MY LIFE AS A BONA FIDE CARICATURIST: EVERY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE!

 

MY LATEST BUSINESS CARDS

“EVERY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE” seems an apt descriptor for my latest avocation, that being a bona fide caricature busker. From many directions in a random fashion, my life as a caricaturist is getting wind and taking sail. As noted on my brand-new business cards (see picture atop this paragraph) I’m up for drawing caricatures practically anywhere for any type of event. From wedding receptions to gender reveals to pet portraitures, playing Paladin, HAVE SHARPIE – WILL TRAVEL!

Following a summer of drawing caricatures at several rural festivals and street fairs, I’ve spent this past couple Saturdays setting up to draw at the EMF MARKET MALL in Regina, SK. At the EMF Market is where I met the neatest kid, Archit, who happened to be selling his acrylic paintings just a few vendors down the aisle from my caricature station.

ARCHIT'S STORY

Here are a few more of my customers at the EMF MARKET MALL:

Back to every which way but loose, a few weekends ago, I was invited to a Sunday brunch party to draw the attendees’ caricatures:

For the chef at THE CURE (a downtown bar), who was turning 40, I drew his caricature:

This next caricature is one of the most popular celebrities in Regina, TRISTAN OREMBA:

At the beginning of summer, one of my other job administrators had been transferred. For my farewell present, I drew her caricature:

And at the close of summer, one of my colleagues insisted I draw his best friend!

Factoid: It has been the perfect summer for me drawing caricatures. My caricature busking began at the MANITOU BEACH BUSKERS FESTIVAL, followed by a caricature stint at the OLD WIVES LAKE SUMMER FESTIVAL. From there I was invited to draw caricatures at the LIMERICK ANNUAL FARMERS’ MARKET and then invited back to MANITOU BEACH to draw caricatures at RELICS ANTIQUE SHOP.

Yes. This summer I have learned lots about being a caricaturist. In fact, three personal epiphanies have jumped out at me from these summertime adventures. First, I now realize that I am accursed with a busking addiction. This began with a guitar busking addiction (throughout Western Canada, Western Europe, and even Africa), continued into a banjo busking addiction (mainly Regina), then to a didgeridoo busking addiction (also mainly in Regina), a pencil-portrait busking addiction (Western Europe and Africa), and now caricature busking (so far only in Saskatchewan and British Columbia)!

Yes. I am an accursed BUSKING ADDICT. (Hmmm. But I suppose one could do worse than being addicted to busking!)

My second epiphany is that I am flummoxed by the simple fact that people DO NOT KNOW what they look like! This, of course, is a general statement and inductive reasoning need not necessarily apply, but this epiphany has been confirmed and shared amongst all those that I know in the portrait artist community!

And my third epiphany is that, for me, there is more money to be made busking as a caricaturist than busking in every other regard. When I am drawing caricatures, there is usually a lineup of people ready to pungle up and pay me $10.00 a pop! This works out to $10.00 per 10-minute caricatures, which approximates to $60.00 per hour. (I’ll not want to mislead, dear readers. At times I have made lots of money guitar busking, my record being over $600.00 in one day. But that was just one time. Most times whilst strumming I’ll take in $50 to $100 bucks in a two-hour stand. Drawing caricatures is physically easier and mentally more fun, as I’m always in conversation with my consumers.

It is said that talk is cheap, but this is not so when guitar busking. In fact, when guitar busking talk is expensive because it costs losing most of those passersby customers! Chatting, rather than thrumming and blowing my harp, halts both the music and the money!

Of those mercenary events listed on the back of my card (pictured above), I’ve yet to experience only a few to date. Regarding drawing caricatures at wedding receptions and birthday parties, I’ve been invited to none. Regarding corporate events and gender reveals, I’ve been invited to none. The same goes for retirement parties. But regarding festivals and street fairs and pet portraitures, I’ve been very busy!

My strategy to keep busy this autumn is to spend as many hours as practical in my favorite park, WASCANA CENTRE, caricature busking for practice and for profit!