Not a Good Sign

2010 is almost upon us.  What kind of year will it be?  There are a few indicators that things might not go so well.

So you probably should go ahead and Copy & Share If You Dare.

Happy New Year!!!

A Polar Adventure

Kathy & Dan are good friends. Kathy wanted an illustration of Dan's brother and wife. She said that they love to cruise. They have been on 2 to Alaska and are going on East coast up into Canada.

The whole Alaska idea appealed to me. I wanted to include the Northern Lights—the Aurora Borealis for you polar experts.  Thus, the setting at night.

(Here's a trivia question for you: Is there such a thing as Southern Lights, and if so, what are they called? Google it.)

Just a note about the above photo. I've include Dan and Kathy's daughter, Dani, making the face because, well, she deserves it. Believe me, she does.  She laughed at me one time when a chair broke out from under me.

This was a fun doodle for me.  I haven't heard the response yet.  Kathy is a frequent visitor of my blog, so be sure to leave a comment.

HaHa and Her Zoo

This isn't the first time that Jodi requested a doodle from me.  I like having repeat customers.  That means they were really happy with the first creation. 

This time Jodi wanted an illustration of her mother for a Christmas gift.  About her mother she wrote...

"She lives alone with her pets, she LOVES them. Her sweet calico cat died 2 weeks ago. She had Callie for over 17 years. She also has a 3 legged boxer named Jeff. A boxer mix named Ginger. And 2 horses (one horse is over 30 years old). She keeps telling friends that she will meet Callie on the 'rainbow bridge.'"

"She has 2 daughters (me and my sister) and 5 grandchildren. I did not want pictures for all these people, just maybe their initials somewhere, like inside flowers or something? I am a "J" and so is my sister. Then the grand kids are C,K,C,K, and B."

So with photos in hand, I went to work on the caricature.  Drawing animals isn't too very hard for me.  I actually don't like drawing horses.  I've never seem to do very well.  The main thing when drawing pets is trying to be sure to get the right spots in the right places.  Jodi was kind enough to send me several good photos of the pets.  That makes my job a whole lot easier.

On Christmas day Jodi and family got to watch her mom open the gift while "Skyping" on the computer.  (If you haven't discovered Skype yet, it's terrific!)  She took photos of the computer screen while the unveiling was done.  This is a first for me.  "HaHa" is what the grandkids call her.  There's got to be a good story behind that one.

Jodi wrote, "THANK YOU!!!  We just watched her open it on the computer a few minutes ago. She was absolutely speechless (which is a rarity) and she cried!!! I took some pictures of the computer screen and I will send them. Thanks for helping me give her probably the best gift ever!!! I was the one who set up her face book account.  I just put this picture as her profile picture. She is getting some GREAT comments and she hasn't even been home to see them yet!"

"The best gift EVER!?!"  Now,  I like reading that!  Here are the photos that Jodi sent me...

Thanks Jodi.  Those photos are a precious part of my doodling unveiling collection.  They are definitely  a classic.  Give your mother my greetings.  I was so happy to be a part of making her Christmas merrier.

Some day we'll all sit virtually in each other's living rooms while we open our presents.  I'm not sure that I want to be around when that happens. 

Update:  I received an e-mail from"HaHa" regarding the caricature.  It was so nice I wanted to include it with this post...

Hi Rick, I am Haha, Jodi Smith’s mother. Talk about a surprise!!. It was wonderful to see your interpretation of the pictures Jodi sent you for my present. The story behind my  name, Haha, comes from the Jodi’s oldest son, Collin. You know- the whatever the first  grandchild calls you will last thru all of them.  As I am told, I used to say hahahahaha to him all the time to get him to smile. I am a loud-mouth yankee, so  I guess it mad an impression on him.  As far as the” rainbow bridge”, there is a poem about  beloved pets when they die. Please look it up, and you will know why I cried  when I saw her, which I did not at first. I was so busy looking at each pet individually, and was so shocked at the whole idea of this masterpiece. My animals are very precious to me and bring me so much comfort. Jeffrey the 3 legged boxer has become a Therapy dog and visits nursing homes, children’s homes, special ed. Classes. Etc.  After Callie died, I said if there was a special kity that needed me, I would probably adopt it. Sure enough, there was Journie, with just one eye- another calico. How could I pass on her??. She is a joy, fun and helps ease the vacant spot Callie left after 17 years.  My daughters and sons-in law are  wonderful to me. My grandchildren are the most beautiful  you have ever seen. Talk about  love. They give so much and make life complete. You picture has drawn acclaim on my facebook site from other countries as well as here.  Know, that your artistry has brought me much joy and smiles.

Warmly, Rose

Thank you Rose.  You are most welcomed.

Christmas Rewind

I don't like to repost my doodles, but I updated this one from last year—to make it fit better closer to Christmas.  I thought that perhaps some of you bloggers would share in the sentiment that is expressed in this drawing.  If you're not ready by now it's almost too late.  Copy & Share If You Dare. Merry Christmas to all.

You're On the Naughty List

I drew this little ditty while waisting some time watching some television.  It's been a while since I've done any nonsense doodling.  It felt good—like old times.

Have you been naughty?  Then please Copy & Share If You Dare.  (Remember that means you have to tell me if you're posting it on your blog.  I want to come over and visit.)

Ann's Flower Power

Ann is another good friend.  She is one of those kind of people that is so nice it makes you wonder what she's been up to.  This is a photo of her stating next to my wife, Marylynn.  (They both are vertically challenged) 

Ann is the choir director at our church, plus she plays the guitar and sings.  That makes her a triple threat, I guess.

When I first thought about doodling her I was thinking about drawing her as the flying, singing nun.  But, after further thinking, I decided to turn Ann into a flower child tiptoeing through the tulips.

I gave Ann her illustration at the same get-together where I presented Gene (previous post) with his.  In Ann's own words she said that it will be something that she treasures.  I told her that I wanted to see it over the mantel of her fireplace.  Then she told me she didn't have a fireplace.  So, then I told her to hang it in her bathroom.  She just laughed.  (I think that means no.)

I have a "Copy & and Share" Christmas doodle coming next—just in time for the holiday.  So stay "tooned."

Gene, Gene-Ridin' an American Machine

I've been working on Christ- mas gifts lately.  So some of my work I can't post until after Christmas.  But here's one of two gifts that I gave out just this evening.

Gene is a good friend and one of my riding buddies.  I wanted to create something special for him.  He rides a big 'o Harley but recently he told me that he's going to be building a chopper out of a defunct motorcycle that he purchased.  So, when I was thinking about creating a doodle for him I thought, "Why not put him on the most famous chopper in history—the Captain America bike." The motorcycle made famous in the movie Easy Rider.  I think it's a very boring movie, but it has it's moments.  Like this scene, for example.

We're looking for our family being together for Christ- mas. Our youngest comes home for her first Christmas while away at college this week.  We're praying for clear-dry roads on Friday as she makes the 12 hour trip back from Idaho.  Gene opened his gift during a party we were hosting.  I think that it was well received by all the guest, and Gene seemed happy with his doodle.

Daughter number two comes home on the 23rd, and our number one girl with son-in-law number one coming in the day after Christ- mas.  So, at some point we will get to all be together again.  I am really looking forward to having them all together tucked away in their beds at night.  It's a father thing.

A Sundry of Choas

This is a photo of the daughter of some good friends, Steve and Denise. Some months ago I finished this caricature that she is holding. I thought that I had kept of copy of the illustration, but I can't seem to find it in my growing library of faces that I've collected over the years. So, the photo that Steve sent me of their lovely daughter holding the illustration will have to do, until such time that I am able to find my copy.

The illustration portrays their daughter sitting at her desk while a sundry of chaos ensues around her. (I like that last sentence. I think that it makes me sound all egucated.) Maybe you can see some details if you zoom in on the photo. But, otherwise, you'll just have to take my word that the doodle ain't half bad.

Yarn Candi

I know. I know. I've been MIA far too long. It's strange that it's so hard to get back into the rhythm of blogging when you get out of the habit. But I've had so many people tell me that they miss seeing new updates here that I just can't let it go too long.

Christmas is upon us and while I don't have as many request for caricatures as I have in the last two years I still have some pieces that I am working on.

This particular illustration is not a Christmas order, but one that Candi ordered for her blog several months back. She is a return customer. I created a doodle of her pilot husband back in May. I guess she liked it well enough to order one of herself.

This illustra- tion is actually a second attempt by me of her. I created one that I wasn't totally happy with, but then realized that I spelled her name with a "y" instead of an "i" on the end of Candi. That frustrated me so much that I put the project aside and then didn't get back to it until I had finished by little six week vacation. Candi was very patient with me and I am very appreciative about that.

I like the way this one turned out a whole lot more then the other one. She said that she liked it too, and that's what matters the most. Candi is going to be posting it as a header on her blog sometime in the future. It's not up there yet, so I guess you'll have to keep checking back until she gets it up. In the meantime you can order some yard candi from her.

In other news, I continue to add pages to my children picture book project. That's another one of the reasons I haven't been posting as much. I don't want to post any of that work here. Maybe someday you'll be able to order a copy of it off my blog. Just stay "tooned."