voice work by actual children, talking the way actual children talk (with extra points for the British accents, reminiscent of another Charlie).

2. They have interesting art. Lauren Child is the author and illustrator behind C & L, and I like how messy her drawings look, not unlike the work of frequent Roald Dahl illustrator, Quentin Blake. The PWP sets were designed by punk artist Gary Panter (who is said to have had a big influence on Matt Groening), and animation by Nick Park of Wallace & Gromit.

3. They teach lessons, without being preachy. Both shows will teach that being nice is good, and being mean is bad, but they usually tell stories that promote using your imagination instead of just shoving a moral down your throat.

4. They are actually funny. Say what you will about Paul Reubens the actor, but Pee Wee Herman the character is hilarious. And even after watching the "Lalo" DVD we got from the library on repeat for a week, it's still pretty darn cute.