Unlocking Laura's Brain

If you've hung around my blog very much, you've probably noticed the smiling face of another one of my blogging friends, Laura the Peace. Either Laura found me, or I found her nearly a year ago, and we've shared nonsense with each other since. Last Christmas I created two caricatures for her. One of her son and another of her daughter. (Hi Martha!! - am I allowed to share her name?)

Any-who... One of the first requests Laura threw my way was an idea she had mulling around her head for a tattoo. It was difficult for me to understand what she had in mind. Recently I drew a preliminary sketch and sent it to her for feed back (or back feed - whatever).

Fortunately I was in the neighborhood of her imagination, (Not an easy thing to do) and she was able to help me understand what it was that she wanted. The above drawing is the result - a very symbolic image that has special meaning for her.

This is what Laura wrote on her blog about the illustration...

Last, but far from least, this beauty Rick Green drew for me... she has been floating around in my head for many years and someday she will become a tattoo... but in the mean time she will live on my blog and on my wall when she arrives. I think Rick had some doubts when we first started talking about this way back when that he could extract what I could see in my head (I DO realize that my head can be a terrifying place) But as with all drawing tasks he did it and then one upped it and made it even better! THANK YOU RICK!!!!!!!!!

You're welcome Laura. Thanks for trusting me with a doodle that is obviously very important to you. Traveling around in your head wasn't so scary, it's just that I didn't like having to keep stopping and asking for directions. Sorry that I haven't gotten it actually mailed just yet - these are busy days for me. It's all packaged up and ready to go - first thing tomorrow morning.

I really like how this illustration turned out. This is actually the third time someone asked me for a drawing intended to go under skin. Here's another...

None have actually made it to flesh yet. But that's okay, because, well, OOOOUUUCH!

Laura's Joy Rides

Let the Christmas posting begin.

Laura (aka:"Peach") was the last person to place a Christmas order with me. Since she was willing to pay the extra postage I put her on my list, just hoping that I would be able to get her request completed on time. I've had several people order illustrations from me, and I was a bit worried that I could get all the drawings shipped before Christmas. She sent word yesterday that the the package had arrived. I thought, "Ahhh!! Mission complete!"

Laura requested two illustrations. One of herself with her daughter, who is apparently just now entering into the driver's license age, and a second drawing of her son.

Below is the first drawing. Now if this illustration was of me and one of MY daughters the expressions would be reserved. My daughter would be the one with the carefree, joyful expression, and I would have the look of dire panic. (There are stories that I could tell.) But this is the way Laura wanted it, and I am here to please.

One of the challenges of this particular illustratiion is the change of expression on "Baby Peach's" face. Most often, when I get a photo, the expression you send me is pretty much the expression you get on your drawing. Here, I had to create the look of panic on her face. I think it turned out fairly well.

And now the caricature is of Laura's son - a member of the law enforcement community in town.

I think that I almost got carried away on this particular illustration. I kept adding stuff to it, but I really liked how it turned out. When I showed it to co-worker she remarked with surprise that I had drawn a police office shooting a gun out a car window. I pointed out to her it was just a cartoon, and was never meant to be a reflection of reality. Besides, the guy has crashed through two barriers while jumping over a fallen bridge - hardly normal police behavior. Someone suggested that the two drawings together created a chase scene. I had not thought of that.

Here is a photo that Laura sent me showing the happy results on Christmas morning. She wrote me this morning and said, "Well they LOVE them, they were very surprised."

Check out the action on her blog.

Thanks Laura for using me for your cartoon needs. Drive safely and keep the rubber side down - as they say.

More Christmas caricatures to come.