Beautiful weather today. Nice easy day for me - Face Painting in Central Park. Then I came home to this! I knew I gave Mark Simon permission to use the Artwork that I sent to him OVER A YEAR AGO, but I didn't know that I was going to see his fabulous book TODAY.

I found 3 of my pictures in it - between the pages of 114 and 117. It's so funny - He so protected MY copyright that even I couldn't lift the pictures from his book to put them here on my blog. And I'm too busy to start looking through a year's worth of pictures to find the originals here.

Here's some quotes telling about his book.

Quote: Facial Expressions - E-Book

I have been asked by artists around the world to sell a digital version of Facial Expressions that they can load onto their computers. Now it's here.

Facial Expressions Companion E-Book Volume 3 contains over 1,000 all new images, including over 60 works of art.

The first Facial Expressions book has been a best-seller since it came out two years ago. There is no better photo reference book on the market.

Facial Expressions Models

This edition also features a great new gallery, Age Progression. Now you can see how a face ages from being a baby and growing into an adult.

Facial Expressions Age Progression

Galleries include:

Skull Gallery Expressions Gallery Age Progression Gallery Phonemes Gallery Hats & Headgear Gallery Leaning Gallery Pointing Gallery Extreme Close-Up Gallery Art Gallery

• UnQuote.

Happy Day. It's Fun to be an Artist.

Oh My Goodness. Yesterday I was looking forward to writing here about my super-exciting weekend. But now I'm already on to more more more super-exciting things for the rest of THIS week. Wow, this is Fun. Let me just see now if I can remember all the stuff that happened lately.

Saturday. Drawing at a Communion. A man in the chair. Some comments from the crowd about his 'position'. "And what position is that?" I asked. Turned out that I was drawing the chairman of the Republican Party of Queens. I recognized that they weren't just fooling around when I saw his professinal posture and confident movements - like he was accustomed to 'publicity'. I think his name is Chairman Phil Ragusa.

Sunday, not officially booked. Overcast. So tired because I got home after 2:00 a.m. from visiting Family. But I forced myself to get up early and get out into the world. It's just too easy to sleep through life and then wonder why life is boring. So I went to do my first Face-Painting in Central Park of the year.

But what happened? I had to cross Park Avenue to get the the Park. Police were at every street corner. And we absolutely were not allowed to cross the street. From either side. "Why? Why?" I asked. "Because the Pope will be riding along this way.

"Safety reasons" I was told.

"How long will it be?" I asked.

"As long as it take. Half-hour. Hour. I'm just to stay on my of the street until I'm told..."

Initially frustrated. Tired. When I suddenly realized that this was a momentous occasion. How many people would have Loved to be here - right where I was!!! I took out my camera-phone. "Don't let me miss it," I said.

"He's coming. He's coming."

Quick! Press the Camera-mode. Again. Options. Take Photo. I got a motorcycle cavalcade. Quick! Camera! Options. Take Photo. Press button. Pause............and.......Click! "Did I get it? Was that the Pope?" I asked the woman who was next to me.

"Yes." She was certain.

But I did not actually see him. Dagnabbit. We never know if we're making the right decision until afterwards. I thought I'd at least be able to see him in the photo, but, well, here it is:

Wonderful day continued. I felt special. I am part of the New York scene. I am a New York Artist. Loooonng day. I remembered the experience of being out there all day working the crowds. Handling the other Street Artists. And the Authorities. Gotta be tough to handle this. It's not for the timid-hearted.

Went out to dinner with a friend after my Park experience.

Here are some of the pictures I drew at Saturday's Communion:

I love this song - Time of Your Life by Green Day:

Another turning point; a fork stuck in the road.

Time grabs you by the wrist; directs you where to go.

So make the best of this test and don't ask why.

It's not a question but a lesson learned in time.

It's something unpredictablev but in the end it's right. I hope you had the time of your life.

So take the photographs and still frames in your mind.

Hang it on a shelf In good health and good time.

Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial.

For what it's worth, it was worth all the while.

It's something unpredictable but in the end it's right. I hope you had the time of your life.

(instrumental)

It's something unpredictable but in the end it's right. I hope you had the time of your life.

It's something unpredictable but in the end it's right. I hope you had the time of your life.

Now I'm focused on a very busy week. So many gigs, I'll even have to cut out the exercise class that I enjoy. Because that day I will be drawing for NYU.

Then, Thursday, I'll be drawing the NYPD in Queens. Saturday, it's a Walkathon for the Westchester SPCA. From which I'll have to pack up fast to get back to Oceanside to draw at a Communion that same day. And Sunday - it's another Communion - right here in Wantagh (where I live)!

I'm having the time of my life ~ We all are ~

I while back, I was trying to list the famous places I've drawn. Mentioned things like Carnegie Hall, Joey Adams' last Birthday Party which included guests Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, and Ivanna Trump. I drew at Ritchie Blackmore's Party (Deep Purple), Sardi's...... And I just remembered another one - Harry Winston. I once worked a party for the people who work at Harry Winston Diamond's. I just wish I knew that I'd want to separate out the pictures from those parties (or even take pictures - in the early days before we used cellphone-cameras, I usually didn't bother to carry a camera.)

Okay. Yicchus. People are people. But it is exciting to get close to the Stars. And here's today's picture. I drew it while preparing for this weekend's gigs. Last night I drew at a 50-year-old's Party at Chateau Briand. And tonight it's a 1-year-old's Party in Coney Island.

A few days ago, I was drawing Caricatures on the street with another artist, Kenly Dillard. Happily drawing away, just looking at the people who stopped by, I drew these two women. When I was done, Kenly looked over and my picture and said "Paris Hilton". I laughed. It did look just like that famous face. The woman who was standing there admitted that people did say that to her frequently, but she claimed that she was not Paris Hilton. I wouldn't have known the difference.