Here are some of the Caricatures that I drew at that Corporate Holiday Party. I felt well appreciated. In particular, the woman in the red scarf ~ she kept thanking me like totally amazed with her picture. I don't think I'll ever forget her. And the others ~ a lot of laughs and a lot of Fun.

It's been a long journey, but I feel like I finally settled on my New Style of Caricatures. I drew these in my time off ~ with some old dried out Chartpak that I had here. And a few Color Sticks.

I think of this style as 3D. I refer to my old style as Cartoony. One is not better than the other. They are just Different.

My new 3D style isn't as difficult for me to do. It uses the same interpretive skills as my Cartoony style. and I can draw my vision directly, without extra steps. And I feel like more customers would be more impressed with the 3D style. So why not relax and really Enjoy doing my work ~ I hope it feels this easy when I'm drawing in person at an event.

BTW, I surfed the web to find pictures of faces for my reference photos. The first picture here was one of those Wow experiences for me. Because i felt like it was the very face that had super-intrigued me when I was a child ~ on the cover of a National Geographic Magazine. I had kept that magazine around for years because of those haunting eyes. And then, here, out of the blue, it was looking right at me again. Never read the article, though. I just looked at the cover of the magazine for many years.

Oh ~ could you imagine my frustration. As I was stuck in traffic on my way to an event in New Jersey, a Lamborghini swerved in front of my car. It really does look different than the other cars. A short gliding black Lamborghini. I reached for my IPhone (camera). But Oh ~ It's not here. Where could it be? Did I leave it in the Studio while I was quickly making my last phone call before leaving for today's gig? Any chance I left it in the car trunk? I don't think so. I think I left it in the Studio. I hope I left it in the Studio. Because I wouldn't want to Lose it.

Okay. Okay. Get myself together. I used to go to Parties without a phone. I've been doing this since the previous Century (well, let's say 1997 ~ or was it 1993?). I can do this. I can be out in the world without a phone for one day.

But how to take Photos of my Caricatures? I love to take photos, so I can see what I've been doing. And most of all, I hope I find my gig alright. My Agent had given me Three, not one, but Three Contact Phone numbers because this gig was 'on a Pier' in New Jersey.

Okay. Get a hold of myself. I can function in this world without an IPhone. I used to get to gigs before gps's. Even before we could print travel directions from the Computer. I should be able to do this. I can do my job. I left plenty of extra time to get to the gig, as usual. So there would be no problem if I had to circle around and ask People for directions. Let me think this through. Hey, I'm stuck in traffic anyway. Plenty of time to figure it out.

Hoping I'll find a Computer-type store near the venue. Sure enough, as soon as I get through the Holland Tunnel, there it is. The Computer Store. But how much time to spend in there? I ask about my options for phones and cameras. Something cheap, just to get me through the day. Well, I could get a phone for about $50, figure out how to activate it, maybe have to buy something else to hopefully have the time to charge it, and spend another $50 for the first month or activation or whatever the salesman was talking about. And a Camera? The cheapest one was $90. After paying for gas and bridges and tunnels and Supplies (remember the Supplies? I'm here to do an Art Job), I wonder if I'll even be making enough money to pay the Income Taxes on this job. Umm, maybe this isn't such a good idea.

Out the door, and there I see ~ Target. A less expensive type of a store. Maybe I'll find something there. What time is it? Out of my car, I can't tell. Because I don't wear a watch anymore. I rely on my IPhone. Which I don't have.

Maybe I'll call home and ask if my IPhone is there. Just so I won't worry about it. But I don't have a phone to call home. I forgot to bring my IPhone. I ask around for a Payphone. Nope. Nothing. And What time is it?

Ahah! Target has old-fashioned Disposable Cameras! I don't know if the photos will be usable. I don't know how to use it. I don't know where to get film developed any more. I'll buy two please. Two Disposable Cameras. But nothing to buy for a one-day phone.

On the road again. My gps gets me to the Street I was told to go to. But there are No Piers there. At the end of the road, I see a lot of Taxis parked. Oh, they must know. The driver in the first car is on the phone. Something else with the driver in the second car. I roll down my window and beep at the driver in the third car. "Hello. Hello Sir. I'm a little lost. Perhaps you can tell me where to find Pier 13?" The driver was most gracious. Telling me to turn right and then right and explaining about the difficult parking and how I'd be driving a-Round the water. Repeating himself several times in his strong foreign accent. Just sitting there, he had a lot of patience. But me ~ What time is it?

I follow his excellent directions. It was quite a ways away, but there it is. Pier 13. Looking for a place to park. Hoping I can find my client without my phone. Oh, there's a spot. Can I park here? I saw the following street signs at different spots along the street. What do you think? It was a Saturday.

So, car parked. A sunny day with a slight breeze. I was dressed for an indoor event because my classy Agent usually has me in places that have luxury buildings, even if called 'Pier", but I don't see a building. Hmmm, I have all sorts of different supplies in my car. I decide to forego the Lights, and carry the bag of Rocks instead. To weigh down my supplies and keep them from blowing away. I apply Sunscreen and Insect Repellent which is also in my car for just in case, I carry my Rocks, my Easel, and my Backpack with the Paper and Markers and Art Stuff, approach the Pier (it's like a Boat Dock), and speak to the man who seems 'official'. He immediately knows who I am and who I am supposed to see. Everything goes smoothly from there.

My client was so accommodating. Arranged for me to set up comfortably under a giant umbrella on the Pier. Moved tables, brought me chairs, a whole bucket of bottled water (offered me food too, but I just wanted to Draw). Here are photos of some of the pictures that I drew. Not the best photos, but they're okay. Taken with those Disposable Cameras. Developed at Walgreens. Then individually scanned in to the Computer. So much extra work to do and almost $50 extra expense for the lower quality photos, but it works. We can see the pictures. I can remember the lovely people I had spent time with that day. Can you pick out one of the owners of this place? I ask because I thought she looked just like Selena Gomez, the actress from the Wizards of Waverly Place? Wow.

Oh Yes ~ Now I'm really into this. Happy to be using my IPad for Studio work. I spend so much time patiently going into All the Pixels. I actually like doing this. I hope to get lots more IPad Commissions.

In this case, I followed my clients instructions of course. He likes a lot of Words in his pictures. Good thing that I just like using the IPad.

Client was very pleased ~ His presentation went over well.
But I have to get it faster if I ever want to use my IPad at Parties and Events.

UPDATE 2017: Egads ~ When I remember how crude it felt to use those old styluses on the IPads, I feel thrilled about our New Technology. These days I've switched to the White Pencil and the ProCreate App, and I would never consider working with the Supplies that I had when I made these CARICATURES.