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!

Bride and Groom Silhouette

 This couple's wedding shower last month included live, handcut silhouettes by this artist. I also cut a couple silhouette of the two of them, from separate photos of them and their wedding attire, which of course couldn't be shared until after their wedding day (this past weekend.) Congratulations to Emily and John! 

60th BD Caricatures on a crisp fall afternoon

 

There's the birthday man and his wife. Their daughter pulled off a huge surprise:

Hilarious signs of her dad's face, 60th BD TP, and Caricatures by Emily!

Lots of guests necessitated only a few photos, but here's one of a great CARICATURE REACTION!

Caricatures on a perfect October evening's wedding reception

This cute couple was originally slated to be married in June, but the pandemic pushed their wedding to October...luckily the evening turned out to be clear and warm, just perfect!

Theirs is my first re-scheduled wedding gig out of quite a few, but most are being held next year. 

I mentioned to the groom that his beard was kind of Abe-Lincolny, and he said he shared his birthday with our esteemed 16th President! The bride had one of the loveliest dresses I'd seen, so pretty and romantic. Here are some of their wedding party and guests!

                                                            Sign of the times!

Since the couple's rescheduled wedding day happened to be John Lennon's 80th birthday, I made a song request to match my mask...and it was played! :-)

Thank you for having me!

Company Picnic Caricatures on a beautiful fall day

A second year doing this company's picnic in a Delaware state park, and the weather couldn't have been nicer (the first time was so cold and windy, we were all reminiscing about it!!) I'm getting used to wearing a mask and so are some of my subjects!

Ready to rock!

Since it was an outdoor gig, most people were not wearing masks, but I am wearing one for the duration of any gigs I do.

Thanks for having me again!! :-)

Backyard Sweet 16

Backyards have seen much more use as party venues this year, so this sixteen-year-old's celebration location was no exception. Party-favor caricatures, owl-face cupcakes and a rainbow pinata made for a fun afternoon. When the guest number is low, I can do all color for everyone!

PSU raising-student-morale caricatures!

 The local campus of Penn State University, for whom I also did an event back in pre-Covid January, had me and another artist return for an outdoor afternoon of caricatures. The small number of students actually on campus were wildly appreciative! Drew my first masked person at this one.

Even the Nittany Lion was masked. 

 

Wedding rehearsal dinner caricatures

I've been very grateful to have any gigs at all this year...I didn't work from March til late July because the pandemic took all my scheduled bookings away... 

and then, in August, a trickle of work began to return.  I am happy to do outside events, while wearing a mask! 

This wedding rehearsal dinner was close to home, at a historic venue where I was supposed to do a bridal show at this spring (which was cancelled). Luckily for this bride and groom, the carriage house had a nice outdoor area to accommodate their guests..and me!

The happy couple!

Lots of good reactions, here is one!

Silhouettes at a lovely tented wedding shower (amidst real showers)

Rain and a pandemic did not prevent a pleasant afternoon of bridal shower celebrations at a historic restaurant, for a young couple who coincidentally share my name and my husband's: Emily and John!

I cut this silhouette beforehand from photos, and also one in their wedding day-attire, to be displayed at their reception in October (I will show it on my blog afterwards). 

Usually I think silhouettes and caricatures are the best party favors, but on this day I think Emily's hand sanitizer won!

Due to the rain, I was on an enclosed porch with open doors, and the guests were in a tent just outside. A bevy of little girls came in to start things off...

Here's a closer look at one of them:

Dessert was served and I de-masked to enjoy it!

My glasses kept fogging up, UGH!

The client ( the mother of the bride) was very happy with my silhouette-cutting--thanks so much for booking me in this crazy time!