FM365: Week the First

This week heralded one of the most exciting happenings in the tee world. No, not a pact to end the proliferation of Live-Traced Photos As Art, but almost as great... the opening of one of the most ambitious single-artist shops out there: Flying Mouse 365.

To me, there is one thing that should come tantamount to all things when designing: a sense of drive, determination, and respect for your artistry. You should be creating because you love creating. You should be pushing yourself because art is in your blood. So early in the year, when I first saw Flying Mouse announce his intentions to create a new design every day for a full year, I was duly impressed. It was a project clearly born of a creative mind that needed to push itself, and as time went on, and I saw the execution and conceptual quality put into the majority of pieces, I saw that this was a project that wasn't going to be skimped on. It was nice to see that kind of work ethic for any reason in a market that often seems to be all about doing just enough simple, generic work to rake in a payday.

Anyway, some of the FM365 pieces have been optioned throughout the web, as well they should have been, and as the year ends, the man behind the art is putting his money where his mouth is and taking the risk of creating his own site. It's a big leap, and that he's willing to put that sort of money and time upfront for the sake of his art is just one more proof of the dedication in his work. I'm not about to say it's all amazing work, but there's some incredibly diverse stuff that should find favor with pretty much any sort of shirt-wearer, and a lot of it is definitely top-notch.

I've decided to take the opportunity to support one of the best out there in this ballsy, huge-scale project by dedicating a post every weekend to his current lineup. This week, I'm featuring Piggy Bank, selected partially for my sister, and also for being on the ballsiest colour out there: pink. Believe me, I've got a pink AA tee, and it is CERTAINLY a ballsy tee to wear, and perfect for such a bold storefront. The piece does hit on one of Flying Mouse's favorite themes... taking simple things and making them not what they seem. I really like the style on the little pigs here, as they emerge from their bank prison, as well as the conceptual layers... a piggy bank, a bank that stores pigs, and even an element of birthing going on, as the real pigs come from their porcelain hold. If you know a pig lover, it'd make a great holiday gift. Actually, given the diversity of these prints, you could probably knock something off the list for any shirt lover you may know by December.

Each week, FM is going to be releasing 7 tees (and from the looks of it, potential hoodies, as well) for the extent of the week, and while it seems like reprints are indeed possible down the road, you're probably gonna want to grab what you want when you see it. There are discounts if you're planning to buy a few tees, also, which is excellent for a project like this (especially if you know some people who might want to go in with you on an order). Just be sure to keep an eye on that countdown clock... there are going to be some awesome tees printing here, and it would be a shame to miss out. There's always going to be more on the site itself, but we'll be sure to steer you to the best of the bunch.