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.....