A Middle-School Principal Retired. I was commissioned to draw his Caricature. Red Camaro, Skis, this is a picture of the school..... things like that were requested.

Here's what I came up with. Of course, the finished picture was prepared for presentation in a mat, but this earlier photo is the closest to the original Color:

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:

Ok - not too much is asked of an Artist. Well, it's fun, anyway.

This picture was commissioned by a real Romantic man who asked me to make a Masterpiece to convey his feelings to his Girlfriend for her 30th Birthday. Not quite a simple task.

quote: Hello Alison: I am counting on you, please! 30 years old, how important for one woman, I can not celebrate her birthday with her this year, so, please help me as "Joe Fox" to surprise "Kathrien Kelly" in the movie "you've got mail", your masterpiece will represent my cake and flower, I can imagine that she will cry when see my sincere gift, thank you again, thank you! /endquote

Here's what I came up with. Not too shabby, eh? (I wish you could see the original - The colors are more subtle. Magnificent. But they didn't scan right.)

My Studio Clients usually have lots of ideas about all sorts of details they want in the Picture. So instead of doing a lot of facial exaggerations, I end up working like an illustrator - putting together all those things to tell a story. Here's one I recently did for a woman who just got her first job as a Chemistry Teacher in a High School: