Make-a-Wish 5th birthday party caricatures for a little princess!

Last Saturday was an overcast, but nice, day for an outdoor birthday party, given by the Make-a-Wish Foundation for a little princess and her family...and  a nice day to caricature her guests! 

This was the sight that greeted me as I pulled into the neighborhood, so I knew I was in the right place. :-)

Elle and her family! And a couple of guests. 

Felt great to set up and draw live people---masked and outdoors, but a real party!

Here is the FB link to Make-a-Wish's photos, taken by Jennifer Janikic Photography--you can see all the other fun goings-on! 

And here are a couple of her photos of me in action!

Caricature reaction time!

I have always been grateful for each and every gig I do, but after last year's pandemic, (which of course, we aren't out of yet, hence my mask even outside) I think all party artist-entertainers are even more aware that our skills lift spirits and in that sense, are needed more than we knew. :-)

Thanks to Elle and her family for having me!

R.I.P. Prince Philip

The Royal Family of Great Britain have always been always fun targets to caricature. I did these airbrushed versions of the dour Queen and her brusque husband some years ago...now he's sadly passed on, and there will probably be dignified statues and paintings galore in the UK.  Hopefully there will be some caricatures in the mix!

Family Easter Party Caricatures

 The day before Easter reunited me with a repeat client whose wedding I did a few years ago. She had moved to a farm in a rural area, and was having a huge outdoor family party complete with egg hunt and visit from the Easter Bunny! I was thrilled to be there and draw caricatures in the lovely warm sunshine!

 These caricatures were done using only Prismacolor Artstix, which have actually been discontinued, so I hear. However, I have a whole shoebox full of them, since they have been my main shading method for more than fifteen years now. 

Afterwards, the hostess gifted me with a dozen farm fresh eggs! Thank you SO much!

A re-scheduled wedding reception for a VERY patient bride and groom...

This couple was so adorable. Their wedding reception (including my caricatures) was originally scheduled for May 2020, at a different venue. Well of course, that didn't happen. The booked me through The Bash, which made it easy to reschedule once they found a date that worked, and another venue (a fantastic one on The Chesapeake Bay, I might add!) 

They opted to have a caricature done from photos before the wedding, so they could display it as a sign-in. They laid the mat flat on the table for folks to sign, then we inserted it into the frame at the end of the night. All I need to do this is photos of the couple from when they try on the dress and suit, and their wedding hairstyles. They can even email me the photos separately, so they get a big surprise from seeing the caricature when they come into the reception, and this way, there's no spoiling the "first look" either.  

Once again, how delightful to actually be at a party and talk to people. And once again, I teared up just being there!

The bride left me some glowing feedback and I so appreciate it! Their wedding was worth waiting all that time. Thanks so much!

First live gig of 2021!!! :-D Can you tell how thrilled I am????

One year after the advent of Covid-19 changed all our lives, people want to celebrate getting through it! On Saturday, I helped a wonderful young lady to celebrate her Sweet 16 at the (hopefully) tail end of the pandemic. I also drew at her FIRST birthday party fifteen years ago, how special they remembered me and sought me out!!! This time, her parents went to a lot of effort to make sure it was SAFE for everybody to get together. The tent on the front deck was just for me and my sitters! The one in the driveway held the games and dance floor, and there was another spot out back, for the grown-ups. It was so great to be with people and converse and actually be at a party! I literally almost cried with joy while drawing at this  event. Thanks so much for having me!

Digital Wedding Caricature

 This was a digital wedding caricature commission, which was given by my client as a gift to the couple. Something that caricatures are perfect for--- gifts for those who are are hard to buy for!! :-)

CaricatureBBQ---a virtual hangout for caricature artists!

 I've been meaning to drop in on this Google Meet get-together for caricature artists, and for a long time..I just didn't. The pandemic had robbed me of a lot of the joy I had for my own drawing pursuits. Now that the annual ISCA convention is almost upon us, (and it's virtual this year) I decided it was time to JUST DO IT. And now I wish I had done so sooner! What fun! 

It was originally started on Zoom by @ninjasketch, and now it's held once or twice a week on Google Meeting.  You can find the schedule at @caricaturebbq on IG. Different artists moderate it,  we draw each other and socialize. :-) 

These pencil sketches were done as I looked at and chatted with these four artists (out of about sixteen) who attended from NJ, MD, IL...and Belgium. :-) 

Early morning caricaturing at a ladies' brunch...

Normally, Mondays and early mornings are two times when when you would NOT find me caricaturing, but this is not your normal year in so many ways!  

So I was very happy to head out to be at my easel by 8 am...for a huge outdoor event, in a tent. The tent was adjacent to a historic venue, where I was situated in this pretty Victorian parlor:

The ladies came in small groups from the tent, mimosas in hand, to be drawn, and many remarked that my caricatures made the party so special! They were all masked, except for the few moments it took to draw each one. And of course, I was masked too...only removing it to sip my orange juice (wahhh...no champagne in mine!)

There was indeed a guest of honor, she got a caricature in color:

Here are a few of the guests:

Thanks for having me, ladies!

Halloween party caricatures!

Halloween fell on a Saturday this year, along with a full moon, clocks changing, a crazy imminent election and a worsening pandemic. But this backyard Halloween party was still FUN! 

Yes, of course I wore a mask! THAT kind of mask!

First indoor gig since March...a (mostly) masked wedding reception

I have had just a handful of live gigs since this pandemic started (compared to how many I normally do)... and this was the first one actually INSIDE a building. Out of caution for myself and others, I've had no problem wearing a mask at all my outdoor events, so this was no different in that sense. And the guests here were required to wear masks, (the DJ made announcements!) unless they were eating. Most complied. Even the people on the dance floor were masked, and were only allowed to do line dances. I gotta say, it felt SO GOOD to hear all the songs I thought I was really tired of...JUMP ON IT!!!!!

So, here are the lovely bride and groom and their caricature, which I mostly did from photos I took as they came in, because they were VERY in-demand...and below, their friends doing the Masked Macarena...

It was a large group so I did line-drawing-only caricatures (no shading) and my output was 64 faces, plus the bride and groom in color, in 3 5 hours. Here are some of the guests: (they unmasked for their drawings)

Ugh I wish this young man's photo wasn't blurry :-(

Thanks for having me!