I usually have so many things that I have to do And so many things that I want to do That I run around from this to that. But a Funeral can really clear your mind. Death doesn't ask if this is a good time, doesn't ask if you can fit it in.

Even though it wasn't someone I knew, I stopped everything for a client who called one day last June. Her 23-year-old son had just died, and she wanted a Caricature to display at the wake. The very next morning.

The next thing you know, I had four people in my studio popping up with more and more ideas of what they wanted included in this Caricature - me thinking they should leave because I really have to start on it right away.

The boy was to be mountain-climbing and skiing and carrying a fishing pole. There was to be a lake with fish and a barbeque at the bottom of the mountain. And don't forget his black cap which he always wore backwards. And his earring.....

Okay. Time to work on this. No question about it. To be picked up in less than 24-hours. Out went my elaborate dinner plans (although I did enjoy the gym - I walked at 2.5 and 3.3 on the treadmill. And I slid my hands for my upper abs. And I used the medium-large ball for my lower abs....).

Out went the other Studio Caricature which had been ordered that very morning (also on a tight schedule, but not quite This imminent). Out went my Party-Preps. And the laundry. And I was hoping that my friend (who was coming back from Spain) wouldn't need a ride from the airport.....

I did it! 10 p.m. - Picture drawn and colored, I contacted my client that it would be ready for Pick Up at 11 a.m. the following day. I started to put the picture into a black mat, and

The lights went out! There was no electricity in my house! I pay my bill. But LIPA was having little service problem.

But I still have to mat the picture, write stuff on the back of it. shrink-wrap it......

And my client would be coming at in a few hours.

I had planned to spend the morning refreshing myself from the effort and cleaning up the house. But I would have to finish preparing the picture instead. Because the lights had gone out. Okay. Prioritize.

We can't decide when to fit Death into our schedule.

Here's the picture that I created. I hoped it would be helpful. Such a terrible thing to happen:

Okay. So here's what happened at the Party.

The Guest of Honor didn't show up until I was there for over half an hour. And when she did, she wanted to go around to all the tables before getting in to the picture.

So I was taken by Surprise. Having planned on drawing her first, I instead had to try to leave room for her. This put a crinkle in my plans. Without the main person to relate to, I didn't know how to design the picture. Without meaning to do so, faces started to frame the center which I was trying to leave available for the Guest of Honor. It started to look like everyone was rotating out from the center of the picture - designed like a Ferris-Wheel or something. Lalala - it would look like I did it on purpose but I sure didn't. It is a design, but I would not have liked it. Dorky. Contrived. Controlled.

It was hard, but I forced a change in the picture. I started flipping the people around. Took a chance, and it worked! Whew!

But then, when the guest of honor arrived, the only way her particular look would fit into the space that was left was to put her sort of sideways. Luckily, there was still enough time to add other people around her, so it softened the situation.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm an Artist or a Magician.

The more experiences I have, the more I know how to deal with every contingency that comes up.

I fit at least 20 people on this one 22x28 paper. It sure looks like a big group of people when they all stood together. Wow

Several months ago, I drew a cute little picture for the owner of Deep Space Records. He contacted me recently to ask if he could use it on his new album-cover.

Then, he sent me his first idea - might come out this way, might be changed. And he even asked me my opinion of the album title:

I thought it looked adorable. And the title (from one of the songs on the album) seemed all-inclusive. But if it's called, "Out of My Mind", perhaps, ummmm, I sent him the following two suggestions:

Late at night. Just glued to my seat in front of the computer - I was inspired to draw something else from the photos that were also on his mock-up. Unsolicited, but it turned out that Keni wanted this picture too. A pleasant surprise for me!

And then this came out!

It's just all so fun - getting involved other people's projects. BTW, when the album comes out, you can probably get it at dspacer.com

Tomorrow I'll be drawing at a 50th Birthday. I'm supposed to draw 20 (or more) people on a page. Haven't done that in a while, so I decided to practice from photos of people on the web.

It's a good thing that I do my homework. So I'll 'know my lines' before it's time to go on.

Because the first picture I made, started making, hmmmm, no way am I going to fit twenty people on this 22x28 paper:

So I started again, figuring that I would make the first person, the 'Guest of Honor' largest, and make the other people smaller. But I kept forgetting - kept making everyone the same size. Forced myself to get smaller, but it was too late. Forced myself to finish the picture with twenty people no matter what size/part I made them:

I like these pictures. I feel comfortable to approach tomorrow's project. No predraw.

I sincerely hope the set-up is good - hoping for a good spot at a good table. If I have to use my easel, the drawing board is too heavy and cumbersome to feel 'right'.

I love my jobs. No matter how much I study and plan, I can never control Everything about it. Yet I know what my approach will be. Well, at least I know what questions to ask myself.

Oh what to do - Everyone upright? Or flipping around on their heads? Wild predraws directing the faces? Or direct inking without predraws? Color? Or Black/white? And those are just general decisions about the Composition. The questions continue as I figure out how to draw each face!

Creating Artwork is a way to Exercise the ability to make Decisions.