Coffee, Coffee, Coffee

It feels like it's been a while since I've put my color pencils into action. But I'm back at it now.

Darlene wanted an illustration to give to her mother for Mother's Day. I think I made the deadline alright. Darlene's mom is apparently a coffee-aholic. Just look at this photo. That's right. There are three coffee makers sitting there on her kitchen counter. What kind of addiction to coffee does one have to have in order to need three coffee makers to satisfy it? I don't know, but the coffee must flow at her house!

You and I don't know each other Mrs. Darlene's Mom, but I'm think that a little intervention is in order. Oh well, we've all got our own issues. I've got a thing for the Dr. Pepper.

Darlene said said also likes roses. (With an obsessive personality like that there's no telling how many rose bushes she has) Darlene also asked me to put her mother in this leopard/rose print blouse. (You can't tell me you've seen another one just like it.)

So, I hear and I obey. Here are the results. What do you think?

I guess it will be a while before we hear how what Mom thinks of the illustration.

Thanks Darlene for choosing me to honor your mother. She's a lovely lady and I enjoy creating this doodle for her.

Another Shot of Coffee

On my last post I told the story of a caricature I drew for Coffee Bean. I had a lot of fun this weekend waiting for her to discover my surprise gift that I drew for her. What I expected to happen was that someone would write and tell her to look at my blog and then she would discover it.

What actually did happen was that Bean had a bit of a change of heart and e-mailed me about doing a more simple caricature of just her for her other blog. At that point I just wrote back and said, "Go check out my blog." What happened next was a number of different e-mail exchanges over the weekend. (Some of that you can read in the comment section from the previous post.)

I particularly enjoyed one e-mail I got from her when she had a chance to sit down and write...

"Gosh Rick. When you said to go over to your blog my heart jumped up into my throat because I was afraid something bad had happened and you weren't going to be doing drawings for awhile. I just couldn't believe what I saw! I only had time to quickly skim over what you wrote! Wow! We do want to pay you! The first thing my husband said when he saw it was, "Wow! He's really talented. That really looks like you!" and then he said, "We need to pay him for that!" Oh my gosh! You did such a great job! I adore the Coffee Bean! The pink shoes are a HOOT! And my husband is always making fun of me and my sunglasses.. . something you didn't even know!"

(I guess I have that Sixth-Artist-Sense and I'm able to knoooow things about people with out them telling me. I'm going to have a T.V. show called "Crossing Under." And, I might add... Isn't Bean's husband a very perceptive guy as well?)

Of course I told her that she couldn't pay me. That would steal some of my joy. As the great theologian Frank Burns once said, "It's nice to be nice to the nice."

In the process of all this, C. Bean ended up using an illustration I sent her much earlier when she first started her coffee blog. (Actually, I had almost forgotten that I sent her that illustration.) At the time I figured it was something she could use.

When my blogging friend, Brenda, saw the drawing she tried to find where I had previously posted it. Then she e-mailed me and asked where it was. I thought, "She ain't looking hard enough." But, lo and behold, when I looked for it, I too couldn't find it. That was hard for me to believe. I drew this a few years back - figuring that somebody would want to purchase a copy for their caffeine addicted friend or loved one. And if memory serves (which rarely it does) I have sold a few copies of it.

So, here it is, posted for your entertainment pleasure.

IF I were to do it again I would switch the "wife's" place with her "husband." When people see this illustration they tend to read her dialogue first; which doesn't make sense until you read his.

(If you'd like an autographed copy you can always e-mail me at the address give in the right-side column. For a mere $15 I will put a fresh copy in your hands.)

Also: In the flurry of e-mail exchanges between The Bean and Me she present me with this blog award. And so, on behalf of all pitifully tender egos everywhere, I do here by accept (and expect) this award. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. (Last line to be said in your best Elvis voice.)

I've seen this award on a number of different blogs that I've surfed through. AND I really didn't expect it from Bean-O. And I really do appreciate it. AND I'm really NOT going to forward it. Just lazy I guess.

Thanks Bean for all the fun that you provided. The illustration(s) looks good on your blog. Keep your chin up and your feet dry.