Every time the phone rings it's " Tell them I've nearly finished it - I'll email them soon !"
It's that time of year again where the gift caricatures are thick and fast - with a few live shows as well - make hay while the sun shines I guess.
After many thousands of miles on Qantas (Rolls Royce engines 'an all !), cruise ships (without a fire in the engine rooms) and just a small dose of food poisoning in Morocco - I'm home !
There will be an interlude in postings on the 'ol blog as next weekend Nola and I leave on a European holiday - a 12 day cruise of the Western Mediterranean, a week in Rome and the rest of the time visiting in the UK. 
It's that time of year, Spring is in the air and weddings are the business !
This is a commission from Tasmania for a Birthday gift for former Aussie 60's Pop star Ronnie Burns. I wasn't familiar him having grown up in the UK in the 60's where we had serious pop star overload and I think the only downunder stars to get a look in were The Easybeats and of course the BeeGees - hang on they were Poms !!
Next month I'm off to the UK in one of the new Qantas A380's - looking forward to it.
I had the misfortune to watch a couple of episodes of Masterchef during the last season - the first time to see what the fuss was about, the second because I was out of my comfort zone - ie didn't have control of the remote !!
A 'send off' caricature for a long time employee in the AV industry - they loved it.
Just a couple of samples from a corporate show for a mining company at the Breakwater Tavern, Hillarys Boat Harbour - finally remembered my camera.
I try and make a genuine effort to keep the old Blog populated with some recent stuff, but, of late it's all been fairly hum drum jobs. This one turned out well with limited input from the client - ' here's a couple of photo's, put him in a nice suit and a glass of red, oh and no background'.
A few recent commissions - the faces anyway - just so the 'ol Blog doesn't rust up !!
A historical day for Australia, we're out of the World Cup and we have our first female Prime Minister Julia Gillard. The seriously 'on the nose' Kevin Rudd has gone and Julia is now the boss - it'll be interesting to see how her very Aussie accent goes down overseas. Probably subtitles !!
Part of a current commission, which I spent way too long on, but as a Tractor Boy, I had to give it due respect. 1962 Ford Super Dexta, for those in the know, adorned with Holden Monaro badging ........ long story !!
This is a quick caricature of one of my favourite caricaturists and fellow ISCA member Jean Marc Borot - does some wonderful work check out his Blog HERE.
This will sail over the heads of our overseas readers but Perth has two Aussie Rules Football teams - the Fremantle Dockers and the West Coast Eagles. The Dockers - of which I'm a follower - have not had a very glorious history. That is until this year when they are joint top and the accursed Weagles are very close to the bottom. 
A recent commission for a fisherman's 50th birthday - the fish is a Spanish Mackerel which are caught along the Indian Ocean coast North of Perth. Great fighters and BIG !
Here's a new commission I had to be sedated for !!
I did a recent 'live' caricaturing job for a major bank at the Old Swan Brewery - a great location on the river - the photographer took some shots of me at work ( or play ! ). Great crowd there and I enjoyed myself , not many shots of my drawings but take it from me they were really good !
This client was particularly brave wanting his mother in law depicted flying on a broomstick for her 60th birthday - softened the blow by giving her a 30 year old's body !! ( I'm guessing it won't save him though !)
A couple of new commissions - a little bit out of the ordinary - a 21st Birthday caricature for a Panda lovin' girl and a wedding job for a couple getting married in Broome.
Wonder how your website will look on the iPad here's a site where you can check it out
Another corporate job - in this one a Sydney bound executive is portrayed in a bogus front page story in what 'could be' a well known local newspaper. 
Today - April 5th - is our 35th Wedding Anniversary ( I know, I know you get less time for murder !) - Nola and I tied the knot way back in 1975. I wouldn't say never a cross word ( .. and I don't believe others that say it either ! ) but she's certainly my best friend and deserves a medal for putting up with this grumpy old bastard all those years !! Two wonderful children are testimony we did something right - now if only they'd hurry up with grandkids.
Here's a caricature I did of Angie about 18 months ago .............
This was sent to me today - a copy of a caricature I did of a workmate some 21 years ago - 1989 ( and still a good friend today - despite the caricature - all true BTW !) I've blurred out all the captions mostly personal and obscene - that was the style of the time. Rotring pens and coloured pencils as we'd never heard of Wacom's and such things.
This is a caricature of a genuine union 'heavy' - Joe McDonald of the CFMEU. An old fashioned union official who I think was brought in the Tardus from the early 70's !!
One of the great things ( over and above getting paid !) is getting feedback from clients. I love receiving photos of the presentations and hearing people saying nice things about my work ( thankfully that's the majority !!)
It's great to have the opportunity to do some 'me' work. This is a shot at Peter Collier, the West Australian Minister for Energy. Responsible for a massive jump in electricity bills - really popular guy !
Wasn't really happy with the first rendition of Ginger Meggs 'carer' - Jason Chatfield. I thought it too complimentary this was confirmed when Jason told me it was really 'nice' and he was going to give a copy to his mum !!
I've had photos of Jason Chatfield to do a caricature from for a few years - messing around with some new brushes in PS put this together. He may have had an image change since the photos were taken but here it is anyway.
Too bloody hot to lay limestone walls so completed a caricature for a friend. Slim's as Aussie as they come. A renowned local country western singer who owns an EK Holden and a Bully X with three legs ( ... I didn't forget it !). As he says 'even bloody Poms are useful sometimes !' 
A corporate commission with a difference. This is a 'welcome aboard' poster of the hosts for a 4 hour river cruise next week. Yours truly is also doing live caricatures of the guests throughout the journey on the Swan River from Perth to Fremantle and back.
I've been steadily moving through commissions - here's a few samples - and I know the Aussie flag shouldn't be attached that side it just didn't look right blowing in reverse.
Here's a caricature format I've been toying with for a while - the bogus magazine cover. 
Just finished this one - with all the cropped / no background extras for wedding paraphernalia.
This is the backdrop to a current commission I'm working on. A Caterpillar 793D one of those big beasties that keep the mining industry in this state churning along producing the $ !!! ( so their employees can keep buying caricatures )
