Proms are coming up ~ Actually means 'promenade' ~ I think that's 'strut your stuff' ~

Another year ~ High School Graduates ~ again ~ Didn't I see these same people last year? So it seems ~ but to the individuals involved, to the people who are experiencing it ~ their lives are what they experience, and they want to do it too.

Why sing when there have already been great singers in the past? Why sing when somebody else might sing better? There was a song about this ~ I hear it often at all sorts of parties

"Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield: I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned Staring at the blank page before you Open up the dirty window Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find Reaching for something in the distance So close you can almost taste it Release your inhibitions Feel the rain on your skin No one else can feel it for you Only you can let it in No one else, no one else Can speak the words on your lips Drench yourself in words unspoken Live your life with arms wide open Today is where your book begins The rest is still unwritten Oh, oh, oh I break tradition, sometimes my tries, are outside the lines We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way Staring at the blank page before you Open up the dirty window Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find Reaching for something in the distance So close you can almost taste it Release your inhibitions Feel the rain on your skin No one else can feel it for you Only you can let it in No one else, no one else Can speak the words on your lips Drench yourself in words unspoken Live your life with arms wide open Today is where your book begins Feel the rain on your skin No one else can feel it for you Only you can let it in No one else, no one else Can speak the words on your lips Drench yourself in words unspoken Live your life with arms wide open Today is where your book begins The rest is still unwritten Staring at the blank page before you Open up the dirty window Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find Reaching for something in the distance So close you can almost taste it Release your inhibitions Feel the rain on your skin No one else can feel it for you Only you can let it in No one else, no one else Can speak the words on your lips Drench yourself in words unspoken Live your life with arms wide open Today is where your book begins Feel the rain on your skin No one else can feel it for you Only you can let it in No one else, no one else Can speak the words on your lips Drench yourself in words unspoken Live your life with arms wide open Today is where your book begins The rest is still unwritten The rest is still unwritten The rest is still unwritten Oh, yeah, yeah

BTW, this is an example of what I call "Black and White Caricatures" or "Line Only Caricatures". It still uses a litl Color. On some.

Oh here I am again. Posting my client's feedback. (I covered up client's name to protect her privacy)

I used to feel too shy to show the nice things that people say and do for me. But now that I've been pushed to post some of the written notes, I came across this old note from 2008. I came across it as I was preparing for the 3rd time that this woman has subsequently hired me.

I feel so blessed that my work is so appreciated. I feel so blessed that I can actually bring such joy with the talents that I've been given.

And Thank You to the people who take the time to let me know.

Wow! I Colored the Caricature that I thought was perfect in Black/White. And boy was I surprised. It's even better in Color!

I love Color.

It's that time again. A lot of Studio Caricatures been coming my way. I never cease to be amazed at how each one is different ~ each client is different. Each picture is different. Each experience is different.

This time I was booked to draw at the older girl"s 5th Birthday Party. My client, having seen my blog, decided that it would be a good idea to draw the Birthday Girl and her sister ahead of time. To have it on display. To make sure they'd have time to be drawn..... So she also ordered a Studio Caricature. Good. That's nice.

Then the Agreement arrived. Ummmm, on it the Mother wrote that the girl is sensitive. So I shouldn't accentuate 'certain features'. Ummmm. Lol. Which features doesn't she like? These girls look like absolute Dolls! Did you ever see anyone so cute??? And anyway, how am I supposed to make it look like them if I'm not free to work with what I See? Has she seen this blog??? I thought this really shows how I see things, how I draw things.

Okay. I start drawing. Thinking Beauty. Lovely. Beauty. Lalala. And here's what I came up with. I love it. Feels perfect. But it's black/white. I was hired to make a Color Caricature. Oh.

So I went to the Office Supply Store. Made a photocopy on Shiny Paper. And Matted it as an extra freebee for my client. Because I thought that Color would ruin it. I'll post the Color copy when I have it.