'Purple Haze' Rockers 30th ......

Here's a new commission, well away from my normal 'comfort zone' a 30th Birthday caricature for a guy that plays in a rock band. It ended up OK, the pose  (if it looks familiar) is based on a famous statue of Jimi Hendrix. 

Is this fame ? Addendum !

Well, well - my Kevin Rudd caricature has been removed from the online advertising of our cyber friends. No apology, payment or communication occurred but it is noted that no expense was spared in bringing in a top line caricaturist to do the replacement. Makes you smile ........ 

I thanks my friends from the ACA and Viscopy for their help.

Is this 'fame' ?

Dead easy isn't it, a quick 'copy & paste' and add it to your website graphic. I did this caricature of Kevin Rudd, the Australian Prime Minister, about 12 months ago, I wasn't really happy with it. It isn't on my website just on this blog.

Along come a shady mob that hide behind 'www.getyourcrush.com' selling some sort of dubious mobile phone service. There aren't many caricatures of Rudd around, they found mine. This will do to snare a few punters from Australia to do their 'IQ test' . Did they drop me a courteous email 'can we use it' offering some sort of payment. Not on your life - lets just take it.  

Hello - I do caricatures for a living, you want to use it you ask.

I've sent them an email to their 'support' address, the only email I could find, the domain is registered in Canada with no physical real address. 

I'll see what I can do - I'm not too hopeful.

I'd steer clear of the IQ tests if you come across them.

Bearded Tel ...

A quick rework of my self caricature - had some business cards to print and 'the shaven one' is no longer and is unlikely to make a return in the near future. I grew the beard from the end of 2006 and after getting approval from 'she who must be obeyed' it's here for good.

I should have really done a complete new one but I really haven't the time - that's my excuse.

Farm themes .....

Couple of new commissions with a farm theme - it's the Tractor Boy's 30th Birthday and the 'Pig and the Princess' was for a wedding anniversary - didn't really get too involved in the background to theme - 'I just draw 'em !!"

Beardless Bob .....

My good mate Bob Bischoff from Florida reckons it's just too damned hot in the summer so he shaved his beard off - not so sure Bob, but I guess you know what you're doing !!!!

Jan Baptist

Had time to do a quick shot at Belgian caricaturist Jan Baptist - he seemed to enjoy the pain !!

This England ...

 I really meant to take quite a lot of photo's in England - it didn't happen - here's three of the better ones. Mum & Dad in their garden, Abbey gardens in Bury St Edmunds and the converted Brundon Mill in Sudbury. ( .. all cynics please note the sunshine !!)

I'm back ....

The pause in the number of postings on this blog will have been noticed by my two regular readers. REASON : I've been to England for the past month, my mother has been ill so my daughter Jo and I took the opportunity to fly across and do what we could to help and cheer her, and Dad, up. Mission accomplished I'm glad to report she is much better, putting on weight and is now strong enough to have a small operation that will make her life much more comfortable. Dad's a bit brighter too though I think he'll miss his red wine drinking accomplices !!

The last two weeks were actually reasonable weather - it was summer after all - though it's the first time I've been in England in the summer for 35 years. There's no football in the summer is the main reason for that. This time, though, I had the opportunity to watch the European Championships live in prime time - superb and some of the football played by Russia, Holland and the eventual winners Spain was brilliant in the true sense of the word. Thoroughly enjoyed it - the Olympics, despite the jingoistic hype, will definitely be a very poor relation to the Euro's.

Got to enjoy things that make an Englishman living abroad misty eyed - the beautiful villages, a pint at the local, long light evenings, 'real' pork pies, good bacon, Musk's of Newmarket pork sausages ( the world's best - no doubt) - by the way I really like eating pigs !! A few negatives though - the traffic is awful, driving is a pain and the legendary English road courtesy appears a thing of the past. Finally what a seedy over rated place London is - though I'm a country boy at heart and most cities drop in this category.

It was nonetheless great to get home and there's something really special about seeing the WA coast below you as you head back to Perth.

I'm now armed with a 'secret' suffolk pork sausage recipe so local pigs better watch out !!!