Watchman's Note

This is a journey to the best designs in the world of Zazzle.com. Handpicked and presented (along with my own artwork) by yours truly, the driving force behind Surreality designs. We'll discover great artists and special products -mostly with a taste for the eccentric. But let us not confine ourselves in specific genres: the possibilities are endless and so is the great art one can find at Zazzle.
Showing posts with label cool. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cool. Show all posts

11/16/2011

Mysterious monkey

Smokin Monkey speckcase

How about the coolest monkey illustration for your iPhone 4 skin? The simian dude is smartly dressed, smokes his cigarette and wears his sunglasses even amidst the nocturnal ambiance of this surrealistically noir painting. The artist is Michael Cook of Cookies Fortune, where animals tend to behave in all kinds of unexpected ways!


7/11/2011

Dead Mickey on board

Dead Mouse skateboard
Summer. The perfect time for blissful afternoon skating. The laughing skeleton of a very famous mouse wearing the distinct clothes: the perfect design for a surreal (and slightly dark) skateboard.

This weird concept of a dead Mickey Mouse came from Evilive Produkts, Juan Pollo's creative outlet for interesting, imaginative gifts and products. You'll like what you'll find there!
If you speak Spanish you'll probably appreciate his Porn-O-Graffix blog, too. Me, I could only enjoy the design and the music.

7/04/2011

Kant's Maxim and Nixon

Nixon Apron apron

Nixon and apron are two words I wouldn't consider putting together. But here they are, in this amazing concept from HeideGear, a shop created from two philosophy students. They playfully mix philosophic concepts with irony (with some good old absurdism thrown in) and the results are amazing!


Universalizing Maxim print

The Nixon apron is great, but have a look at this magazine-like poster! The references in the titles are priceless. Their artwork is one of the coolest things ever made out of the crooked timber of humanity!

5/30/2011

Ground control to Major Tom


We've lost the signal connecting us with the astronaut designed on this Doodle Speaker and the effect is cool yet, somehow, eerie. I like the TV bars on the helmet's face and the subdued colors on this fine design by 785Tees, a store with a wide variety of great concepts on tees, prints and other goodies!

5/05/2011

Sick nostalgia


Is this Norman Rockwell on LSD? A 50s propaganda artist trying his hand on being cute? Cold War's latest trend?
I don't really know... What I do know is that it's strange, funny, surreal and kitschy and I want one right away! I found it in Curious Goods, a store full of strange ephemera and unusual nostalgic pieces. I'll be coming back for a closer look, since they offer a gazillion amazing designs thought lost in the annals of time!


2/06/2011

Coffee mug tsunami


I don't know about you but, me, I can't have enough coffee mugs. I'm not really into tea but I couldn't live without coffee and I just love a good mug! This one here, created by Mariela Alvarez Xiloj (an artist/photographer from Puerto Rico) for Xalomako, is my current favorite. It pictures a city in the throes of a tsunami. Colorful, fresh and vibrant, like most of the stuff of the store.

12/20/2010

Art'll make a czar of you


Bold, vivid and to the point, this t-shirt by Freeman Photographic will bring out the czar in you. I like the b/w urban/propaganda style of this design -plus, I realized that it's been a long time since I featured a t-shirt, which is a shame, really! BTW, does a czar really need a gas mask? If he is about to riot, maybe...

12/04/2010

Flying saucers scaring white folks


This brilliant postcard works on so many levels:
It conjures a humorous nostalgia for cheap sensationalist book covers from the '50s. It parodies both the flying saucer craze and the stereotyped "white folk's interests" theme that has white people complaining for stupid things and being smart in useless stuff. It pays a funny homage to Frank Scully (the writer who single-handedly created the UFO crash mania back in 1949) by using the original cover from Scully's Behind the Flying Saucers book.
Kudos to FBod Studios for offering this gem.

[And, yes, F.Scully was the inspiration for Dana Scully's name.]

11/30/2010

Giraffe on wheels

Giraffe Orange shirt
Giraffe Orange by matthew_i_aldous
Browse Zazzle for another teezazzle.com
This vector giraffe looks lovely on the bright yellow t-shirt by Matthew I. Aldous and the added surprise element of the animal having wheels, increases both the fun and the surreality factor!
An upbeat design from an artist that uses simple animal forms to great effect.

11/11/2010

Molecular love

It's been a long time since I saw this great tote bag but this particular color/size combo wasn't available. Fortunately it is now and I'm sure you'll like this delicate abstract design. It feels like a playful version of an image from a biology book and I discovered it in HopeAli.
The artist is Yanula Chevalier from Brooklyn, and she offers many colorful, upbeat designs.

[This post is the 200th on Surreality Watch! Thanks to all for reading and following. I do hope we'll be keeping each other company for many hundreds more!]

11/08/2010

Classical lust

This a perfect t-shirt for lovers of classical music. Actually, it's a fantastic t-shirt for everybody, but classical music aficionados may appreciate a little bit more the coolness of this design. It parts ways with the vintage look that most artists use for visually suggesting the Classical era , it's fresh, humorous and utterly interesting. I found it at Urban Cowboy's store, alongside many interesting things (I particularly admire his magnificent digital collages: this t-shirt is just the top of the iceberg!).

Talking about classical music, check WCPE for an exquisite online classical radio experience. It may even get you horny...

10/19/2010

Let it roll!

Recently I've become particularly interested in skateboard decks. They provide a wonderful format for edgy, unusual designs -and, yes, even surreal ones! Here's a selection of unique decks that stand out:


still listening ver. 2 skateboard
still listening ver. 2 by mad_king
Learn how to sell art on Zazzle.com
The first one is from Mad King and I believe that the radio telescopes looking for strange frequencies under this red, grungy-textured sky, give it an ominous intensity. A fine work of art by Jake Johanson, Denver, USA.


This one, by Designalicious, is a totally different approach. Playful, with funny and wild monochromatic characters, yet not overdone. The artist is Maaike Boot from the Netherlands and she has done a wonderful job.


The knot work on this deck makes it look like it was carved in stone. This intricate, medieval look is, actually, a great piece of fractal art by Scott Ferman and you may find it in his store Avandas.


Back to Netherlands, with a minimal, modern and, somehow, futuristic design.A great dystopian piece of an unwired mechanism. I love it's simplicity and the hidden darkness that contrasts with the white background. Found in SIT''s store.


Last but not least, this extravagant beauty from DECKDOM, a place with a marvelous taste for strange, surreal decks. I do wish they put up more designs because the ones I found there were absolutely magnificent!

10/15/2010

Punk mail

Do you remember snail mail? Well, you should, because there is nothing like the feeling you get when receiving a letter. It's instant proof that someone likes you enough to actually spend some time and effort writing and sending it. Plus, if the envelope is something like this crazy punk bird (complete with the dark eyeglasses, mohawk, boots and all!) you're off to a smiling day!
I found this gem in Edition Handdruck and the artwork was made by Martin Stankewitz. The glorious doodling in the text balloon is customizable so you can put your name and address. Let the bird carry your message to your loved ones!

[Martin is a draughtsman and artist printer specializing in monotype prints. His squidoo lense on monotype printing is very interesting and informative. A really great place to start learning about monotypes, full of valuable resources and advice from this experienced artist.]

10/03/2010

Raider of the Lost Premakes



What if famous blockbusters, such as Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars or Forest Gump, were filmed much earlier than they did? What would their trailers look like?
This is the question asked -and promptly answered!- by a film enthusiast with a great knowledge of Hollywood's golden era. Painstakingly researched and created, I present you with some pseudo-vintage genius from whoiseyevan's channel!
The premakes are fake, of course, but his unique idea, humor and hard work is real and very entertaining.

9/29/2010

A gentleman from Denmark

There is no limit to people's surreal creativity. Look at this eye-popping fridge magnet picturing a Great Dane. It's pure pop madness -of the dog loving, sartorially inspired, kind! I absolutely need this for my fridge and I know where to get it: Ada Birk's Doggenhaus, the shop where dog designs fraternize with vibrant colors.

9/03/2010

Digital Halloween

Halloween Bot t-shirt shirt
Halloween Bot t-shirt by surrealitee
See more t shirts from zazzle
This roundish little fellow is a kind of digital-looking jack-o'-lantern, it's trying to be a bit scary and I believe it's a Halloween bot -whatever that is! Maybe it's an autonomous entity spreading the Halloween spirit through the internets. Anyway, it's mine (my first design after a four month hiatus) and it can be yours, too. Just check my Surreality store and be ready for the most stylish October of your surreal life!
The colors for the stripes come from the old Samhain tradition: black, orange, white, deep yellow (for gold) and gray (for silver). So, you see, there is the pagan past combined with modern aesthetics -blah, blah and blah... Just get it now, will ya?

8/25/2010

Funky flatulence

Would you put your mouth near a dog expelling intestinal gas? Well, if you're a surrealism-loving person and the said dog is this funky mug created by Mark Damrel (an architect and great artist) then you might just do it. Of course, having a sense of humour and an eye for great b/w design helps a lot!

So, go ahead and tastefully freak out your family/friends/colleagues -and be safe in the knowledge that it would take the right kind of person to borrow your mug. See, that's the beauty of following Surreality Watch!

8/22/2010

Slowly drifting

Today's finding is a blue, destroyed t-shirt that's really perfect for the summer.I love this serene paper-boat that's drifting away for some unknown shore. No strain, no stress, a great design created by Some Or Nothing. Give yourself some slack -you deserve it!

6/27/2010

Red sun

This superb black t-shirt carries a great painting (by French artist Frederik Bellanger ) called Soleil Rouge (Red Sun). It's a beautiful abstract with spray painting details that remind me of graffiti. The fine balance of the sunset colors he uses and the honeycomb motif are irresistible!
Frederic's art is pop-influenced and the spraying gives it a contemporary, urban flair, but I think that he goes a lot further than just being cool. Check his store and you'll find a great talent.

6/24/2010

The bird and the mummy

This t-shirt by Amrendra (created by Saksham, an artist from India) feels like a breath of fresh air. It's imaginative and tender -in a strange sort of way! I particularly like the origami birds offered by the silhouetted vendor. This store offers many unusual designs.
Another favorite is this sexy mummy. Unique and inventive in just one color. Great t-shirts for people with good taste!
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