PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT ... SENSE!

A PASSER-BY IN WASCANA PARK

It’s summertime and I am all agog to go busking! For me, busking has primarily meant slingin’ and strummin’ my twelve string and blowin’ my blues harp on a variety of street corners, hoping the passers-by will toss loads of coin and bills into my open guitar case. This summer, though, shall be different. This summer I’ll be drawing quick caricatures for those passers-by who are willing to stop and pose for five minutes, then pay me ten bucks for doing so.

I have, in the past, occasionally exchanged my guitar and harp for a pencil and sketchpad, then drew pencil portraits rather than strum and blow original songs. But this summer, regarding busking, I plan to park my guitar and pencil, pick up a Sharpie, then offer five-minute monochrome marker caricatures rather than twenty-minute pencil portraits.

For July, I’ve already booked two gigs as a caricaturist. This coming Saturday, June 28^th, I’ll be drawing at the MANITOU BEACH BUSKING FESTIVAL in Watrous, Saskatchewan, and after that, drawing caricatures at the OLD WIVES LAKE FESTIVAL, July 19^th, in Mossbank, Saskatchewan!

And how did I get from being a pencil portrait busker to a quick-draw caricaturist? Both the long and short answer is simply through practice, practice, practice, and more practice! Marching in my CHAUCERIAN PARADE this week are those who graciously volunteered to be my models my practicing five-minute caricatures:

ANOTHER PASSER-BY IN WASCANA PARK

Here are some staff from my favorite guitar shop, B-SHARP in REGINA, SK.

CRAIG (OWNER)

TYSON

JORDAN

MY BEST FRIEND LOOKS 20 YEARS YOUNGER!

MY COLLEAGUE

IN HER NEW HOUSE!

IN HIS NEW HOUSE!

Here is my first pet five-minute caricature.

"GEORGE" AT WORK

Here is my first photo five-minute caricature.

MY CALGARIAN ACADEMIC FRIEND

MY CALGARIAN FRIEND, AGAIN!

My second photo five-minute caricature:

MY DRIVE-THRU FRIEND

TAKEN AT THE DRIVE-THRU

Accustomed to the peripatetic nature of my traveling light and stealth as a guitar busker, I shall carry these same traits into my caricature busking. For my caricature buskspot, I will simply scatter on the ground around me, a few laminated pictures of some of those (above) who marched in my Chaucerian Parade.

For my caricature debut this Saturday at MANITOU BEACH, I am planning on some basic creature comfort and convenience for my buskspot. I will pack along a couple of lightweight canvas lawn chairs, where my consumers and I shall sit knee-to-knee while I sketch their visages. 

In the meanwhile ... I’ll just PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!