It's the dog days of summer, but summer is fading... so sad. I love the summer! It's my favorite time of year because I love the weather and the fun you can have at the beach or the lake or at a ballpark, festival or fair. But May-August is also my busiest (most lucaative) time of the year! However with school starting only two weeks from now, it's time to get the last hurrahs out of the season.
July was filled with games at Huntington Park and a week long vacation to Myrtle Beach. August will bring 16 more games at the Park and several "welcome week" gigs at local colleges. This year I'll be doing back-to-school gigs at Central Ohio Technical College/OSU-Newark, Capital Univ, Kenyon College and Otterbein College. I was also asked to do a job at Ohio State main campus, but I had a schedule conflict and will have my back up artist do that one. In addition, I'm also doing gigs for Kroger which are open to the public. I will be at the following locations:
8/16: Weirton, West Virginia 5-7 pm
8/17: Polaris 12-2 pm
8/18: Stoneridge Plaza, Gahanna 12-2 pm
More may be added to the schedule, so stay tuned...
Last weekend I did a wedding reception and next weekend I will be doing another. I'm also doing a couple of company picnics as well. In all, there are currently 31 gigs scheduled for a month only 31 days long! Ah, it's good to be busy during the best time of year.
Showing posts with label gigs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gigs. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Independence Day weekend gigs!
Independence Day weekend has become a busy one for me over the last few years. Since I've had my booth at Huntington Park, I've drawn annually at the Boom At The Park event on July 3rd. In the first year (2009) the sales were great, but each year since has not lived up to that initial year's totals.... until this year! My partner John and I almost tied the sales mark set that first year, falling short by just 12 dollars. Compared to last year, sales were up 63%! Overall I worked six hours and, as a bonus, enjoyed watching Red White and Boom from a good location and got to hear one of my favorite bands, McGuffey Lane, play some golden oldies from my youth.
On the fourth it was rainy, so one of my gigs was cancelled and the other (booth at the Dublin fireworks/concert) was dampened but went okay. If things had gone as planned, however, I would have worked seven hours that day. I did get to hear Chicago play golden oldies from my youth...
On the fifth I had a wedding reception which was really fun. Everyone was very cool and very complimentary of my work. At most events people say nice things, but this group was especially appreciative, and that always makes me enjoy entertaining even more. They had set up little clotheslines to display the caricatures, so as the event went on, I had a growing art gallery on the wall to my right. After three hours I had drawn about every single person at the party. There was no live band playing songs from my youth.
On the fourth it was rainy, so one of my gigs was cancelled and the other (booth at the Dublin fireworks/concert) was dampened but went okay. If things had gone as planned, however, I would have worked seven hours that day. I did get to hear Chicago play golden oldies from my youth...
On the fifth I had a wedding reception which was really fun. Everyone was very cool and very complimentary of my work. At most events people say nice things, but this group was especially appreciative, and that always makes me enjoy entertaining even more. They had set up little clotheslines to display the caricatures, so as the event went on, I had a growing art gallery on the wall to my right. After three hours I had drawn about every single person at the party. There was no live band playing songs from my youth.
Here are some of those drawings:
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Recent Artwork: June 2013
My most recent caricature pieces.... both are digital paintings.
For a high school grad (I guess his nickname is "Kloppy"...)
For a retiree from Dow Research and Development.
The cool thing about these pieces is that the second was a referral from the first... and the first was a referral from another! Word of mouth is not dead! I'm always appreciative of clients who recommend me and pass my name on to others.
I also did a couple of nice gigs at the end of June. One was for the candle makers for Bath and Body Works (fun group!), and the other was for ARC Industries-- an employer of the mentally handicapped. The latter is a gig I've done for the last four years, and it always brings me to smile several times as I draw some very special people. Some are severely handicapped, some are only mildly affected. All are very appreciative and polite. Here is a picture of a couple that were drawn together.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Kids vs. Caricaturist
Being a caricaturist, I encounter lots of personalities. Most people love what I do, a few don't. Usually the ones who don't get it are the women who still want to be young and thin but no longer are, or the teenage girls who want to be the same person the older women want to be, but for different reasons! But kids are usually not a problem for me. However, for some reason, I've had a recent run of "kids say the darnedest things" moments!
Last night I drew a caricature of three kids, the youngest, Jack, is six. He looked at the picture after I was done and said "I don't want to look like that!" I felt he was being hard on my drawing skills, so I said, "Sorry, I thought that was how you looked." He said "No, I wanted to look like THIS!" and he screwed up his face to show me a goofy expression. ....guess I didn't draw funny enough for his taste! Even if Jack wasn't 100% satisfied, I'm happy to say that his mother was. His two sisters also thought I did a great job as well.
I had another complaint over the weekend as well. This time from an eight year old boy. I was at a wedding reception, and my set up was next to the "kids table". I eventually drew all eight of the kids seated there during the course of the evening, All of them were teenagers, and they all had a good laugh at their own and cousins' caricatures. The only one who didn't "get it" was the youngest one at the table. This kid was just your regular 8 year old blond haired blue-eyed kid with nothing really outstanding to caricature. No bucked teeth or cowlick... just your average kid and the resulting drawing was pretty "normal" by most standards, but for some reason he reacted to it by saying "it's horrible!" and then wouldn't show it to anyone. No one could understand why he didn't like it, but for some reason he didn't. But it was okay, in the end the hostess showered me with compliments and tipped me well, and most importantly, the bride and groom loved the drawing I did of them. Even the older women and teenage girls loved me. Go figure...
The most common question that kids ask me is "are YOU an ARTIST?" They say it with a bit of awe as if they were asking a really tall person if he is a basketball player or a guy with a hose if he is a fireman. I usually say "yes, isn't that COOL?", but sometimes I mess with them and say "no, I'm a plumber" just to entertain myself with the confused expression I get. But then I confess that yes, I am an artist. They always seem to react with an "I knew it!" expression on their faces, as if the seven-foot guy in the high-tops just HAD to be a basketball player, and the guy with the easel and the fancy pens just HAS to be a real life artist!
The other night at the ballpark a kid came up to me and asked me for my autograph. He even had a Sharpie pen on him. Never mind that I have 50 pens to his one... but he offered me the Sharpie and asked for my autograph. However, he didn't have anything to sign! I said "where do you want my autograph? On your shirt?" He offered me his chest, but I grabbed one of my own pens and signed the back of my business card and gave that to him instead. Maybe he will have his parents hire me for a birthday party someday... we'll see. I don't know if he was just goofing around or not, but he seemed serious. You never know these days... kids after a certain age seem to have no qualms about tweaking adults.
My last "kid story" is from a picnic I did for a Head Start program in one of the more poor parts of town. I only mention that it's a poor part of town because it seems that in such areas, the moms really try hard to make their children stand out and be unique, so they start their kids off in life with a unique name. This one woman had five kids and each kid had a name more strange than the last. I wish I had taken photos of all the caricatures I did for that family, but this one stood out the most. Now I usually ask the spelling of just about every name, even the easy ones... but this one really threw me! Poor kid... Meet Malachi. Well, that's how you pronounce his name, but check the "Scrabble Rack Special" spelling:
As usual, comments welcome!
Last night I drew a caricature of three kids, the youngest, Jack, is six. He looked at the picture after I was done and said "I don't want to look like that!" I felt he was being hard on my drawing skills, so I said, "Sorry, I thought that was how you looked." He said "No, I wanted to look like THIS!" and he screwed up his face to show me a goofy expression. ....guess I didn't draw funny enough for his taste! Even if Jack wasn't 100% satisfied, I'm happy to say that his mother was. His two sisters also thought I did a great job as well.
I had another complaint over the weekend as well. This time from an eight year old boy. I was at a wedding reception, and my set up was next to the "kids table". I eventually drew all eight of the kids seated there during the course of the evening, All of them were teenagers, and they all had a good laugh at their own and cousins' caricatures. The only one who didn't "get it" was the youngest one at the table. This kid was just your regular 8 year old blond haired blue-eyed kid with nothing really outstanding to caricature. No bucked teeth or cowlick... just your average kid and the resulting drawing was pretty "normal" by most standards, but for some reason he reacted to it by saying "it's horrible!" and then wouldn't show it to anyone. No one could understand why he didn't like it, but for some reason he didn't. But it was okay, in the end the hostess showered me with compliments and tipped me well, and most importantly, the bride and groom loved the drawing I did of them. Even the older women and teenage girls loved me. Go figure...
The most common question that kids ask me is "are YOU an ARTIST?" They say it with a bit of awe as if they were asking a really tall person if he is a basketball player or a guy with a hose if he is a fireman. I usually say "yes, isn't that COOL?", but sometimes I mess with them and say "no, I'm a plumber" just to entertain myself with the confused expression I get. But then I confess that yes, I am an artist. They always seem to react with an "I knew it!" expression on their faces, as if the seven-foot guy in the high-tops just HAD to be a basketball player, and the guy with the easel and the fancy pens just HAS to be a real life artist!
The other night at the ballpark a kid came up to me and asked me for my autograph. He even had a Sharpie pen on him. Never mind that I have 50 pens to his one... but he offered me the Sharpie and asked for my autograph. However, he didn't have anything to sign! I said "where do you want my autograph? On your shirt?" He offered me his chest, but I grabbed one of my own pens and signed the back of my business card and gave that to him instead. Maybe he will have his parents hire me for a birthday party someday... we'll see. I don't know if he was just goofing around or not, but he seemed serious. You never know these days... kids after a certain age seem to have no qualms about tweaking adults.
My last "kid story" is from a picnic I did for a Head Start program in one of the more poor parts of town. I only mention that it's a poor part of town because it seems that in such areas, the moms really try hard to make their children stand out and be unique, so they start their kids off in life with a unique name. This one woman had five kids and each kid had a name more strange than the last. I wish I had taken photos of all the caricatures I did for that family, but this one stood out the most. Now I usually ask the spelling of just about every name, even the easy ones... but this one really threw me! Poor kid... Meet Malachi. Well, that's how you pronounce his name, but check the "Scrabble Rack Special" spelling:
Monday, April 29, 2013
A few gigs, a new drawing... now the real fun begins!
This year's Tournament of Champions (wrestling tournament, Apr 19-20) was the most productive in many years. Maybe people are getting used to the recession? I don't know. But I was busy for most of the 8 hours I was there and many people were paying the color upgrade fee. In the past few years the retail side of my business has well below previous years' amounts, so maybe this is a good sign!
This gives me hope for... the Arts Fest! After sitting out last year, I was given word that I will be back to draw at the Columbus Arts Fest 2013 on June 7-9th. I also received very positive feedback from the director of the Arts Fest on my samples as well. This director has had experience with caricature and portrait artists and seemed to be quite interested in having quality street artists at the festival.
I also drew at a bar mitzvah, a senior center and a high school prom over the last week. But after having today off, I will be drawing every day for two weeks solid starting tomorrow with a two day trade show, several Clippers home games, two parties, a picnic and a prom and and afterprom rounding out the schedule. But I want to encourage anyone in the Columbus area to come out to a special charity gig I'll be doing on May 10th at Olentangy Liberty High School-- Relay for Life. It's a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, and I will be drawing from 6:30 to 9:30 that Friday evening.
Last week I did another digital caricature commission for a lovely family in Midland, Michigan. The joke in the family is that Grandpa tells the grandkids that the "Whippy Dip is closed", so this joke was incorporated into the drawing.
(click to enlarge)
Monday, March 18, 2013
Gigs now and in the future
I had a busy weekend, but doing gigs is always fun! On Friday I drew for an after-school "Fun Day" and afterwards for a 10 year-old's birthday party. In both instances most of the faces I drew were kids, but in that "tween" age group between 10 and 14. In my opinion that's the hardest age group (well other than infants!) because one slip of the pen and they look too old or too young. That's also an age when they are very critical and dramatic so it can be rough at times. I made it though okay though because they were all great kids, and I didn't draw too badly.
On Saturday I drew for a charity function at a local high school to raise money for Children's Hospital patients. All of the people drawn were high school students, and all were in a great mood. It went very well, and it was for a good cause. The organizer gave me some high praise afterwards as well which also made me feel great.
This weekend I will be doing another charity function at Capital University-- a Relay for Life event for the American Cancer Society. I did this event last year and it was very heartwarming to see college students work so hard to raise money to fight cancer. One of the traditions they have is to light luminaries dedicated to loved ones with cancer. It's a touching ceremony to see all the glowing candles lit and the students walking solemnly through the gauntlet representing the victims.
Other upcoming gigs include visiting a college campus for Spirit Week, an Easter Egg Hunt event for Jefferson Country Club, and my annual trek to draw for BGSU's Sibs and Kids weekend. April will be an exhausting month with taxes due, the start of baseball games once again at Huntington Park and a string of late night afterproms! But "bring 'em on" I say! Nothing gets one out of the winter blahs like drawing live caricatures almost daily!
On Saturday I drew for a charity function at a local high school to raise money for Children's Hospital patients. All of the people drawn were high school students, and all were in a great mood. It went very well, and it was for a good cause. The organizer gave me some high praise afterwards as well which also made me feel great.
This weekend I will be doing another charity function at Capital University-- a Relay for Life event for the American Cancer Society. I did this event last year and it was very heartwarming to see college students work so hard to raise money to fight cancer. One of the traditions they have is to light luminaries dedicated to loved ones with cancer. It's a touching ceremony to see all the glowing candles lit and the students walking solemnly through the gauntlet representing the victims.
Other upcoming gigs include visiting a college campus for Spirit Week, an Easter Egg Hunt event for Jefferson Country Club, and my annual trek to draw for BGSU's Sibs and Kids weekend. April will be an exhausting month with taxes due, the start of baseball games once again at Huntington Park and a string of late night afterproms! But "bring 'em on" I say! Nothing gets one out of the winter blahs like drawing live caricatures almost daily!
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Live and in color... Digital Caricatures!
One of the options I now offer to my clients is live digital caricatures. These are really fun to do! Using a laptop and my wacom tablet/pen, I can draw digitally in a live setting. The final result can be emailed and or made into a facebook photo or used elsewhere on the web. I also purchased a portable color printer that I use to print the drawings on the spot. I can also plug the laptop into a monitor or a flat screen TV so the drawing process can be watched from a distance. Here's what my digital set up looks like:
And here are some of the digital caricatures I've done:
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| drawing on laptop without monitor |
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| Using TV monitor provided by client |
And here are some of the digital caricatures I've done:
Friday, April 30, 2010
recent stuff
I drew this lovely gal who is originally from Moscow, Russia at an Ohio State Active Minds event. This gig came during a 10 gigs in 10 days streak in mid-April. That stretch was both exhausting and exhilarating because after a really slow winter, it was great to draw daily and resharpen my abilities.
Here are a couple of drawings I did for PhatDaddy's Pizza in London, Ohio-- a restaurant where I have drawn several times and the owners have scanned the drawings of customers and have framed and hung the drawings on the walls. These graphics will be made into decals to put on their delivery vehicles.
A portrait commission for an author in Quebec, Canada. He wanted a serious look and something that looked somewhat antique, so I used a vertical hatch technique that made it look a bit like a woodcut. I'm pretty happy with the result.
Also in April, I was booked for a gig in Louisville, Kentucky with two other artists, Tad and John. Afterwards we went to the Hard Rock Cafe for a late dinner, but the highlight was the visitor's bureau which had a Colonel Sanders shrine inside. The place was closed, but I took this shot of my friends posing next to the ghostly apparition of Col. Harlan.
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Here are a couple of drawings I did for PhatDaddy's Pizza in London, Ohio-- a restaurant where I have drawn several times and the owners have scanned the drawings of customers and have framed and hung the drawings on the walls. These graphics will be made into decals to put on their delivery vehicles.
A portrait commission for an author in Quebec, Canada. He wanted a serious look and something that looked somewhat antique, so I used a vertical hatch technique that made it look a bit like a woodcut. I'm pretty happy with the result.
Also in April, I was booked for a gig in Louisville, Kentucky with two other artists, Tad and John. Afterwards we went to the Hard Rock Cafe for a late dinner, but the highlight was the visitor's bureau which had a Colonel Sanders shrine inside. The place was closed, but I took this shot of my friends posing next to the ghostly apparition of Col. Harlan.
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Friday, April 16, 2010
Gigs from an April weekend 2010
Here are some sketches I did over the last weekend. The first few are from a EMS workers conference (a six and a half hour job!), and the last one is a sketch I did at the stand at Huntington Park.
I'm currently in a streak of 10 straight days of gigs (except Tuesday which I voluntarily didn't work) which ends this Saturday when I have two jobs. Pair that with having 10 portraits to draw this week in my studio, and you can understand why my hand is a bit sore right now! I'll have only one gig in the following week until I start another streak of gigs starting with the following Saturday in which I work a 15 hour day from 10 am to 3:30 am. I then work nine out of the next ten straight days!
I had drawn this young man last year at the ballpark, and he came back with his girlfriend to be drawn together. I don't usually draw knight/princess themes at the park, but this was at their request and a lot of fun for all.
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I'm currently in a streak of 10 straight days of gigs (except Tuesday which I voluntarily didn't work) which ends this Saturday when I have two jobs. Pair that with having 10 portraits to draw this week in my studio, and you can understand why my hand is a bit sore right now! I'll have only one gig in the following week until I start another streak of gigs starting with the following Saturday in which I work a 15 hour day from 10 am to 3:30 am. I then work nine out of the next ten straight days!
I had drawn this young man last year at the ballpark, and he came back with his girlfriend to be drawn together. I don't usually draw knight/princess themes at the park, but this was at their request and a lot of fun for all..
Monday, March 15, 2010
Recent Gigs: BGSU and Bridal Show
Here are some photos from recent gigs I've done.
This first group is from the "Big Playground" event at Bowling Green St University. It's like an afterprom of sorts with games and activities to give students an alternative to drinking. I enjoy working at college events because I am always very popular and the kids are always so full of energy which motivates me to draw well.
On Friday 3/12 I drew at a bridal show at the North Pointe Conference Center to promote my services to do caricatures for wedding receptions and wedding gifts. The event was really well done and I met many great couples. Hopefully they will call me to entertain at their upcoming weddings or to caricatures for save-the-date cards, reception displays or for bridal party gifts. I had many positive comments and lots of questions were asked, so I think they will!
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This first group is from the "Big Playground" event at Bowling Green St University. It's like an afterprom of sorts with games and activities to give students an alternative to drinking. I enjoy working at college events because I am always very popular and the kids are always so full of energy which motivates me to draw well.
[click photos for larger view]
On Friday 3/12 I drew at a bridal show at the North Pointe Conference Center to promote my services to do caricatures for wedding receptions and wedding gifts. The event was really well done and I met many great couples. Hopefully they will call me to entertain at their upcoming weddings or to caricatures for save-the-date cards, reception displays or for bridal party gifts. I had many positive comments and lots of questions were asked, so I think they will!
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Tuesday, June 30, 2009
The Stand at Huntington Park
Here are some photos of the caricature stand at Huntington Park. Business is much better in this location than the original location, so things are looking up! It's been a lot of hard work, but I've had a lot of fun and am starting to see some profit.
Last night was my best night yet at the park! I drew 39 people and was busy for almost the entire game, including a bit before the game when usually no one gets drawn because they are so focused on finding their seats.
A couple of happy customers! Usually the drawings have a baseball theme, but the heads filled the page, so I just made it fun with a little "rabbit ears" action. Because I was so busy, I didn't take time to take client photos, but this should give you an idea at what I'm doing...
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Last night was my best night yet at the park! I drew 39 people and was busy for almost the entire game, including a bit before the game when usually no one gets drawn because they are so focused on finding their seats.
(click on photos to see a larger version)
A couple of happy customers! Usually the drawings have a baseball theme, but the heads filled the page, so I just made it fun with a little "rabbit ears" action. Because I was so busy, I didn't take time to take client photos, but this should give you an idea at what I'm doing...
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Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Caricatures at Clippers Games!
After three months of trying, I now have a caricature booth at Columbus Clipper home games at Huntington Park! The booth started business on Saturday the 13th, and I am hoping to continue working at home games through the end of the season.
Thus far sales have not been great, but we may need to work out location and pricing to find the best combination. If you are in the Columbus area, come by the park and say "hi"!
I'll try to post pictures soon. Stay tuned!
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Thus far sales have not been great, but we may need to work out location and pricing to find the best combination. If you are in the Columbus area, come by the park and say "hi"!
I'll try to post pictures soon. Stay tuned!
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Thursday, June 4, 2009
Gig Photos from May
I had several gigs in May (which is why I didn't have much time to blog), and here are a few of my favorites from those gigs:
Strongsville HS Afterprom, 5/1/09
Dublin Senior Center, 5/19/09
Ohio State, 5/30/09
... and then, right after this gig, I must have dropped my camera because the LED screen is now cracked and now I have to get a new screen or a new camera. I hate these stupid fragile digital cameras! That's the third time that this has happened. They are really weak and rendered completely useless by the most minor of dings. I'm thinking of switching to either a rubber camera or a cheapie without the luxury of a screen on the back. Ugh...
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(click on any picture for a larger view)
Strongsville HS Afterprom, 5/1/09
Dublin Senior Center, 5/19/09
Ohio State, 5/30/09
... and then, right after this gig, I must have dropped my camera because the LED screen is now cracked and now I have to get a new screen or a new camera. I hate these stupid fragile digital cameras! That's the third time that this has happened. They are really weak and rendered completely useless by the most minor of dings. I'm thinking of switching to either a rubber camera or a cheapie without the luxury of a screen on the back. Ugh...
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Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Live Caricature Comparison
Sometimes I take photos of people holding their caricatures at gigs to have a record of the drawings I do, however, often the people hold the picture with a different look on their face than what I saw when I drew them. At a recent gig I drew Dave, and he posted his drawing on myspace and sent me a link. From his photos, you can see the expression that I tried to capture.
You can see that I exaggerated his long face shape and mouth. I think I also captured his far-away eyes! Considering that it was done in about three minutes, I think I did a decent job with this one.
Let me know what YOU think!
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Thursday, April 30, 2009
Latest gig photos!
Yesterday I worked an all-day, nine hour gig for Verizon Wireless. I worked from 10 am to 7 pm with only a five minute break to grab a snack. Yep, no bathroom breaks! No lunch break! Someone call the union! haha But I had a great time and really enjoyed some fun people and good drawing.
I've posted photos from that gig and other recent gigs on my facebook page here: My Facebook Fan Page Please check them out and if you haven't done so, become a "fan" to get updates and exclusive offers.
Here a couple of photos to get you started...
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I've posted photos from that gig and other recent gigs on my facebook page here: My Facebook Fan Page Please check them out and if you haven't done so, become a "fan" to get updates and exclusive offers.
Here a couple of photos to get you started...
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Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Wrestling Day
Last Saturday I worked at the annual Tournament of Champions wrestling tournament. It was an all-day affair where I was there selling caricatures for $10 a person from 9:30 am to 7:00 pm. I had three pre-made wrestling bodies to choose from (and one cheerleader body) and put the heads on the bodies. For five bucks more you could get a custom body (I did five of those), and for three dollars more, I'd add color (I did several with color).
I've done this tournament for over a dozen years now, and this was probably one of my weakest years ever, the worst in a decade and maybe even the worst ever. Part of it was the change in the format of the event, and the venue was quite different. I was set-up in a different location, and that may have contributed to the slow day as well. I really don't know. I'm wondering how much of it was the economy, how much of it was my location and what, if any of it, was the clientele.
It didn't seem that there were many people that complained about the price. There was one mother with two daughters who said "is it 20 for two?" and walked away when I said it was. At the point she asked that, I was willing to give her a discount just to get someone to draw, but she left so quickly that I didn't get the chance. But other than her, there didn't seem to be people balking at the price as much as there were just kids that wanted to watch and not get drawn and people who just weren't interested at all (not even looking as they went past). I did have several people upgrade to color, so the ones that did get drawn didn't seem to mind spending a little extra.
It's very disappointing because I put a lot of effort into new signage and turned down another job and put aside some personal things to do this event. Combined with last year's Arts Fest numbers being down, this has been a very rough year for me as far as retail is concerned. These are really the only two retail events I do, but they are usually big money-makers. Unfortunately at a time when I need it most, the money is just not there. :(
The good news is that I have recently booked a few all-day gigs that will pay me a "day rate" which is a maximum I charge for a day's work. The first of these comes tomorrow when I will work for nine hours for Verizon. This should make up for some of the "lost" income from the weekend.
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I've done this tournament for over a dozen years now, and this was probably one of my weakest years ever, the worst in a decade and maybe even the worst ever. Part of it was the change in the format of the event, and the venue was quite different. I was set-up in a different location, and that may have contributed to the slow day as well. I really don't know. I'm wondering how much of it was the economy, how much of it was my location and what, if any of it, was the clientele.
It didn't seem that there were many people that complained about the price. There was one mother with two daughters who said "is it 20 for two?" and walked away when I said it was. At the point she asked that, I was willing to give her a discount just to get someone to draw, but she left so quickly that I didn't get the chance. But other than her, there didn't seem to be people balking at the price as much as there were just kids that wanted to watch and not get drawn and people who just weren't interested at all (not even looking as they went past). I did have several people upgrade to color, so the ones that did get drawn didn't seem to mind spending a little extra.
It's very disappointing because I put a lot of effort into new signage and turned down another job and put aside some personal things to do this event. Combined with last year's Arts Fest numbers being down, this has been a very rough year for me as far as retail is concerned. These are really the only two retail events I do, but they are usually big money-makers. Unfortunately at a time when I need it most, the money is just not there. :(
The good news is that I have recently booked a few all-day gigs that will pay me a "day rate" which is a maximum I charge for a day's work. The first of these comes tomorrow when I will work for nine hours for Verizon. This should make up for some of the "lost" income from the weekend.
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Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Weekend gig report
What a great weekend... it was great to work three days in a row and get the rush of being able to entertain and get out of the office. Usually when I haven't drawn for awhile I'm a bit rusty, but for some reason I was "in the zone" all weekend and drew some very good drawings.
The party on Friday was especially good. I don't know if it was having a good pen, the artistic atmosphere of being at the McCoy Center for the Arts in New Albany or if the people were just well-suited for my style, but I thought I drew some good drawings that night and everyone was very pleased.
On Saturday, I drew full body caricatures for a group of teenage girls, and it's always fun to test my creativity and see if I can come up with fun gags to illustrate the activities that they say they want me to draw. Three of the girls asked to be mermaids... it's funny because mermaids must be popular again since Disney re-released The Little Mermaid. I haven't been asked to draw a mermaid in more than a decade!
I usually don't work on Sundays, but I enjoyed the Super Bowl party, especially because everyone at Rooster's was really nice to me (and fed me!) and because I was again drawing well. I think the highlight of the day was when I drew two of the waitresses who are pregnant, and drew them bumping bellies and making comments like "look out! watch where you're going!" and the like. They loved it and many of their co-workers told me how funny they thought it was. I also got a free United Way "Live United" T-shirt just like the one shown in the drawing I posted last month! How cool is that!?
Overall a fun weekend and, not insignificantly, a profitable one, too! I'm hoping that these jobs will lead to some more soon because my schedule is pretty much wide open for the next few months, and I'd hate to think that such good drawing won't lead to more opportunities. I NEED THE WORK! haha (I hope that didn't sound too desperate!)
--Steve
The party on Friday was especially good. I don't know if it was having a good pen, the artistic atmosphere of being at the McCoy Center for the Arts in New Albany or if the people were just well-suited for my style, but I thought I drew some good drawings that night and everyone was very pleased.
On Saturday, I drew full body caricatures for a group of teenage girls, and it's always fun to test my creativity and see if I can come up with fun gags to illustrate the activities that they say they want me to draw. Three of the girls asked to be mermaids... it's funny because mermaids must be popular again since Disney re-released The Little Mermaid. I haven't been asked to draw a mermaid in more than a decade!
I usually don't work on Sundays, but I enjoyed the Super Bowl party, especially because everyone at Rooster's was really nice to me (and fed me!) and because I was again drawing well. I think the highlight of the day was when I drew two of the waitresses who are pregnant, and drew them bumping bellies and making comments like "look out! watch where you're going!" and the like. They loved it and many of their co-workers told me how funny they thought it was. I also got a free United Way "Live United" T-shirt just like the one shown in the drawing I posted last month! How cool is that!?
Overall a fun weekend and, not insignificantly, a profitable one, too! I'm hoping that these jobs will lead to some more soon because my schedule is pretty much wide open for the next few months, and I'd hate to think that such good drawing won't lead to more opportunities. I NEED THE WORK! haha (I hope that didn't sound too desperate!)
--Steve
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Weekend gigs
This will be a busy weekend!
On Friday I will at an anniversary party for a two hour performance. I'll be drawing head shot caricatures for a large group, and will have to do as many as possible in the two hour time frame. I draw about 15-20 per hour, depending on the complexity of the hairstyles and the speed of the people getting in and out of the chairs. While everyone there will probably not get a caricature, everyone can enjoy watching and seeing the results as the drawings make their way around the room with the recipients. I'd like to draw everyone at every event, but sometimes that isn't possible, and that's still okay. The nice thing about what I do is that you can enjoy it even if you don't participate directly!
On Saturday night, I'll be at a kid's birthday party for two hours doing full body caricatures for a small group of about 20 girls. Everyone will be drawn at that party, and I'm sure the pre-teen girls will really enjoy seeing what gags I can come up with to illustrate their favorite activities. I enjoy working for kids because they are usually more vocal with their praise than adults. While the money is nice, I think an equal part of the job satisfaction of doing live caricatures is getting the positive feedback from the audience. It's a lot like being a stand-up comic or a magician-- I feed off of the energy of the crowd and that spurs me to be even more of a ham!
On Sunday I'm doing a charity event for the United Way. It's a Super Bowl party at Rooster's in Chillicothe that is a fundraiser to help raise money for senior care. I don't usually work for free, but I do offer charity rates for worthy causes because I believe that it is good to promote charitable giving (I give privately myself) and contribute without concerning myself solely with profit. I suppose many charities wish that I could give away my services, but I am by no means wealthy, so I have to receive some compensation for my time in order to stay in business.
I'll let you know how the weekend goes!
Next week I have a couple of other gigs on Thursday, but nothing on the weekend so far. I'm hoping that someone will want to hire me next weekend for the Gallery Hop, and I've put ads on Craigslist.
For those not from Columbus, the Gallery Hop is an event that takes place on the first Saturday of each month in the city's art district. People flock to the "Short North" area and browse restaurants, galleries and shop in this unique part of the city. It's a fun and funky monthly event that brings an eclectic mix of people into the downtown area.
If I don't get hired soon, I think I will go down to the Short North and pass out some cards to shop owners and see if I can create some interest. Especially in the cold weather months, I would think that galleries and shops would want to do all they can to get people into their venues.
--Steve
On Friday I will at an anniversary party for a two hour performance. I'll be drawing head shot caricatures for a large group, and will have to do as many as possible in the two hour time frame. I draw about 15-20 per hour, depending on the complexity of the hairstyles and the speed of the people getting in and out of the chairs. While everyone there will probably not get a caricature, everyone can enjoy watching and seeing the results as the drawings make their way around the room with the recipients. I'd like to draw everyone at every event, but sometimes that isn't possible, and that's still okay. The nice thing about what I do is that you can enjoy it even if you don't participate directly!
On Saturday night, I'll be at a kid's birthday party for two hours doing full body caricatures for a small group of about 20 girls. Everyone will be drawn at that party, and I'm sure the pre-teen girls will really enjoy seeing what gags I can come up with to illustrate their favorite activities. I enjoy working for kids because they are usually more vocal with their praise than adults. While the money is nice, I think an equal part of the job satisfaction of doing live caricatures is getting the positive feedback from the audience. It's a lot like being a stand-up comic or a magician-- I feed off of the energy of the crowd and that spurs me to be even more of a ham!
On Sunday I'm doing a charity event for the United Way. It's a Super Bowl party at Rooster's in Chillicothe that is a fundraiser to help raise money for senior care. I don't usually work for free, but I do offer charity rates for worthy causes because I believe that it is good to promote charitable giving (I give privately myself) and contribute without concerning myself solely with profit. I suppose many charities wish that I could give away my services, but I am by no means wealthy, so I have to receive some compensation for my time in order to stay in business.
I'll let you know how the weekend goes!
Next week I have a couple of other gigs on Thursday, but nothing on the weekend so far. I'm hoping that someone will want to hire me next weekend for the Gallery Hop, and I've put ads on Craigslist.
For those not from Columbus, the Gallery Hop is an event that takes place on the first Saturday of each month in the city's art district. People flock to the "Short North" area and browse restaurants, galleries and shop in this unique part of the city. It's a fun and funky monthly event that brings an eclectic mix of people into the downtown area.
If I don't get hired soon, I think I will go down to the Short North and pass out some cards to shop owners and see if I can create some interest. Especially in the cold weather months, I would think that galleries and shops would want to do all they can to get people into their venues.
--Steve
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