After Midnight
October 2nd, 2008Middle of the night. And here I am Drawing as usual. Just from photos of people on the web. Here are a few that I just finished. I like the Artwork:
To Hire this Artist:
(516) 579-4706
optidust@gmail.com
Cure Cancer
October 1st, 2008Cure Cancer. Please.
Excellent Caricatures. Most of the Photographs were fuzzy. But this event was too important not to post. I was hired (for the 2nd time? the 3rd time?) to draw at the Party at the McDonald’s House in NYC. They help kids who have Cancer there – apparently they have a Party for them every year.
It’s interesting for me to realize that these aren’t just ‘People With Cancer’. They are fully-rounded people with all Life Experiences - not just the Cancer. I see teens and I wonder if this affects their Schooling and Dating. I see children and I wonder about their perception of Life. What could they be thinking - these young children - who are handed over for ‘Treatment’ ?
I approach this job as I do all my jobs. Trying to help people love themselves just the way they are. Self-Acceptance. So if someone is bald, I draw them bald. Bald and Beautiful don’t have to be mutually exclusive of each other.
But understandably, some people don’t want to see their Reality. That’s what happened with beautiful Gia. The little pre-schooler stopped for a Caricature with her Mother. She was bald. I drew her that way. Just like I drew another girl (Megan) that way. See how beautifully I can draw what I see? No matter how heart-breaking it is, I try to look at Reality:
But little Gia freaked out when she saw her beautiful picture. Ran away with it, so I couldn’t get a photograph. Her beautiful Mother actually took the moment to care about My feelings? I’m bowled over by how exceptionally kind some people can be. Who would expect this Mother to care about anyone else besides her daughter at this moment!?! Before running to catch up with her daughter, Gia’s Mother quickly explained that the girl had had a rough day - She came to this Party directly from her ‘Treatment’. And she handed me this card:
I hope you Readers of Fun (what my website is about) will be serious for a moment and follow up the plea on Giavanna’s “business card”.
So here are the most visible photos that I took that day. Some came out fuzzy, but they’re very important. Pictures of people who had Cancer, and pictures of people who care about them. My heart goes out to all of them:
To Hire this Artist:
(516) 579-4706
optidust@gmail.com
World Peace
September 30th, 2008Clearing up. Here are a few pictures that slipped out from 3 different jobs. Just the world all thrown together:
To Hire this Artist:
(516) 579-4706
optidust@gmail.com
Quick Party Caricatures
September 27th, 2008Piles of pictures here. These are some things that I did at parties. Looks like I was going through a Quick-phase:
To Hire this Artist:
(516) 579-4706
optidust@gmail.com
Mighty Mouse, The Lockhorns, and more
September 27th, 2008Ever have some idea posted on your wall for years
before you get up to it? I sure do.
Last Thursday, I finally got myself out to meet the
Berndt Toast Gang. Joe Visichetti had invited
me years ago.
No camera! There I was with people that I’d only heard of,
and I didn’t have a camera.
My cellphone (camera) wasn’t working for a change -
the company said they’d send me a new one in 5-days,
but that’s a different story.
Anyway, here I was, lunching with the Berndt Toast Gang.
No camera, I did what I could. I drew their pictures!
Here are a few of the people I drew:
Dan Danglo. He did Story Boards. Worked for some
of the famous studios. Worked on things like
Felix thet Cat and Mighty Mouse:
I talked with Dan for quite a while. Found out his
approach for quickly getting his ideas to come to life.
And there was Jerry Jurman. He was the first person
who welcomed me when I showed up. Jerry has made
some of the most excellent photographs:
I wished they had us all at one table. But maybe this
was the best. Because you really got a feel for the different personalities
at the table. Still, I wish I could have talked to
Stan Goldberg (who does Archie)
or Bunny - who does the Lockhorns:
And here’s a full-figure sketch I did while Roberta Fabiano
entertained us:
Makes me feel like I should be going in to something else -
like cartoons. But we can get so scattered.
I’m happily busy round the clock doing
Caricatures, Face-Painting, and Balloons.
Sometimes other work when it just lands at my doorstep.
I’m good with illustrations, signs, logos, portraits, oil-paintings, story-boards….
But to seriously pursue each thing is a separate career.
If I was to do any of them, it would be
Illustrations.
I naturally love to tell a story with my pictures.
To Hire this Artist:
(516) 579-4706
optidust@gmail.com
