Biography
My post high school education consisted of Glen Oaks Community College, Northern Michigan University and the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. The majors were graphic art and illustration. I was able to latch onto the school newspaper and contribute a comic strip called Just Cruisin' which was based on lifelong friends. Caricature has always been my natural artistic slant. Noses would have an inclination to intensify and eyebrows a tendency to merge all to the chagrin of the teacher or model. To this day, I get comments about 'looking amused' while drawing. The view from my side of the board is amazing.
In the mid-1980's a spot illustration of the Statue of Liberty for a local newspaper generated some interest. That front page exposure prefaced five years of political cartooning for two southwestern lower Michigan dailies. First with the Sturgis Journal and then the Coldwater Reporter. The wonderful part of the op-ed page cartoons was the opportunity to caricature figures from the world stage.
I've been whipping up caricatures since 1985 at craft shows, private functions and as personal gifts. Why? Well, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing that ‘look’ on a victim’s, er, person’s face once their eyes have found the completed caricature. The sheer joy of meeting strangers and converting them to friends equipped with only a few minutes and a marker is magic.
With the assistance of the internet I've worked on projects with fine folks from Alaska to Massachusetts and many stops in between. Meeting people during live gigs is so rewarding on many levels.
