10,000 Have Visited IconDoIt. How About You?

I am truly humbled to know that 10,000 people from around the globe have taken the time to visit IconDoIt in the 10 months that I’ve been blogging. I wanted to be able to reach out to people and to give back to a community that has been so generous to me, but I had no idea I would reach so many so quickly. Thank You, All! And I hope you will return again and again and that perhaps more of you will join in the various conversations here (simply click on the Comments link that’s at the bottom of each post to read the comments of others and to add your own. If it’s your first time commenting, I require that you fill in your real name and e-mail address which is solely used for verification that you are a real person and not a robot, spammer, or rogue cartoon character run amuck. I will never publish or sell that info.)

Ever wonder where all the visitors come from? I do. So I signed up for the free StatCounter service which not only tells me how many “hits” my blog gets, but also whether or not they are first time visitors, how much time they spent on my site, how many downloaded my various freebies, how many checked out my Creative Commons license, and what city, state and country they came from. It doesn’t tell me who the individuals are or their home address or other personal information but the info it does give me is just enough to help me to better focus my content on what my readers are interested in. Of course, your own comments and requests is always the surest way to nudge me in the right direction! As an example of the info I get from StatCounter, below is a screenshot I took of a chart showing the number of visitors by country in just the last 7 days.

“Visitors to IconDoIt by Country, May 8-16, 2010″

What I do when me brain’s on the fritz…

The tinnitus in my left ear has been roaring all week, so loud I feel like I’m trapped in the wind tunnel at NASA with a squadron of B-52’s just outside. It is exhausting and mind-boggling and so mostly I sleep but tonight I was restless and so thought I’d just play – let my mind alone to wander, my imagination take flight, and my mouse go where it willed without any restraint. I had no idea where my doodles would lead and now that I’m done, I’ve no idea what’s displayed on my screen. Is it just a bit of digital silliness? Or subconscious deep thought? I leave it to you to decide. All I know is that the jets have not landed and the ocean tide is rushing at my feet. And so I go back to sleep.

Free Icons of the Day

The following images are either full or reduced size previews. Simply right-click (or control-click) on the preview to save the image(s) of your choice to your desktop. (Unless otherwise noted, downloads are 512px X 512px in .png format). As always, usage of any of the images offered on this blog are free for your personal use while subject to the limitations of my Creative Commons Non-Commercial – Attribution – No Derivatives – Share Alike- 3.0 license. (See sidebar for details))

“In The Groove”

“Ever notice how some folks just can’t seem to help talking outta their arse?”

This post will give you the Willies!

This week was pretty heavy for me. Some research I’ve been doing for a friend has really put me to the test and I came face-to-face with the realization that I am probably never going to get rid of this “chemo brain” completely. While my friend has been gracious and seems quite pleased with the results of my efforts so far, he didn’t know me before I got sick and so has no way of knowing that the “old” me would’ve accomplished 5x as much and the depth and quality of my research and writing would have been far superior. I’ve heard some people say that being a perfectionist is a bad thing – but I’ve never understood that point of view, as long as I don’t expect others to be perfect (which I don’t). Of course, I’ve never been perfect but if I hadn’t expected it of myself, I would never have been able to learn and accomplish what I have in the past. I’m not neurotic about it. It’s that the efforts involved in trying to be perfect was just a challenge I really enjoyed and I really miss having the physical stamina and the mental ability to focus at the same level I used to.

sigh…

In any event, because of the strain of this week, I really needed to do something light and fun and playful. Since my brain was too shot to dredge up an original idea, I went searching for some kids coloring pages and found a delightful abundance of sites with just what I was looking for. The absolute best site I found (based on variety, originality, and just in general fun) was one coming out of France. You should check it out as it’s just a delight. http://www.coloriage-enfants.com/ – As to the character I selected, the website indicated his name is “Winni Windel”. I was unfamiliar with the character and so did a search and came up with literally hundreds of websites and blogs for Winni Windel coloring pages or animations but only one single website that is a likely candidate for originating this adorable “diaper baby”. The site is for Steffen Soulejman Janus, who is “an internationally interactive specialist. He was Co-Founder of foco design studios in Germany and Switzerland and acted as CEO, Senior Project Manager and Creative Director for the company. For the past ten years, he set new standards in nonlinear interface design, online communications, branding and sales….” And he’s got a hell of an impressive list of clients! As to Winni, under his projects page is posted an online design study for diaper character Winnie promotion” completed in 2001 that he created for Optipresent Media AG, Munich Germany. The finished project can be found at Windel Winni Reloaded. It’s in German so you may need to use a translation plug-in or just enjoy the pictures. According to this site (unlike the hundreds of others – but obviously more authoritative) the character is named “Windel Winni” and not the other way around.

Free Icons of the Day

The following images are either full or reduced size previews. Simply right-click (or control-click) on the preview to save the image(s) of your choice to your desktop. (Unless otherwise noted, downloads are 512px X 512px in .png format). Create Commons license applies (see sidebar for details)

More Hemingway-Inspired Clip-Art

I have had a wretched week (physically) and am much too tired to write anything intelligible this morning about Ernest Hemingway nor anything else. I have some wonderful research and thoughts that I’d hoped to share with you that would have connected the dots between my artwork below and “Papa” Hemingway. But that will have to slide until I am more coherent. Forgive me.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy these latest offerings of free images I created just for you.

Free Icons of the Day

The following images are either full or reduced size previews. Simply right-click (or control-click) on the preview to save the image(s) of your choice to your desktop. (Unless otherwise noted, downloads are 512px X 512px in .png format). Create Commons license applies (see sidebar for details)

Hemingway Manx

Ernie's Firefox

Ernie's Cats

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Hemingway, Part 2

It is late and I am tired and, more importantly I think I’m keeping me Hubby up as he sleeps beside me and my trusty laptop… So I’m going to make tonight’s post a quick one by sharing with you some of my most favorite quotes out of the mouth (or typewriter) of Ernest Hemingway. Some of these are simply clever but the rest are the kind that make you want to reflect on them for a while and as you turn them around in your thoughts, different facets jump out at you and you realize that, Ernie, was not as “simple” as he claimed to be…

“Man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated.”
- Ernest Hemingway, 1899-1961, American Author & Journalist, from his novel “The Old Man and the Sea” (1952)

“You make your own luck, Gig. You know what makes a good loser? Practice.”
- Ernest Hemingway, 1899-1961, Speaking to his son Gregory, as quoted in Papa, a Personal Memoir (1976) Gregory H. Hemingway

“War is no longer made by simply analysed economic forces if it ever was. War is made or planned now by individual men, demagogues and dictators who play on the patriotism of their people to mislead them into a belief in the great fallacy of war when all their vaunted reforms have failed to satisfy the people they misruled. “
- Ernest Hemingway, 1899-1961, “Notes on the Next War: A Serious Topical Letter” first published in Esquire (September 1935)

“Today is only one day in all the days that will ever be. But what will happen in all the other days that ever come can depend on what you do today.”
- Ernest Hemingway, 1899-1961, “For Whom the Bell Tolls” (1940)

“For a true writer each book should be a new beginning where he tries again for something that is beyond attainment. He should always try for something that has never been done or that others have tried and failed. Then sometimes, with great luck, he will succeed.”
- Ernest Hemingway, 1899-1961, Nobel Prize Speech Delivered from Hemingway’s notes by US Ambassador John C. Cabot (1954) Full Text

“The most essential gift for a good writer is a built-in, shock-proof, shit detector. This is the writer’s radar and all great writers have had it.”
- Ernest Hemingway, 1899-1961, from an interview of Ernest by George Plimpton in the Paris Review Issue 18 (Spring 1958); later published in Writers at Work, Second Series (1963)

(Courage is) “Grace under pressure”
- Ernest Hemingway, 1899-1961, Hemingway’s definition of “guts” as recounted by Dorothy Parker in the New Yorker (30 November 1929)

“There are some things which cannot be learned quickly, and time, which is all we have, must be paid heavily for their acquiring. They are the very simplest things and because it takes a man’s life to know them the little new that each man gets from life is very costly and the only heritage he has to leave.”
- Ernest Hemingway, 1899-1961, “Death in the Afternoon” (1932)

Free Icons of the Day

The following images are either full or reduced size previews. Simply right-click (or control-click) on the preview to save the image(s) of your choice to your desktop. (Unless otherwise noted, downloads are 512px X 512px in .png format). Create Commons license applies (see sidebar for details)

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IconDoIt Lautrec

Coming up with titles for these postings is quite a challenge at times. The title not only should reflect the content of the post in a meaningful manner but should also been intriguing enough to draw in passers-by who may not otherwise realize there’s something here of interest to them. In the case of tonight’s post which includes some clip art I created that was inspired by Toulouse Lautrec, I had an additional consideration to balance my choice of titles upon. And so, I imagine you don’t need further explanation as to why “IconDoIt Lautrec” won out over “Too Loose Leslie”… ;-)

I have always loved the feel of Toulouse Lautrec’s artwork. It just so full of life, vibrant and real and totally absent of any judgment upon the people depicted or the activities they’re engaged in. So very different from most other artists of his time – or of any time, for that matter. He was a true observer and reporter in my mind: capturing only what was rather than what he thought it should have been. That puts him on the list for my ultimate dream cocktail party when I depart from this world. Who’s on your list?

Free Icons of the Day

The following images are full or reduced size previews. Simply right-click (or control-click) on the preview to save the image(s) of your choice to your desktop. (Unless otherwise noted, downloads are 512px X 512px in .png format). Create Commons license applies (see sidebar for details)

Happy Notes!

Been working on updating some of my older icons to work better with those systems that can use 512px images in QuickView. Trying to update some of the styles, as well. Does anyone out there still like the old glossy, plastic-y 3D style or have y’all moved on?

I’m a bit short on time today so I’ll catch up tomorrow and write something a bit more substantive. Meantime, Enjoy!

Free Icons of the Day

The following images are either full or reduced size previews. Simply right-click (or control-click) on the preview to save the image(s) of your choice to your desktop. (Unless otherwise noted, downloads are 512px X 512px in .png format). As always, usage of any of the images offered on this blog are free for your personal use while subject to the limitations of my Creative Commons Non-Commercial – Attribution – No Derivatives – Share Alike- 3.0 license. (See sidebar for details)