Another Update

Another week, more karaoke, more drawings and this week the Mount Union Relay for life.
Ronnie's place on Thursday night was pretty good. I did leave earlier than other nights. This because Friday I had to be set up and playing by 10 am at the relay. I do have two photos that i wanted to post. The first is of Roy doing his signature version of Van Halen Jump and although it is hard to see in this photo, he is actually several feet in the air, as he jumps! As you can see it was still daylight, which means it is early. Can you imagine how high he would jump if he were to wait til later in the night to perform Jump? The second photo from Ronnie's place is simple, just two people holding hands as they sing Whiskey Lullaby. Romance on the stage at Ronnie's Place? Who knows.
Friday I was up and at em bright and early headed for the Mount Union Relay for Life. This event usually falls on the HOTTEST or wettest day of the year. This year it was the hottest. This year the event raised 50,000 dollars and some change. I am not sure if this is up or down from last year. I do know there were not nearly as many teams. This was the 7th year and I hope it continues. Next ears relay is already in the works.
I had mentioned that I would do some caricatures there. I didn't make a sign, I just did it. Here are a few that I did. I don't know the names of the people I did caricatures of and if you are one of them and wold like your photo removed from this blog, just let me know. The first one was of a young girl who's hair was covering a lot of her face, at least her eye. I did this drawing in less than three minutes. I was ok with the likeness but think it lacks exageration. She thought it was ok, so it was ok with me. I was using a new paper to do these and think I may go back to the old. This seemed to hold the marker wrong.
The second one was ok. I think the likeness was ok and there was some exageration. I have found it hard to exagerate women for fear I will upset them. This girl was all smiles, so she seemed happy with the drawing.
The next kid was pretty easy as I looked at him, I saw how his hairline seemed half way down his face. I tried to exagerate that and get the other basic shapes of his nose, ears and mouth. I think maybe i do some of these too fast. I would love to get sketchy but think it is important to be fluid.
Here are a couple more, and although I wasn't steady with drawing, I thought they were getting batter as the day went on. I was there to play the music for the event, not practice my latest endevor.
The drawing of the couple, I thought was the best. I was fast with it. I think the likeness is there and the cartoon look is there. When I handed it to the woman, I could tell she was not expecting it to turn out that way. That is something I have to learn to adjust to. Hopefull as the days go by and God permitting me to continue to do these and to play music for the Relay for Life, you will see major improvements. I did a few others, and one i did in color that i wanted to post. I thought this captured the likeness the exageration of a caricature and the color turned out ok. The kid carried it around and showed everyone, but at the end of the relay, the next day, he was no where to be seen and the caricature was laying on a table. Oh well. Hopefully I will have more in the near future.
I also wanted to thank everyone who participated in the relay. It is fun, at times it is stressful and at times it is very quiet. A few months ago I ran into the guy who plays music for another local Relay for Life. We were talking and in what seemed to me as an unflattering tone of voice said, "You are playing for that "Religious" relay in Mount Union, aren't you". I didn't think much of it when he said it, but I did remember that it hit a little of a nerve. I think the religious part is one of the important parts of a Relay. Come on, were fighting cancer, not throwing a party. I just wanted to mention that. I looked at all the luminaries and reflect on what they represent. How can you not be moved? So, enough of that. I should thank Boni Forge for the fireworks display. I thought it would be a five minute show, but it ended up lasting about 20. Great to have a company that will suppot an event like this.
More to come.....

Another NCN Member

Here is the reference

My Stab at Barack Obama

Weekend Update

Here it is another week has passed. I have been working at the usual, the drawing the DJ, the Karaoke. Thursday another good night at Ronnie's. I do have a great photo that i would love to post of one of the customers looking for a phone in the parking lot, but it didn't ask permission, so i won't post it.
Friday i headed to the Mount Union Vets. The sign out front said No Karaoke 9 til 1. Not a good sign to me. Looks like karaoke at the vets is going to be put on hold for the summer months. I have some plans for Friday nights and if your interested, i can let you know later as the plans get more secure.
Saturday i headed to a wedding reception for Derick and Jeannie Branche. I believe there were married a few weeks ago and this was more of just a party. Something happened to a family member or a girlfriend of a family that was tragic, I'm not sure of all the details, but prayers and best wishes to that family.
At the reception i did get to do a few caricatures. I ran into an old friend from dances i use to play at the Mount Union High School. I am sorry I don't know the correct spelling but i will give it a try, Meliekum Branche. I had to do a caricature of him. Although his is not smiling in this picture, if you know him you know he has a smile, a great smile, a great big smile. I think i got it in the cariacture, but he wasn't showing it in the photos. I am also posting a few other ones I did. I didn't get pictures of the subjects, but i like them anyhow.
The Mount Union Relay for Life is coming up this weekend and I hope to do a ton of caricatures there. If so I will post them.
Thanks for reading!

Joe Bluhm Caricature

Joe Bluhm is a senior member of the National Caricature Network. He is a great inspiration and has written a book called reject. Great book, which i got today. After looking through it i did this drawing of him.

Jesse Jackson

Jesse was caught on a liv mic talking about Obama. I saw a photo of Jesse Jackson and thought I should take a stab at drawiing it. Here is the result.

Another Myspace friend

This is Val. I don't know her very well, but she did ask me to draw a caricature. Hope she likes!I am also posting the reference photos. This was quick. Maybe an hour on the drawing and coloring.

Another Caricature

I did one of this guy before, but here is another. Hopefully you can see a difference. It is a Pennsylvania congressman (gag)...Dick Murtha. You can look back in a previous post to see the other and it is baddddddd

The 4th 2008

Wednesday night i headed to Memories Sports Bar. New camera in hand. Skiddy was there doing the Karaoke thing. Sarah (last name with held) was there and said she was drunk. Marker in hand i did a caricature of her. If you can't read the picture, her headband says I'm Drunk. She came over and said I should put the word "Really" on it. So i did. It was a light crowd that night and i didn't hang around long.
Thursday July the 3rd I traveled to the place known as Ronnie's place. I was hoping for a good crowd and was not disappointed. A group from Bonnie Forge made it out for a night of Karaoke. I am not sure of the names of everyone who was there from Bonnie Forge, but their participation was very much appreciated. After the Karaoke, around midnight we did a little dancing. It was a good time and glad to see everyone there.
Friday I was not at the moun Union Vets. I headed up on the mountain to a place called the Eagles Nest. It was the 4th and I thought it would be either super good or super bad. Well, not a big crowd at all. I was encouraged that the people there did dance. Oh i had a new camera with me. A couple of the girls that were danceing had really long hair and were throwing it everywhere, so I wanted to see how the camera would act with it. First i took a shot of a couple people sitting at the far end of the room. I think the boyfriend was giving the girlfriend a bad time. In fact i think she was crying. After that picture some other women were dancing, throwing hair everywhere. I wish i knew what the song is i was playing. I know they were not dance songs. I am guessing Buckcherry or maybe Disturbed. I do not know the womens names. There were two there that came in and out a few times. I think they were tired at the end of the night and I have posted a picture where you can see they had to hold each other up while they were dancing. I was to finish playing at 1 there, but the few that were there were having a good time, I guess and ask me to stay til two. I did, but I believe i need to get a little more sleep on days i play far away. I was really tired on the ride home.
Saturday, seemed like sunday, but i am not sure why. I was playing at the Huntingdon Elks. A so so crowd. Not like the first night i played there but i believe a good time was had by all. Again i was to finish at midnight. It was 10 after and as i was about to shut down my computer a group of women came in. A bachlorette party. I played dance music for them. I believe the song "Low" by Flo Rida was a favorite. In the 30 minutes they were there I was aks to play it three times. Here is a shot of them. I am also posint some pictures of some of the people singing. If one of the potos is of you and you would rather not have it posted, just let me know and i will take it down. I will be back to the Elks the saturday of the Huntingdon County fair. Hope to see you there. Great place!

Couple Caricatures

Drew
A member of the National Caricature Network
The reference photo