CU 2009 - Oosterbeek, Holland

I recently attended the annual European Mini-Con for NCN members in a little town on the coast of Holland (followed by a mad one nighter in Amsterdam). About 20 caricaturists attended the 3 day event, mainly from Holland and Belgium but 3 of us were from the UK and a couple from China/Japan. It was a fantastic environment in which to learn and socialise despite getting my face ripped to shreds.

XMAS COMMISSION

This is for a 70th birthday close to christmas. Being a Blackpool supporter, I just had to grin and bare it. Plus a recent wedding.

TERRY O'TOOLE - PAINTING TUTOR SUPREMO

Call me a swot but I just had to caricature my painting class tutor. Fortunately he liked it and asked me to do his son Oliver.

MY FIRST PAINTING CLASS

I thought I'd make use of my recently enforced free time (redundancy) and take a beginners painting class last week. I had a great time and left with a couple of Christmas cards that we had been instructed on how to paint in watercolours. With this new found knowledge, I even went away and painted a few more cards using different scenes. If they don't turn out great you can simply add more snow!

A TRIBUTE TO KIRK.

I was asked to do this caricature as a birthday gift for a relative whose 18 year old son was tragically killed in a car crash along with three other lads earlier this year. This photo was taken the night before the accident. I can only hope I have done his memory justice.

MORE NCN VICTIMS

CERI

Another one of my daughter's friends.

LEWIS HAMILTON

FELLOW NCN CARICATURISTS

Pete Emslie, Sean Gardner, Jan Baptist, Bischoff and Klaas.

ELAINE WILCOX

This is for a mates wife who is one of the TV reporters on GMTV.

TWO SIR'S AND AN OLYMPIC LEGEND

FOUR WEDDING CARICATURES FOR THE USHERS

My biggest and toughest commission yet; each caricature has a different theme to reflect the personalities of the four blokes who are to be the ushers at the clients wedding.

30TH BIRTHDAY GIFT

This commission was for a 30th birthday gift and had to depict him running to work as an air traffic controller at Aberdeen airport but I guess that was fairly obvious.

SMALL WORLD

I got this commission from a recommendation from Kelly at Kelly Cakes (thanks!). This client wanted a caricature for her husbands 40th birthday and had emailed me a few months ago but did not have any photos because her camera was broken. She recently emailed her requirements with the photos. At that point I realised that I had just been sat across her desk a few days before because she is acting as my divorce lawyer! He definitely moves in mysterious ways.

DAUGHTER'S BEST MATE

This is one I did for my daughter's best friends birthday. It took me loads of attempts before me and my daughter were happy with it. I ended up using a different reference photo than this one to capture her likeness.

FILM POSTER

Here is my version of the Mr & Mrs Smith film poster as requested by a previous client for an anniversary gift.

NEW COMMISSIONS

A lovely couple of faces.