Fantastic Blognanza!

After hours of unprecedented research in this very specialized of fields, we have finally discovered a kindler, gentler, and decidedly righteous and/or awesome empire primed for the 21st century. Not the British Empire, certainly, you may think to yourself, nor the McDonald’s Empire, you wager. Well, reader, you are right on both counts.

I speak, undoubtedly, of the Bloo Empire.

It’s best not to try to summarize any one artist’s tendencies with a few descriptors, and Keeley Carrigan’s work is no different. That doesn’t mean that I can’t try, though. To be honest, I was at an impasse until I happened upon Keeley’s interpretation of the ubiquitous “About” page:

“I believe there is a part of me that never wanted to grow up and never will. I also believe that this part of me is communicated through my art and reminds people of that playful little child they have stuck inside. My art is all about having fun, and I hope that people who see my work can experience even just a little of the fun I had making it.”

What else is there to say? Well, what else, that is, aside from “look at these sweet shirts, dude.” And I suppose I really should say that, because, one, Keeley’s shirts are sweet, and two — well, there’s a chance that you might not be a dude, so I suppose there’s only one good reason. Namely, Keeley’s shirts are indeed sweet. At the moment, my personal favorite would have to be the uncharacteristically endearing “Monster Tree:”

I mean, an amiable monster? Surely, an impossibility! But Keeley Carrigan found a way.

Keeley does not limit himself to the humble realm of t-shirt design, either. Check out the delightful onomatopoeic escapades of the world’s most cheerful ankylosaurus in this original painting available for purchase:

Original paintings, sirs and madams. I believe that warrants emphasis. And the commercial extravaganza doesn’t even stop there! Peruse the shop page and you’ll find such delights as prints — be they serigraphs or stencils — and even books! Books.

So head on down to the Bloo Empire and declare your allegiance today! People will probably ask you where you achieved such awesometasticalness, to which you will respond with appropriate gusto, “I was awarded this awesometasticalness, sassy stranger, by Keeley Carrigan, King of the Bloo Empire!”