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I’ve made it through my busiest summer yet…well I’m almost there anyway.  Thanks to all the fairs and festivals that brought me to their events!

I’ve drawn 23 days at 12 different events since the beginning of June.  That’s about 1,155 to 1,540 caricatures in 2 months!  I’ve got 5 more events in the next two weeks.  Check my event schedule for my locations so you can come get a drawing!

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I learned that chalk art on the street is called “Madonnari” derived from the first forms of the art which were depictions of the Madonna.  Obviously chalk art has changed a bit since then.

This is my 8 ft by 10 ft box drawn for the madonnari festival in Mount Vernon, Iowa: Chalk the Walk.  This is an original illustration designed specifically for the festival to make use of the inherent properties of chalk and pavement.  It seems to me that chalk glows on when drawn onto pavement so I made use of that and also planned for the color of the pavement for extra effect.  (besides that it saved me some work since I didn’t have to chalk in those areas)

The interesting thing about chalk art is that it’s so transient.  It is an amazing thing to walk down the street colored in bright colors and then this morning the rain came and washed it all away.  Unfortunately I couldn’t film the rain washing everything away – the street was re-opened and there was a  car parked on my drawing.

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Live digital caricatures are a special thing for me.  I was able to draw them at IgniteIT Ames – a creative/technology party – because I was so generously offered the use of the fancy and very expensive digital drawing tablet: the Cintiq.  It is on my list to buy one of my very own.  (So every bit of work I can get helps me knock things off my list – never mind that my list is still growing)

So thank you VRAC, for letting me use the cintiq!  Also, it was great to see everyone there again.  For those of you who are not familiar with VRAC, it is the Virtual Reality Applications Center located at Iowa State University (of which I am a graduate).  I used to enjoy working with everyone there…and then I graduated.

btw…the two images above are Dr. Eliot Winer, Associate Director of VRAC, and Eric Foo, Post-Doc at VRAC.

If you are hosting an event and would like me to draw digital caricatures.  I can do that.  I do have the classic Wacom drawing tablet that does not have a bright and luminous screen – in fact it doesn’t have a screen at all…but it still works!

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This illustration was custom made for the play Saving the Carlisle, written by Jeff Kukukistipanoglu.  The play is premiering May 20-28 in Haverhill, MA.  It is a British comedy.  If you are interested in seeing the production, you can get more information and purchase tickets www.savingthecarlisle.com Support the arts!

Also, I am now back in Iowa.  I seem to be a lot better at making updates when I am here…I will work on this inconsistency…

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I seem to have a bad habit of forgetting to update my blog when I’m drawing caricatures at Universal Studios Florida…  So here I am again, back from the dead.

It’s been a good season so far.  The park was open until midnight the week between Christmas and New Years…kept me pretty busy.  Yes, New Years Eve I worked from 9:30 am to 1:00 am New Years Day.

After I drew the drawing on the left of the gentleman in the plaid shirt and the girl with black hair a woman refused to have her sons drawn by me.  When I turned around to ask if anyone was waiting for a drawing she promptly said, “We’re waiting for him”,  referring to another artist.

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As you may or may not know…I have and ongoing “Celebrity of the Month” at my studio.  Each month I put an unnamed caricature outside my door.  Passersby can guess the celebrity and put their answer (with a contact number) in a box on my wall.  On the first of the new month I draw a winner and that person receives a free caricature!

Jon Heder as Napoleon Dynamite was the Celebrity of the Month for November (I accepted either Jon Heder or Napoleon Dynamite as a correct answer, regardless of spelling).

Stop by my studio to make a guess for December!

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I am pleased to announce that I received two awards at the convention for the International Society of Caricature Artists (ISCA). I had a great week with great artists from all around the world. 140 artists from 14 countries to be exact.

I received FIRST PLACE for Outstanding Body Situation Style and THIRD PLACE for Outstanding Cartoon Style!

Let me give a brief rundown of what happens at an ISCA convention.  All the competing artists are given a section of wall in a large ballroom.  Only drawings done at the convention can go up in that space.  There are 4 days designated to drawing.  During that time there are artists drawing in the ballroom 24-7.  The room is transformed into a giant workspace.  There are art supplies, computers, paper and artists everywhere.  At the end of the designated drawing time all the participating artists vote on certain categories. (the red numbers are my competition number and the individual drawing number).  As seen above, I received awards from 2 categories…making me an award winning artist!

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This past week I taught a cartooning class.  We had a great time and the kids really came up with some great stuff!  It’s 4 days long, 3:30-5:00, with a public gallery and reception after the last class.  I’ll be doing another class in November, so let me know if you or someone you know would like to be in it.

Continue reading »]]> So…Finally a post after having disappeared for awhile.  I neglected my goal of updating my blog at least once every 2 weeks.  Heh.  I’ve been to Northern California, Seattle and back during my time away.  It would have been the perfect time to post, yet I did not.  Sorry, fans.  (at least I like to think that’s who I’m writing to)…

This is Hercufleas.  Created for Erik “Doc” Anderson, entertainer and magician.  He is working on an exciting new Flea Circus and has asked me to help him come up with the characters.