Kelly Gannon Calgary Party Caricatures

Karl Green

It's always a nice feeling to see one's work displayed in another country. I designed these tee shirts for Karl Green of the sixties pop group Herman's Hermits, here after an outdoor concert he's getting ready to autograph and sell them. Though I did make a mistake when drawing them and had no time to rectify the problem as it was Stampede Week and I was a bit busy and the art work had to be sent to a printers at a certain time.....seems I drew the guitar facing the wrong way...he's left-handed....who'da thunk! Karl was good with it anyway!

Las Vegas Trip

Las Vegas was calling me last week, (needed that break!), so gigs were put on hold. And a great break it was. This time we stayed at Treasure Island because of it's location. Rooms were nice, food...hmmmnn...not great in my opinion, compared to some other hotels...smokey smelling gaming room...though courtesy....very good! Seen a few terrific shows, talked with some good caricature artists and enjoyed the 24 hour excitement Vegas has to offer. Not very impressed though with the airport security who really should have "manners training." I really hope with their power trip attitude they never apply to a police force...they might be better off as a "mall security guard." Seems I spent 5 months applying, ( and getting) a Nexus Card and Vegas airport security doesn't honour it. I guess if I had a low level type of job such as they do, I would perhaps feel the same way watching professionals pass by me. But all in all....Vegas is a fun trip! Now back to work with many caricature gigs coming up.

Bar/Bat-Mitzvah Caricatures

Bar-Mitzvah's and Bat-Mitzvah's are another avenue that party caricaturists work at. I drew caricatures in Calgary at this one about three weeks ago. These are fun for me, though I'm working on a new style when I get some new pens in where I can quickly draw a small body that I've also been working on. Bodies that will only take about a minute and a half or so. At the above Bat-Mitzvah, I could only draw the head and shoulders as there were a few hundred people attending.

Paul Revere and the Raiders

This morning I awoke to hear the news that the leader/creator, Paul Revere, of the icon sixties rock band Paul Revere and the Raiders had passed away. If you're not over a certain age, you might not know this group, but never the less, they've influenced countless new bands through the decades. Paul Revere's group, The Raiders, were one of the only bands to remain at the top of the charts when The Beatles led the British Invasion during the sixties.

I first had the experience of seeing Paul Revere and the Raiders in the sixties, and since then have seen the group twice more through the years....they NEVER fail to entertain a crowd...ever! Paul Revere, all your fans, (and there are many!) are going to miss the energy, fun, and "wow factor" you always gave at a concert. Paul Revere, passed away at age 76.

The caricatures/cartoons I drew of Paul Revere and the Raiders were drawn quite a few years ago after I had met the band, they're so photogenic I just had to cartoon them! The drummer, Tommy Scheckel had mentioned in an email that the band used the caricatues/cartoons above as advertising during a cruise in which they were headlining....that I was honoured to hear! I tried to emulate a bit of the sixties style cartoony feel to the caricatures. I was taking my Wife to Las Vegas for her birthday and Paul Revere and the Raiders were doing a concert there...perfect timing! I took the color picture of my cartoons, met them after the show and had them sign it...Paul Revere even drew a cartoon below his (not a bad one either...) Thanks for the great music Paul Revere!

Caricaturist in Calgary

Now this was a FUN gig! A high-end law firm in Calgary. I've drawn caricatures at many law firms here in Calgary and am always surprised how large the offices are and how many employees one law office has. Before I started caricaturing at them, my only thought was..."Matlock"...or "Perry Mason"..with just a couple of people in the office...no such thing, and they're usually situated in a beautiful office tower in downtown Calgary...this was on the 47th floor in an amazing building with an even more amazing view. ALL the employees that day were a bundle of fun all in one room...thanks!

Pitbull Caricature

I was asked by an American spokewoman of The National Pit Bull Awareness association ( thanks Laura!) to caricature her pitbull...Piper is her name. She's the "spokesdog" for a pitbull awarness foundation. The cartoon-caricature was made into tee shirts as well. I know one day Laura and her pitbull Piper will have their own television show....it's just a matter of time...and I was honoured Laura Bodnar-Bruccoleri asked me to do this. And yes Laura...Piper cuts a striking profile... :)

Spruce Meadows Caricatures

A few weeks ago I had the honour of drawing caricatures for The Spruce Meadows Masters ( THAT'S how far behind I am at blogging ). The Spruce Meadows draws guests from all over the globe to participate in show jumping, the grounds are much like a Disneyland for horse people. With costumed riders throughout the park, you can see the history of how the horse has helped mankind throughout the centuries. Fun event as I represented a major bank from Canada. Thanks Jeri!

The Shakers

I always get a huge charge when someone wants to use one of my cartoons for their Facebook page. I drew the "retro" style cartoon a few years ago and drummer extraordinaire Tony O'Keeffe from The Cavern Club in Liverpool,( where The Beatles had a steady gig) asked to use it. The video is a sample of Tony's band, The Shakers retro sound. They've had the honour of backing many of the UK's 60's icons.

Ronald McDonald House

I drew at my favorite charity event on Sunday morning ( no pictures....too busy...), feeling great about helping raise money for a worthwhile cause. Too many parents are faced with the dilemma of having their child in the hospital for great periods of time and having to pay for a hotel room and food which can be a huge burden on an already bad situation. The Ronald McDonald house has large homes next to the hospitals where the parents can stay at a low cost while they visit and support their child...everytime I visit a McDonalds I like to throw the change or a buck or two into their change receiver usually situated on or near the counter....you never know when you, a family member or a friend might need their services.

Caricaturing The Attractive Female

Sometimes when caricaturists have to caricature the attractive person, they find it a challenge, prefering to draw the "less attractive" guest because of accentuated features. Not me.....I enjoy finding the features on an attractive female and building upon them. Such features could be the eyelashes, lips, large eyes, hairstyle and so forth. If her hair is long...make it longer...long eyelashes, make them longer...all the while thinking "cute" when you draw. These caricatures were drawn a week ago at a high end event for a perfume line held in a cosmetics area. I was asked to draw ball gowns on all the guests. These are actually my all time favorite events to draw at! Thanks Robert!

Kelly Gannon, Caricatures in Calgary

Drawing Doubles

I get asked repeatedly when hired to draw caricatures at a corporate event if I can draw two people on the same page....YES.....:)

Kelly Gannon

Alberta Weather

Planning an outdoor event in Calgary is like gambling on the lottery. I drew caricatures at an Airdrie event a few weeks ago and the planning, money and time spent on the outdoor event was amazing....had it not rained down hard....oh well...the above gal was one terrific singer as part of the entertainment...I hope to see this talented young lady one day grace The Junos.

Kelly Gannon

Calgary Caricature Drawings

A couple of lovely ladies from an event I drew caricatures at last week.....I had just realized that a great

deal of my guest wear glasses. The idea when drawing them onto the subjects face is to pre-plan where the lines are going to be drawn and using fairly quick strokes, draw them in keeping in mind the shape and how large the glasses are....luckily most are rectangle in shape, it's hard when I get a subject wearing "cats eye" glasses. Remember to draw then sitting on the nose, leaving room for the arm to line up with the ear. There you have it.... a simple tutorial on drawing glasses! :)

Kelly Gannon

Calgary Caricature Artist

I know I havn't posted anything for quite a while....rest assured...I have been busy with caricature gigs in Calgary. I do know what I need for a Christmas present now....A NEW CAMERA. I worked at so many events and either I'm too busy to take any pictures, they're all small kids, or the pictures I did take just never turn out...I wonder why a PHONE takes better pictures than a camera?? :)

Here's just a couple that did turn out...I'm thinking only my ouside photographs seem to work. This was a fun caricature gig for a large oil company.

Kelly Gannon, Caricatures in Calgary

If you're looking for excellent Calgary face painters, balloon artists and temporary airbrush tattoos for your next party or event in Calgary....here's a great company that supplies these Calgary entertainers. They can be reached at info.kelstudios@gmail.com

Banff Caricatures

Set in the beautiful Rocky Mountains at The Banff Springs Hotel, I spent three days caricaturing some wonderful professionals attending a convention from as far away as South Africa.

Thats my view from where I worked. A bit cloudy but soon the sun peeked through.

Thanks Daryle and Tina! My pleasure!

Banff Caricatures

Caricatures in Calgary

Working with other entertainers while drawing caricatures is one of the highlights of being a caricature artist. The attractive duo above are both exceptional at their crafts. Tristan Court is mega talented as an illusionist, magician, stilt walker and even a balloon twister. He also owns an entertainment agencey...you can view Tristan's site at.. www.trixtan.com

And Kayla Kielek is one of Calgary's most in demand face painters.

Caricaturing the mature female

When caricaturing the mature female at corporate events here in Calgary, I still stick to my own basic rules....I look for "the cute or pretty" in the subject....like a cartoon! I know other caricaturists really go for the jugular when drawing a mature guest...but why? Personally...I find it fun to see how attractive my guest can look in a caricature...and still retain the likeness....plus....it's ALWAYS a beautiful feeling to have the drawn guest smile and thank you sincerly.

Kelly Gannon, Mature Female Caricatures, Calgary event caricature Artist

Event Caricatures in Calgary

If I had to put on a scale from one to ten on just plain NICE, FUN guests to draw caricatures in Calgary for...this group of guests get an eleven! Thank You! It was an odd experience as a few minutes before I began drawing at the event, I had just heard that Robin Williams had passed away apparently from suicide...it was a bit un nerving to draw the first couple of caricatures as I liked Robin Williams work ( who didn't!). You gave the world many hours of laughter with your talent Mr. Williams...the world will miss your contribution to comedy.