Australian Gothic ......

My parody of Grant Wood's famous 1930 'American Gothic' painting - the client wanted his parents depicted as 'country people' outside the Casino. Client loved it, I'll await reaction from Mum & Dad !!

This will be the last post for the year - and I really hope each and every one of you has a great 2009. Thanks for your comments both on the blog, email and phone - it's an isolated existence doing studio work ( I chat to myself quite a bit - not a lot of sense there ! ) - I appreciate it !

A Merry Christmas to you all ....

All finished

.... here are four more of the finished Xmas commissions - very happy clients and that's the main thing !!

............. now for some golf.

Christmas commissions ....

Christmas is making up for that beautiful 7 weeks away - I have a target of finishing all the commissions by Friday giving me six days to get ready for Santa.

All the faces are done - about six little bodies left - seventeen in total and it's time to ho,ho,ho !

Pre trip and post trip is the busiest I've been - seriously encroaching on golf time - got 42 'off the stick' last week which was really good for me - ".... for 18 that's nice dear ?!!! " 

Painting on an iPhone

Busy with lots of Christmas commissions but was fascinated by this video of David Tessier using an iPhone to paint with ....... do that on your Nokia !

Thanks to my good friend Vin Altamore for the ' heads up ! '

Bat and Photoshop CS4 ...

Just got the latest Photoshop version CS4 after busily loading all my brushes set about a quick caricature of Bat Hilliard a fellow NCN member who is from North Carolina USA. One of the politest, humble guys you're likely to meet - far too nice - probably has several axe murderers in his family background.

CS4 seems to work OK, several modifications to the GUI and handling of windows - I don't know if it is the quantum leap I was expecting or worth the upgrade. I'm just a hopeless victim when it comes to updating software !!!

Old Moulton mouldies !!

Last Friday night, along with Nola, I had the pleasure of a reunion with old student friends from Northamptonshire Agriculture College, Moulton. We met at a lovely village pub in Cambridgeshire and a great meal and mass nostalgia was enjoyed. I hadn't seen most for 35 years, as the booze flowed the stories of old got better and better.

Returned home on Tuesday and am reluctant to inspect the damage to the Visa card !

Great to be back, visited a lot of places, but there's nothing as good as Australia out there ... I wish our dollar was as good though, an embarrassing little thing compared to the Euro, Pound and US Dollar ..... lift your game Kevvy !!!

More at the Con'

One of the great things about the NCN convention is the great characters you meet this is one,  Kid Cardona, originally from Texas and now a resident of China where he runs a thriving caricature business. Pictured here conducting the final night auction .... the wild west is not dead !!
One of the really nice people at the convention was Liesbeth Beckers  AKA Leesbat. She hails from Belgium, speaks five languages, picked up a studio piece award. Nice lady.

Gee I struggle with one language !!!

Yours truly with Bisch - a walking drawing factory - and Scott Hamilton NCN treasurer and accent and language collector. Great people .......

With the entire trip lasting almost 7 weeks I have over 1000 photos off two cameras more to come when I do some sorting.

My humble offerings ....

In the intimidating, and inspiring,  environment of the convention these were my humble efforts. Caricatures of Rock, Bill, Adam and Rick. Not really happy with them and the product of a last 24 hours rush - the unthinkable happened the old faithful Mac G4 laptop crashed with a 'stack failure' ( whatever that is ?) after not saving for about 4 hours. Sigh !!!

The most caricatured 'head' at the convention - thanks to a previous life as a 'standover man' - Rock Kowulz. He loved it - top bloke !
My other main subject Bill LaRoque pictured here with myself , Nola and Bill's lovely partner Sharon ...... they were both great company for the week.

NCN Convention - Raleigh North Carolina

The wonderful work  of caricaturing superstar and Golden Nosey winner - Jason Seiler
The incomparable Court Jones shows his versatility with this selection
Paul Moyse turned himself into a monk for the week churning out these works and earning a place amongst the gurus .... hate the bloke !
Fred Harpers 'wall' - I've never come across his work before - amazing stuff.

Could do with a haircut though !

Just cruising .....

Just got back to the UK - freezing - after a brilliant cruise around the Mediterranean. As a first time cruiser I can thoroughly recommend it, in fact I'm being urged to book another one !!
A couple of days relax and off to the NCN convention in North Carolina on Saturday.
I could get really used to this lifestyle if the Australian Dollar didn't keep collapsing - when I get to Raleigh I'll be the one with begging bowl !!

Up, up and away !!

... the suitcases are out and tickets all organised, passports in order. Time to head off on our little trip. First we fly to London then off to Italy where we will join a cruise around the Mediterranean - Naples, Messina, Alexandria, Limassol, Marmaris, Santorini and Katakolon ( .. what a shocking name dropper !!). Back to the UK then flying across to Raleigh, North Carolina USA for the NCN Convention ( which starts on 2/11 - they obviously misprinted the 11th of February !!! ) ........ really looking forward to it.

Hopefully I'll get a chance to update the blog on my travels.

We've organised the house sitter and Staffies have been starved for the last three weeks !!

Taka Watanabe

Here's my shot at Taka Watanabe - one of the top Japanese caricaturists who produces some amazing stuff ( check out his Blog in my links). I met Taka, a fellow NCN member in Tokyo last year and will catch up again at the NCN convention in Raleigh, North Carolina in November.

Shall do everything in my power to get him to caricature me ..... hint, hint !!!

George Malek

Before I head off on my 'world tour' clearing up a few shots at fellow caricaturists. This is George Malek a fellow NCN member from the US of A.

Actually used the pencil for this one and was amazed how quick those things work on paper - no undo's though !

Car commissions ...

Couple of birthday gifts for car enthusiasts - separate jobs just popped together for convenience sake. The left one is for a 30th Birthday - Holden Sandman panel van - the other for a 50th Birthday - a  four letter word beginning with 'F' !!!  

The kids say Hi ...

Don't think I've ever put my kid's up on the blog before but I got this greeting on my email this morning so I thought I'd introduce them - Joanne and Michael ( .. that's his best smile BTW ! )

This was taken at a winery in Margaret River where they were celebrating Jo's 26th Birthday with twenty or more friends. Mum & Dad weren't invited ( being teetotallers  !) but we are looking forward to taking her out to a nice restaurant this weekend. 

Don't tell 'em but we're both pretty pleased how they turned out !! 

A biggie .....

Now here's a whopper - lots of faces I can't remember how many but the novelty had worn off long before I finished it. Printed on canvas and framed 1.2 x 1.2 metres.

I underquoted but learned a lot about tackling jobs this size - and doing all the small faces achieved some good 'live' caricature practice. 

Michael Collins Caricature Award ...

Final day rush - yet again - but I got my entries into the Michael Collins Caricature Award at the last knock. I always promise myself to do them through the year but I never seem to get around to it. Sadly I've really not done many celebrity caricatures with all the commission work going on.

The 'Looney Tunes' theme is of our leaders Rudd, Gillard and Swan and the portrait is a redraw of Jim McGinty  the former State Attorney General.

I've managed to get a highly commended the last two years - I must take more time for the loot though  - and perhaps move away from digital. ( I've got a perception of a little bias against the medium from the purists ). Fingers crossed.

The competition website is HERE.

.... more weddings

... just love these wedding commissions. Two more for A2 signing boards and the graphics for use on invites, labels and stubby holders. 

Sunset on South Perth foreshore and the Twenties gangster theme.

New commission work ....

Here's a couple more caricature jobs that help keep the wolf from the door - a mining industry metallurgist and a long retired police officer who always wanted one. ( Incidentally dressed as a Police Officer should be, not the sad semi SWAT team 'tat' the current guys wear !! )

Currently I've got a pile of commissions on hand, in fact I've put the 'full up' sign on my website, one of which is a corporate job of huge proportions - sadly I  underquoted. All part of the learning curve. 

Lots of work, really busy, turning jobs away and I'm not rich - I can smell a price rise on the horizon !