I worked some excellent Parties this week. This one, for instance, I really liked the people. How the man greeted me while shoveling the walk.... How the woman asked me to stay overtime - first one extra hour, then another half-hour - because they were so pleased with what I was doing. How their party started off slowly, then people started to really have Fun - laughing, wildly, throwing a big soft ball around....

And through it all, I even liked the pictures I drew. Here are some of them. They are my current-Party-Style-pictures:

I'm tickled pink because I'm hired by Stony Brook University several times each year. It makes me feel like I've Arrived. Because I used to be an undergraduate student there. I got my Teaching degree from Stony Brook University. Dormed at "Stage XII".

The University contacted me professionally - they had no idea that I was 'one of them' before they found out about my Artwork. But when I go back there, it's always an emotional trip - trying to remember who I was back then, wondering if I'm 'one of them', the students who come to get drawn. The College experience - seems so important - but it's such a short time in our lives. What does it all mean???

Here are some of the pictures that I drew this year at 'Sports Night':

You can't help it. If you're a child, you're cute. You can't help it. If you're a human, you're interesting. Fascinating. It's just the way it is.

Client: How many can you do per hour?

Alison: Each situation is different - It's like asking how many words are you going to speak per hour. But I tell people to estimate ten faces per hour.

Client: I'm only having 8 girls.

Alison: It's the same price whether you want one or two hours. Would you like me to keep drawing even after everybody is done?

Client: Maybe you can draw a group picture after drawing each girl individually.

I am so nice. She's only paying the regular 11x17 price, but I'm thinking I'd like to bring a larger paper (which also means carrying a larger drawing board). I like to enjoy my work. Enjoy creating pictures.

AND I even decided to practice my lines before going to the party. Hmm, 8 on a page, how can I practice that?

I just picked 8 photos at random and imitated Party conditions as much as possible. I'm even hungry and a litl uncomfortable and using a marker that I wouldn't usually want. And it's the middle of the night already. Of course, this sort of stuff doesn't usually happen all at once, but a Party Artist has to be ready for it. To keep performing even if conditions aren't perfect.

And I ended up enjoying the exercise so much that I'm thinking I might prefer to do the group picture even before the regular individuals. I'm looking forward to this Party.

I did wish I didn't put on any of the less important necks - until the end. Because it caused a problem finding where to put the 8th face. Can you tell which one was compromised because of that?