Creepy Halloween Face Painting

Okay....these are creepy! Not my thing, but my lovely Daughter, Cara Gannon is a face painter in Calgary and books up Halloween day to apply some "creep" face paint to adults that are going to parties that evening. I agreed to be a "model" as a zombie ( still not sure what the fascination in zombies are???) Cara drew on her own face on the "creepy clown" and top picture.....but I'm sure Stephen King would be proud......   to contact Calgary Face Painter Cara Gannon....     caralgannon@gmail.com

Jazzberry Entertainment. Cara Gannon   caralgannon@gmail.com

Corporate Event Caricatures

This corporate event has to rate in my top five of all time, both for fantastic guests, easy going management and Sonia!....who booked me...thanks Sonia! What a great group of guests! I drew each guest solo as they are later to be scanned and put together in a booklet.

There was a great sounding jazz band in the background playing...I'm not a huge fan of jazz, but it was so nice to draw guests, have some great background music....and not have to yell to communicate with the guests....:) Thanks to the band!

Party Caricatures in Calgary

A couple of the fun guests I drew caricatures for at Heritage Park for a corporate event. What makes this event so unique is that most all the guests were laid off and the company still held a great event for them! Good on you company! :)

House Party Caricatures

Well hubby is AWOL from the picture, but a fun house party had me drawing caricatures for Olga's birthday party Friday evening. All the ladies were from Russia so I had asked how to write "lovely lady" in Russian. When hubby returned to view the caricature....there it was written on the cartoon in Russian....with a quizzical look he wondered how I knew Russian....:) FANTASTIC group of guests! Thanks Chris....and Happy Birthday Olga!

Public "Art".......

Every caricature event I draw at in Calgary, I have to drive right past this piece of "art" that I get to look at with disdain from the highway. First off.....as you can see from the background...there really isn't  much of anything around it...such as people!!.....:) Now the shocking part....Calgary public art program paid...are you ready for this....sit down first.....$470,000.00 ...AND had a German artist design it.......) I'm guessing that it's just too difficult to find a local artist to design this "piece of art".....well, ...I guess it's true...."art is in the eyes of the beholder".....oh yes....the name of this masterpiece is.... The Universal Mode of Transportation......

Ronald McDonald House

As a caricature artist here in Calgary I'm asked quite often to help out with charities, I can't always as most times I am booked, but one charity I support whole heartedly is The Ronald McDonald House. Sunday I was able to do just that, draw caricatures for a Rock The House Run. Our family has had some experience with Ronald McDonald House and it's a small token I can pay them back. ANYONE could find themselves using their services through no fault of their own by simply having a sick child as our family did, and Ronald McDonald House was a HUGE help while visiting the child in extended care at a hospital. The next time you're in McDonalds, you'll see the small container sitting by the till.....don't ignore it as most people do....put some change into it, you never know, one day it could affect you. Oh....this young woman asked that I draw her beautiful...she already was.....

Calgary Wedding Caricatures

After a great event Saturday afternoon drawing caricatures in downtown Calgary,  I raced back to Airdrie where I live and changed into the suit and tie, then back to Calgary to draw caricatures for Alanna and Michael's wedding. Here's a small sample of some of the wonderful guests I had the honour of drawing that evening, all fun guests! Thanks Alanna!

Calgary Caricatures

This event held in down town Calgary was a large one where everyone was invited. Line-ups were long and never had a chance to get many pictures of guests caricatured....but what a fun gig!

When I'm asked to draw the small girls as a princess, I have to remember the only princess cartoon I was taught when I worked a summer in Disneyland. I guess I should come up with a couple more as I'm asked quite often to draw this cartoon.

I love drawing guests of Asian decent....love the large cheek bones, full lips and other features of their face structure that make the cartoon interesting.

The greatest part of my "job" besides meeting the wonderful guests is knowing the other entertainers that I constantly work with. above are Tristan and Sara with the entertainment agent that put the show together ) there were bands, temporary airbrush tattoos, "my Wife and Daughter did those," face painters and much more). Both Tristan and Sara are so MEGA talented, they should be working for either Disney or Universal Studios as this is just a microcosm of the many talents they have.....and yes...Sara designed and sewed both costumes.

Hanna Caricature Gig

Every year I have the great opportunity to draw caricatures at the Hanna Teen Fair....and I love it! One interesting aspect about Hanna is that one of the world's biggest name rock bands grew up and came out of Hanna...Nickelback. Like them or hate them, your choice, but no denying that they achieved something incredible especially after you've had the opportunity such as I have of talking to many people that grew up with them as teens. ( most all these kids parents were in their classroom).

Unlike many rock bands, Nickelback has spent money and time on their incredible stage and light show...after all....that's what rock bands should do! (the worst I've seen was Bon Jovi...:(

Why I admire what the group has accomplished in their career, you only have to see the starting point of their career. The hotel ( the large white building ) was a Friday night playing venue and even they played at the local Legion....no overnight success.

I wonder if the band knew they would be playing the venues below....especially after starting out playing in the venues above......

And the common theme when talking to the parents of the kids I drew of the band Nickelback...."they were true bad boys!"

Yes...after listening to parents talk about the band, ( bad boys!), seeing the area they lived in, the smallness of the little town with radio stations only playing country music and of course, the venues they started playing in, I came to the conclusion that if anyone has a dream, with some hard work and a little luck.....one can accomplish them...good on you Nickelback!

I had enough time after drawing caricatures at Spruce Meadows Masters to get through 5:00 rush hour ( dreadful in Calgary...:) to get a parking spot and draw caricatures for the world's largest credit card company...( I'll let you guess that one!). Because it was held in this beautiful venue, I had to change in my car....ALWAYS a challenge.......

The Fab Set

I finally have the lettering of our British Invasion tribute band's logo, "The Fab Set" put onto my bass drum.....looks "Fab!!!"

Spruce Meadows Masters Caricatures

I really should have more samples of caricatures from working at The Spruce Meadows Masters....but I don't even though there were line-ups. There is something about stopping to take pictures of samples when guests have been lined up in the heat and rain for long periods of time....I usually jam out on the pictures, then when they're walking away I think "yes" that was a great sample....maybe the next one!

All over the grounds, very cool uniforms can be seen from the history of the horse, since we're Canadian, a lot of the history is British.

The Friday was burning hot and Sunday was cold and rainy, but the horse jumping show still continued though when the arena's get wet it must be a bit tense with horses that are worth more than a house....

Spruce Meadows Masters

If you're at The Spruce Meadows Masters this Friday and Sunday ( I'll be drawing in Nickleback's hometown Hanna on Saturday), just drop by the BMO centre and have your caricature drawn. I'll be there from 11:00am till 5:00pm.For anyone that doesn't know what the Masters is all about....well, it's kind of like The Superbowl for horse jumping folks.....

Wedding Caricatures in Calgary

The last few months have had me drawing caricatures at many weddings, and I have quite a few more coming up before the end of the year. The one last weekend was full of delightful people from India. They are beautiful people to draw with the large eyes and dark features. Thanks Nav!

Stereotyical Accountant

To continue with cartoonist's "stereotypical" series, here is the " Stereotypical Accountant." Yes...I know, I exaggerated a bit, I know what you're thinking....they don't throw paper on the floor! But seriously now, a good accountant is GOLD! And I have a great accountant! Accounting dates back as far as 7000 years ago in Mesopotamia. Some famous people that studied accounting are... ( you ready for this?) ...Robert Plant....Kenny G.....John Grisham....and the biggie....Mick Jagger....

Calgary Face Painter

Globalfest has been over for a week, but my talented Daughter, Cara, sent me a couple pics of face painting that she did through the entire festival. If you're interested in a face painter for your event, Cara's email is..
caralgannon@gmail.com

This handsome little fellow is off to school for the first time in his life....I am one proud Grandfather ..( or as he calls me... "Grumpa"  ). Only people that know me know the HUGE struggle this little guy had with health problems at the start of his life, and now he's just fine. And we owe it to surgeons at The Stollery Hospital in Edmonton....they are the REAL celebrities!

A FUN caricature for a FUN manager for a major airline here in Calgary last week. When she asked to make her "bad".....how much more bad can you get!  Terrific people to caricature that day! I've been doing a series of caricature events in Calgary but can't post any pictures as they have a media ban on all of them... (believe me....I heard about it...:) I have the last one to caricature at tomorrow, then a mega busy two weeks coming up starting with drawing caricatures at The Spruce Meadows Masters for three days in which I represent a major bank, then on to the small town where the band Nickleback grew up....I'm looking forward to that event as every now and then I meet people that knew members of the band.

New Pooch...Mickey...

I bought my Wife a new pup for our anniversary....she named him Winston....I call him Mickey, poor pup will probably get confused. He's part Chihuahua and Pomeranian....all three and a half pounds of him! When working here in my studio, so I'm not constantly watching the little guy, he sits comfortably in a small carrying case. Out of the many dogs I've had, this little guy stole my heart.....but...he belongs to my Wife!