Oh - the synchronicity of..... How do you spell that? Even though I tried to check at http://thesaurus.com/ (another word to s p e l l ), I still have no idea. Does spelling count?

Anyway, I was impressed with it today. Serendipity. Because I had randomly opened a folder to find some of my Samples to post here, and I came up with these pictures from a Corporate Event where I had been asked to draw Black and White pictures. I usually work in Color, but I was also hired to draw Black and White Caricatures at a University tonight. This very night. It's good for me to see them - as a Warm-Up for tonight's event (which will be the Sam Gennaro Event - a yearly Celebration about Italians).

This is what I like to call Black and White Caricatures. Still uses a bit of Color. But in this case, the Color makes the pictures get finished faster - which is what these Clients were looking for - to get more faces drawn during the hours that we had arranged:

Tonight's gig was interesting. My Agent sent me to a house that was down the block from the house where I grew up. Arrived a few minutes early, parked beside a house where I used to play with a little girl named Valerie.

and..... everything changes. It was just another house for me. Like having been sent Anywhere. Except traveling to get there was real easy.

Black/White Party. I arrived early and practiced a few in the car. it was fun because I was getting in to the Exaggerations just the right amount.

Cleaning out my Office today. Not only is my Computer Desktop full of photos, but so is my Physically Tangible Desktop. And Floor. And Closet. And Walls. And Boxes. From the days before we had cellphones with cameras.

My Artwork has become easier and better since then. I remember how hard I worked, how I suffered to make these pictures. But I want to remember them. Because it was through the suffering that I developed the work I do today. To see them is like coaching myself. To remember the details I worked so hard to develop.

I'm going to post here some a few of those photos. Because I want to remember how I drew the Nose on that particular day:

Oh dear - I got the news today. Caricature Artist Sam Norkin passed away.

Oh dear - Now I really appreciate the times I spent with Sam. One time in particular, after we worked together at Sardi's - he took me on a 'tour' around the place - giving me details about each picture and the Artists of Yesteryear who had drawn them. It seemed so simple at the time. Like, just hanging out. Him talking about the Artists that he hung around with many years ago. Me feeling like he's making a bigger deal of it than it really was - because it probably wasn't much different than the way I know most of the Caricaturists that are on the scene these days - me not understanding how it feels when the Artists die....... I thought things were going to stay the same forever.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118040684?refCatId=13

Precious. Now those simple moments are so precious. Now I wish I could remember all the details, but most of what I remember is the feel of walking around Sardi's with Sam. And just his whole personality whenever we worked together. He was a real fully rounded person. To hang out with him was to really know his personality.