A Day In Tonya's Overloaded Life

I'm getting just a bit caught up on my list of request for caricatures. Here's another project...

Tonya contacted me about doing an illustration of her family. At first she wanted me to draw the whole gang, each doing their own thing at the beach - they are SoCal people.

One evening I wrote and informed her that I was ready to start on her caricature. I drew my usual 8x10 frame for the piece, stared at the paper for a while, and then went to bed. Tonya wrote me the next morning and asked if I had actually started. I had to confess that I had not actually, officially, in reality started. Her response was "yippeee!"

(I wish my wife could get so excited by my procrastination skills.)

Turns out that it was a good thing that I hadn't actually put something down on paper because now she had a little different scenario in mind.

She wrote, "Okay, so maybe me juggling my everyday life stuff - husband, twins, teenager, pets, household chores, craft projects, cooking .... all the things I love I guess." She went on to list a number of different things that her husband and children could be doing. I liked the concept because, although it was going to take some time to get all this stuff on paper, it opened up the possibility for a lot of fun creativity.

Here's the finally product...

Anything about all this looks similar to your life?

It might take you a bit to get it all in. Her husband is a helicopter pilot for the Marines, but I put him in a little private one becuase I need him to be flying something close enough to a window so that you can make out his face. In recognition of his service I wanted to put a pic of him flying the real thing. Thank you sir.

You should check out the comments on Tonya's blog regarding her new art, and see all the new frustrated egg hunters that have commented there. I got too much joy out of it. But Tonya got weak (in my opinion) and gave a too easy of a hint for Eggy's location. But, I guess I've done the same thing myself on a previous post. So, you might want to go on an egg hunt here first before you pop on over there.

She also posted a little doodle I did on the back of the envelope I drew while waiting in line at the Post Office.

Thank you Tonya for choosing me for your cartoon needs. I've added you to the list of crazy people that have used my artwork for their blogs. I think it's a fun illustration, and I hope you enjoy it for many years - and I pray your life gains some sanity.

Natalie and Her Volunteer

Kris told Natalie about my art. Natalie is Kris' son, Travis, girl friend. (Did you follow that?)

She wanted an illustration of the two of them together. On the list of themes that I could include in the drawing is her love of fashion, shoes and pursers, his love of the Tennessee Volunteers, and their love for miniature dachshunds.

At first I thought about putting them on the red carpet with paparazzi flashing cameras all around them. But this drawing was meant to be a gift for him, and that concept seemed to lean towards her interest.

So, I decided to draw them walking on the campus of U of T - that's a campus building in the background, and two little weaner dogs dachshunds with them. The pups sport the name of the mascot of the university: Smokie.

I like how it turned out. What do you think of my purse and shoe design? My little bit of Project Runway.

Not So Funny Anymore

Just a quick post - very busy day today.

This is another cartoon I drew for the local paper last year. At the time $4.99 a gallon seemed funny. It doesn't seem as funny anymore.

Since I live in a touristy location, and since I ride a Harley, this cartoon strikes a personal note. How do people afford the gas in those beast? I'd rather sleep in a motel.

Feel free to copy and share.

Hayley Is Still Down

Back on February 3rd I posted an illustrat- ion of Hayley and her family. When she ordered that drawing she also put in a request for a caricature of just her at her laptop. It took me a while to get back to it, but I finally finished it. Here she is again - Hayley, still Underdown, or Downunder. (Whatever) My blog has been getting some action from the southern hemisphere lately. That's fun.

Actually, I've had this drawing done for several weeks, but I keep forgetting to post it. I'm still at the drawing board working on more cartoons. In fact, I was up till late last night working on one - trying to get caught up.

Thanks to all of you who are patiently waiting. I've begun to warn people, when they make a request, that it may take a while before I get to it. For all of you who gave me a deadline, I think I'm still okay. So, hang in there.

Thanks Hayley for liking my work enough to request a second illustration. You knew what you were in for. I hope that you get enjoyment out of your caricatures for many years.

(I just love the eyes on that little one. Don't you?)

Elk Hunt - Again

I put my counter on this blog about mid- January of this year. I don't know what the number of hits on this blog would have been if I had the thing installed a year ago (I've learned so much since I starting blogging.) But, sometime tonight I should go over 10,000 hits. I'm kind of excited about that. (Of course, about 5,000 of those were from me.)

Before I installed the counter I had no idea that there were a number of people visiting this page, and not leaving a comment. I just figured that the number of comments I got pretty well equaled the number of hits I was getting. Little did I know that a number of you out there are the lurking type.

Anyway, thanks for visiting the old blog. I've said before, and I'll say it again, my tender ego needs, thrives on, the attention.

Above is another cartoon that I did a couple of years back. Previously I have posted two other elk hunt drawings; a rifle hunt, and a different bow hunt version. This one is actually the first bow hunt one that I drew. But, when I drew it, I didn't like it because I didn't leave enough room for the arrow to stick out straight from the elk's nose. To me, that didn't look right. So, I had to redraw it. Still, I liked this one well enough that I hung on to it.

Which one do you like best? (A question obviously asked to try and get a comment out of you lurker types.)

Monsters Ink

I drew this while sitting in the back of a class while attending graduate school back in the early '80's. Yes, even while earning a graduate degree I could often be seen doodling away on a piece of paper at the back of the class while a professor lectured up front.

I've hung on to this scribble ever since. One reason is that I felt it was different in style from the way I normally drew. Over the years, when I have visited school classrooms to do a cartooning demonstration that I do, this is one of the pieces that I like to show the kids. It's generally a big hit with the boys.

One of the requirements for my degree was to face a committee of professors, alone for two hours, answering any question they want to ask from any class you took over the threes years you attended school. The committee is called an "Orals Committee" because the exam is an oral exam. At the end of my inquisition exam, after I had been told that I had passed, I gave each of the professors a copy of this illustration; telling them that it was my interpretation of what an Orals Committee looked liked. They laughed, but I still think it was a good thing that I waited until AFTER they told me that I had passed.

What do you think?

Snapper Chris

This was a first for me. Just a little while back Chris asked me to create something for a tattoo of a snapper fish that she and her husband want to have done. He, for his chest and she, for her leg.

Wow! My art enshrined in flesh! Sounds kinda'... kinda'... personal to me.

Chris sent me this illustration of a snapper, but said that she wanted her fish to be "kinda swimming uphill, curving to the right. With big lips! And a cheeky smile! and bubbles/water around."

I thought, "this snapper will be a snap," and so then I put together this illustration for her.



Chris' response was less than enthusiastic. She thought the eyes were too buggy, and the teeth were too teethy. Then she followed up those comments by finally telling that "snapper" was something her husband called her, (Awe - how cute!!) and so the fish was suppose to be her.

Now you tell me Chris!!! Why didn't you say that in the first place?

With that bit of insight I went to work on feminizing the little critter and then this is what I came up with...

Christina Joy was happy with the sex change procedure transition and then so was I.

After going to work on coloring in her snapper this was the final result...

What do you think? The lady that always makes my color copies of the drawings for me said that this one was her favorite, and she's seen a lot of my illustrations. You regulars might notice one addition to the final piece.

Chris promises to send a photo of the tattoo once it's... it's... umm... planted. So, I'll post that photo later.

Another note: This represents another first for me. Chris and family live in New Zealand, so this is the first time that one of my illustrations has made it to Middle Earth. ("Lord of the Rings" humor there.)

Be sure to check out her blog. She's a fun, spicy gal, and if you're really nice to her, she might even call you "mate."

Pull My Finger

Here is another result from a recent meeting that I was in. I debated about dividing these various characters up instead of posting them all at once, but I guess I'm either too busy, or too lazy. Maybe a little of both. For what may be obvious reasons I'm calling this fine piece of art: "Pull My Finger."

Copy and share if you dare.

I'm still working on caricatures all the time. They've been moving along much too slow for what I would like to do, but if you've ordered one from me, I haven't forgotten you, at least I don't think I've forgotten you. (If I had forgotten someone, how would I know if I've forgotten them?) Anyway, I think I've on target to get the art done for those of you who have deadlines.

Hang in there.

Family Practice - Nerd Day

I'm trying to remember the story behind this particular strip, but my memory fails me. But, as best as I can remember, something very similar to this happened to one of our girls, and I thought it deserved to be immortalized in cartoon.

Also, I just had to share this photo.


Monday I saw this rainbow after driving our youngest to school. I went home to grab my camera and then drove quickly to the beach to get off as many shots as I could before it faded. While I was shooting some pics the boat came out from the harbor. The boat looked like it was "Chasing After the Rainbow."

Download and/or share if you would like.

Who Ya Gonna' Call?

I've shared before on this blog that my wife has battled breast cancer. About three years ago she discovered a lump and then, when the doctors did test, they told us that there were in fact two lumps and one of them was large. Our surgeon told us that they were going to "throw the kitchen sink at her." And they did. Surgery, chemo, radiation, and then more chemo. During all that I discovered that it is easy to become almost resentful towards the ones who are trying to help. I did not enjoy walking into those doctor's offices and suddenly finding myself having to identify with what I called a cancer culture. The waiting rooms have cancer flyers, cancer magazines, cancer this and cancer that. There were puzzles waiting in the waiting rooms so that during the long waits you can work on them - cancer puzzles I would call them. I don't think my attitude was right or justified, but it's what I felt. Instead of puzzling, I would take my drawing pad. A lot of the work you see on my blog came from those days.

Along our cancer journey we met my wife's Radiologist, "Dr. J". Maybe because I already was not in the best frame of mind I found Dr. J's personality to be rather... uninviting. He wasn't mean, or anything, just rather... ummm... stuffy. Later on I discovered that he was a fairly nice fellow, but on first impressions I thought he could use a little comedic lightening up.

So imagine this scenario: My wife and I are in one of those little examination rooms with Dr. J. It's not a very big room, and from where I'm sitting I have a profile view of him. I've carried my drawing pad in there with me, and before long I find myself sketching the profile of his face that you see here. I think my wife thought I was crazy - glancing back and forth from the doctor to the paper. But I'm thinking, "Hey this really looks like the guy!" But I had to be careful as to not draw attention to my drawing.

After we left, and because I thought Dr. J needed to relax a bit, I decided to complete the drawing by illustrating him in a "Ghost Busters" like get-up; fighting a cancer monster - with his... "RADIATOR!!!" (Say that in a deep echoing voice for the full effect.)

"Did I ever show it to him?", I hear you asking. Yes, but not directly. I wasn't sure if the good doctor was the kind of fellow that had any kind of a sense of humor, but I just had to let him see it. The drawing had turned out so well. So I showed it to his nurse, who then she showed it to him.

The end result is that now, if you go to Dr. J's Radiology Office, and walk into the inner waiting area, you will find a frame copy of this caricature hanging on his wall. It turned out that he was quite pleased with it. I won't tell you where his office is, but you'll know you're in the right place when you see it hanging right next to the table that has the cancer puzzle sitting there waiting for you.

Let's hope and pray that you never have to see it.

Show & Shine @ the Shore

Last year our church held a motorcycle "show & shine" on the Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend. This is the logo I drew to advertise the event.

We're having the event again this year. So, if you happen to be in the area on May 24, drop on by. We're adding the talents of a gentleman that does award winning Bar-B-Q. He'll be cooking up some chicken on his massive grill for everyone. (I cannot wait - love a good Bar-B-Q!)

That date is also the day our town holds its annual Azalea Festival. Some of us rode our bikes in the parade last year. It's my one chance to ride by bike on the streets of Oregon without a helmet - even though my wife hates it when I do.

Below are some photos from last year.


Yours truly riding his ride in the Brookings Azalea Parade. How do I look?






Some of the motorcycles we had showing up at the event. I think we had 35 bikes in all.





Two of my girls goofing around on my bike. The youngest was tickling her older sister.






The members of my rough, tough motorcycle gang. You wouldn't want to meet us in a dark alley.