Happy New Years!

As a New Year post to share with those of you who frequent my blog, I thought I would share some words and some art from American Cartoonist, Activist, Poet, Sign Painter, Traveler and Folk Singer Woody Guthrie. No caricatures this post, however, I consider Woody Guthrie to be one of the influences in my life and someone who's work I aspire too. He found a way to use cartooning, caricature, and his other gifts to describe the time he lived in and the people he knew. I can only hope my drawings offer a bit of the same.

Happy New Year everyone! Be safe out there, and I'll have lots of new work to share in the coming months!

Work more and better, Love Everybody, Make up your mind, Wake up and fight.

One of Woody's drawings in his numerous sketchbooks kept while traveling.

 This autobiography of Woody Guthrie is one of my favorite novels, and a great companion work to The Grapes of Wrath.

An early painting of mine (2005), titled "Woody Guthrie's Library"

Happy Holidays!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all of you and your families! This has been another year of growth and joy. Thanks to all of you who have had me come and draw for you or your company, commissioned me to create a unique image, or just contacted me to say kind things about my work.

I have a had a lot to be thankful for this year, as my work has allowed me to travel and draw in places as far and wide as London, Madrid, Barcelona, Montreal, Ottawa, Las Vegas, San Diego, Long Beach, Florida, and countless events around the Bay Area.

I've had bookings and commissions from Schools, Universities, Cisco Systems, Comcast, Saap, Juniper, Oracle, Denodo, Timbuk2, Air BnB, Exxon, Virgin Airlines and more.

A very special thanks to EventToons.com, who have sent me on most of my out of state bookings and plenty of good jobs in the Bay Area.

May everyone have some relaxing days with the ones they love and enjoy this special time of year. See you next year!!!

12-16-11 Last Party of the Year!

My first year at the 8th (?) annual Harmans' Holiday party! Downloads at EventToons.com

12-15-11, Dolby throws a party at City View, Metreon

Another cool job with artists hosted by EventToons.com

The amazing view above the Metron in SF, the building in the center is the SF Museum of Modern Art. They are One of my favorite clients, who I've had the pleasure to work for many times over the past couple years. They have a huge expansion in the works, and upon completion it will be one of the biggest collections of Modern Art in the world!

We had some free time early on, and Doug Shannon drew this great pic of me!

Doug Shannon at work on his first victim.

Jon Casey drawing his last sketch of the night.

My very last sketch of the night!

ONE MORE job to go this season. It's been a great few weeks, I LOVE my job!!!

12-14-11 Jumpstart Automotive group at Chambers in SF

comcast commission

In the middle of nonstop Holiday events, I got an urgent job from Comcast to draw 120 people. Due to my schedule, I had to do the majority of the work in a 2 day period. It was a lot of work and one of those jobs that stretches what you think might be impossible to do, once you put your mind to it.

12-11-11 San Francisco Toyota's Holiday Party

This event gives me an opportunity to reflect on my history in San Francisco working as a caricaturist. In 2005, I finished college and moved across the country to SF with no job waiting, no close friends or family, and hopes of making an adventurous life for myself. I had drawn caricatures since High School at theme parks around the country, but after graduating with a fine arts degree I wrongly believed that was behind me. I hoped to support myself with a little job and focus on painting until I could paint full time. Within a year I was broke and hating the jobs slinging coffee, selling shoes, and moving furniture that I had done to get by in SF. In an act of desperation, I went down to Fisherman's Wharf and starting selling caricatures. Immediately, things got better. I loved drawing people and being my own boss. I sold to tourists and locals for a couple years, painting more or less full time and paying the rent by drawing at the Wharf on the weekends. On one of these weekends, Doug Donnellan and Frank Celaya, part of the team who runs the Toyota sales in SF, came to the wharf looking for a caricaturist for their Holiday party. This was the first big corporate client to come along! I loved working with a company that was known and respected in the Bay Area. The Holiday party they hired me for in 2006 was the start of my moving in the direction of working for corporate and private events. Before long I was done with the wharf and had began my career as a digital caricaturist, working all over the Bay Area as well as traveling the world to draw. When I needed a new car, they were there to help me out. They have called me almost every year since to work the Holiday Party. Unfortunately, I missed out on the celebration the past couple of years due to previous bookings, but this year I was back!

A big thank you to Doug and Frank! You guys have always been supportive and really did help me to get a start here. I hope to draw for you for many years to come!