Monday, June 30, 2008

More internet marketing....


My caricatures now have another internet outlet for clients to find them. I just listed with Gigmasters, an online event booking site. It will be interesting to see how it stacks up against my other online caricature agencies...of course, if you're reading this blog, you have no need for the middleman and can just hire me directly! ;-)

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Fun at a campground!

Yesterday, I spent my afternoon drawing campers at a nice campground in rural Pennsylvania, alongside a talented face-painter and a moonbounce.
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Many of the kids wanted to be drawn in full-face paint, so I obliged and was rather pleased with the results. It's a challenge to get a likeness when their features are obscured!
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Not everybody was wearing face paint..here are a few more...
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Friday, June 27, 2008

Project Graduation

Last night/early this morning was yet another lock-in high school post-graduation party. Once more, it was an eight-artist event, although I only knew three of my colleagues--Pat Harrington, Angie Jordan, and John Sprague. John warmed up on my face!
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This is a composite photo from my vantage point...we were once again ( this was my second year for this gig) drawing in a college boardroom with a large glass wall so that the line could see in while they were waiting.
Pat even had kids shooting cell phone pics of his hilarious work and screaming loud enough for us to hear:
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We drew non-stop and here are a few favorites of mine:
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I always marvel at how some events end up with me drawing predominantly guys OR girls. At this one, the guys won...

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Fundraiser!

For my third and final gig on Saturday, my caricatures were helping to raise money to fight AIDS. A restaurant on the waterfront in Wilmington, Delaware hosted the event, which was both indoors and outdoors. I was seated on the deck, which was beautifully breezy and pleasant, on the longest day of the year, too--so I didn't need my easel light til the very end.
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Update: The caricature agency I was hired through for this event, just forwarded me this email from the client--

Hi --
I just wanted to let you know that Emily, our caricaturist for our
event, was FANTASTIC! She was busy all night and did a great job of
capturing our guests in their pictures.
Thanks again and let her know she did a wonderful job!

Backyard birthday party

On Saturday afternoon, I helped a family celebrate their one-year-old daughter's birthday with caricatures. Two years ago, I'd done the same thing for their son; they wanted to keep up the tradition, and I was able to draw people this year who hadn't gotten one then...
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I asked the mom who had taken this pic on her own camera, to get one on mine too!
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The party hosts brought out the one I did of them two years ago B.B. ( before blog) so I could get a photo!

Grand Opening

Saturday started off with a festive grand opening for a bank. It included a DJ, face painting, moonbounces, Philly soft pretzels, caricatures ( me!) and a visit from one of the Phillies (Shane Victorino) to sign autographs. All of these enticements brought out crowds of happy people, some of whom I drew!
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Thursday, June 19, 2008

Floating graduation caricatures

Very early Thursday morning, I found myself out of my usual caricaturing area to do a very unusual gig. It was held on a small cruise boat circling Manhattan, NYC, celebrating a high school graduation. I've done this gig several times over the years, with fellow caricaturist Angie Jordan, but never got any photos, so my intention was to get some this year!
This is the ship: ( sorry they're blurry!)
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This is the ballroom where we drew:
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Here are some of the graduates:
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(The little arrow says "valedictorian"!)
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Finally, two shots of some of the scenery: The first was through the door adjacent to my easel. For the second, I actually interrupted a drawing for a moment to get a photo of Lady Liberty as we passed her!
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Company Picnic

Yesterday's caricature adventures started off with a company picnic held in a park next to an office/industrial complex. The employees simply walked out of their work at lunchtime and across the lane to enjoy a catered barbecue, all sorts of games culminating in a softball match, and my caricatures, being drawn under a shade tree. The sky threatened at first, then cleared up.
The interesting aspect of the location of this event speakes loudly about the state of the economy in this country. The event contact told me that in a recession ( even though it's not being called that officially) clients might cut back on the scale of events (meaning more close to home, less lavish locations) but even so, party entertainment is what lifts a gathering into a memorable occasion. I hope that holds true...
Here are some faces that passed before my easel!

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This last young lady, the only child attending, was there to speak to the employees about the importance of their work..they manufacture diabetes products, and her life is a beneficiary of that...:-)

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Digital Retirement Caricature

Here's a retiring teacher who is a both a Philly history buff/sports nut.
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The school was close enough for me to hand-deliver the finished caricature, so I was able to get this photo of it in its frame. They had already passed the mat around to be signed. The client told me were more signatures coming, so I told her she may need to mat the mat!

Monday, June 16, 2008

Happy Father's Day!

Father's Day saw myself and my fiance at a Baltimore Orioles game, I drawing many dads, grandads and kids, and he taking photos and even videos of us at work. Here are a few to share: Photobucket Photobucket
From front to back, that's Rick Wright, myself, Gary "Toonboy" Smith, and Jerry Breen.
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(Below) The parents requested that I draw their child's "ninny" in the caricature...so I had to ask what that was. Apparently that's what some call a pacifier. (My kids had a "binky".) Drawing a pacifier is a very rare occurence, most of the time the parents want the child's mouth drawn, which leads to tears when the pacifier is forcibly removed so I can see their little mouth! Photobucket
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This grandfather-grandaughter combo allowed my fiance to film Grandpa's reaction, which is a hoot and part of the reason why I love doing what I do:-) Here is the first video ever on my blog!