Caricatures

2013 Overdue Overview Part 5: Funky Face Jive

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Caricatoonz…back again, getting close to the end of 2013 starting with some pics from a fun 80s themed Halloween party I drew at in Feasterville, where I even got to draw some zombie caricatures for my anything goes-minded subjects (while dressed as an 80s’ dude with my mullet wig)!

Here’s some kind words about me from the GigMasters website where the client hired me on:

“John was awesome! We had a 80’s themed party and he came with a sweet mullet. He had us all laughing which made everyone more comfortable. The quality of the caricatures were great too, considering the amount of time he had.”

Next up: great faces and fun people at a Drexel new student day! 

 On this chilly day in November, I drew some folks at a Block party in Northeast Philly thrown by a client I worked for back in April, to raise money for her infant daughter, who was born with congenital heart disease (incidentally, the leading cause of infant death in the US: ) I gladly set up and paid for the space to contribute to the fund. Here is Melissa’s review of me from April, when I drew at her daughter’s first birthday party: 

“I ❤ JOHN! Our daughter was born with Congenital Heart Disease, T21 and a slew of other issues. In the past year she had undergone 2 OHS. To celebrate her 1st bday and her life as a survivor, we wanted someone who could help us see the lighter side of life. JOHN WAS IT! He was our therapy! I was AMAZED at how patient he was as all of the kiddies cackled in his ear. His drawings are SUPERB! We may have only met once before but John will forever have a special place in my heart. He made us laugh when all we thought we could do was cry. THANK YOU FOR MAKING MY BABY’S BIRTHDAY THE BEST ONE EVER! THANK YOU JOHN FOR HELPING US SEE THE LIGHTER SIDE OF LIFE <3”

This kid was on the move!!! no time for photos…

Next!

A BIG undertaking at this event! 2 days, 80 kids, full black and white face and bodies for an afterschool program run by my 4th/5th grade teacher (whom I met up with again in July at a festival) – Brutal, but fun! I enjoyed coming up with sillier and sillier ideas as my speed kept increasing – I think I was down to less than 5 minutes per face and body on the second, 5 hour day…whoo! sweatin’ looking back at this gig…only got time to snap a couple photos and one of a staff member…

Last post o’ 2013 stuff tomorrow~ Also check out my other blog!

http://facesofterror.blogspot.com/

2013 Overdue Overview: August and Almost Everything After?

| caricatoonzbyjohn

Here I am back again, crawling along at a snail’s pace out of the sweaty, stinky hole of last year’s caricature gigs from deep within the dank, moldy recesses of my computer’s desktop where they’ve been sitting collecting dust in a folder named ‘Post NOW!’ …..  okay, back to business – here is some live in the raw live-ness comin atcha live…

…actually, lemme share this non-live studio gift caricature for my buddy from the Freedom Fest in July, which I’d promised to draw of him and his wife AT the fair, but never got around to until August…He’s a karate instructor, and she’s a cop, ’nuff said…

Now back to some live action…

Starting with a bunch of photos from the 7 day Middlesex county fair I have worked at for…7 years! 

Next, fun, frolic, and well, boredom, at the Brandywine Folk Festival, as I set up at this 3 day festival expecting lots of business as I was situated right in front of the beer garden, but instead business trickled in as most attendees had already spent enough money on the festival tickets,food and beer…still, watching great bands and musicians all day, and their hairy fans twirling and sashaying along, and a laid back easy feelin’ hangin out at a big party made up for any lack of business…after all, I just turned 40 in August so this was a welcome and relaxing change of pace (and quality weekend time spent with my girlfriend who came along and soaked up the vibes with me)….

                                           excellent Philly singer Dani Mari and her band…

                                                    Ladies and gentlemen, this is 40….

 

Maggie trying her best to look like Old Lady River… 

                                     Another great folky rockin’ band called Mason Porter…

                                         I got a chance to pose with Philly locals The Lawsuits after drawing

                                         them up really silly… 

                                 Unfortunately Green Man didn’t sit for a caricature…his loss…

 

Got funky with the faces once again for the third annual Drexel staff party along with crazy face-drawin’ cohort in caricature crime, Patrick Harrington… 

     a brief interlude: slow day at Clark Park Arts Fest in September, 

hangin with Maggie and Michelle, who created an exquisite corpse drawing of me on both sides of the paper…here’s Maggie extending her tongue of approval, and Michelle puckering up:

         Mag and Michelle posing as ‘annoyed customers’ with my drawing of them…

      The brilliant drawing by Maggie that started things, of me riding a polar bear on a skateboard?

               One of the few people I drew for profit at the festival, and a hairy one at that….

                                  Next up, more Drexel craziness, this time for the students….

At this point, I’d like to direct you to my work from my Terror Behind the Walls stand which I opened towards the end of September 2013, until the end of the season in early November- the blog is a work in progress, but I intend to use it to showcase my more horrifically themed works, starting with the monster/zombie/psycho killer drawings I did of people at this annual Halloween attraction at Eastern State Penitentiary. Find those drawings here….

http://facesofterror.blogspot.com/

Moving headlong into cooler climates, here’s a buncha heads from October and November…first ones here were from a big bash at the Please Touch Museum…

And now for some frivolity of epic proportions from this wedding I worked at in Reading:

Coming up next, a Princeton event with several other artists to benefit the fight against Diabetes:

….and that’s it for now….I’ll be back with Part 5, rounding out the rest of ’13 soon….

2010: First Gig o’ the Year

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A couple of pics of people I drew at a scholarship ceremony thing at Union Catholic High School in Union, NJ. This was my second year providing the funny for this school, and it was a great time as usual. Only got 3 pics, and 2 of them the subjects didn’t get a chance to pose with. Oh well, a good start to what so far has been a slow year. C’mon, let’s pick it up 2010!

Crossing the End Zone!

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Closed out 2009 with this rollicking good time at a Eagles ticketholder party at Citizens Bank Park, with artists Joe White, Pat Harrington, and Mike Edwards.  Eagles fans sure are a tough and resolute bunch, holding on to hope when there’s not much of it to hold onto – they continue to smile through the tears of disappointment and frustration, and refuse to give up believing. Made me feel all warm and toasty inside that people can be this determined and dedicated, and it was a good note on which to end what at times was a very trying, difficult year. It certainly felt good to kick 2009 out the backdoor, on it’s sorry butt, and welcome 2010, (the last year of the decade despite what many think) in through the front. Cheers!

December Bank Festival

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What a fun trip it was getting to this gig…er, anyway, at this bank promotional event in Collegeville, me and Pat Harrington were stationed under a big tent, while festivities and vending went on outside, even after it started to snow – ..i drew up to the last minute, and after it, as I went faster and faster to keep the frost from forming on my hands, due to their shutting the tent heat off. Grainy, blurry, blown out photos courtesy of wonderful iPhone camera.

Drawing Blood at the Country Club!

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A quite ‘sobering’ experience at this gig at a New Jersey country club’s Anniversary celebration…drawing sauced up and surly folks while wearing a French beret and scarf in poor lighting, and dealing with some truly lovely and endearing personalities, all on an empty stomach, could have been a recipe for disaster and tragedy, but I used the opportunity to my advantage instead, and let the derangement flow out the Markette tip…STILL waiting to get paid for that last hour…arrgh.