the new year's got me thinking about new things- and whether it's revamping my tired old etsy shop, setting savings goals, making more art, or eating less meat, i've got my work cut out for me, and i'm finding little inspirations everywhere i turn.

one source of said inspiration is don kenn, a danish artist, who draws monsters and fantasy creatures such as these on post-it notes. his lack of inhibition with the creatures he creates, met by the control he must use in working exclusively on post-its, is especially refreshing. somehow, he manages to create a feeling of desperation and innocence; the unknown and the unlikely coalesce into perfect, confusing fairy tales.

i'm also somewhat in love with art dealing with the aging process, so you can imagine my happiness in finding this series, called "heart and mind", by luke ramsey, founder of the islands fold artist residency in british columbia and altogether badass illustrator. says ramsey, "this is a story that shows the transformation of a baby to an elderly man. the baby’s mind is born with a peaceful mind, but as it grows older it’s mind becomes corrupt. the heart eventually prevails. a lot of my work explores ideas about the balance of heart and mind."

more about my goals for 2011, book lists and the last section of my cosmopolitan review soon.