Today's suggestion came from Jordy O. back in CO who suggested that I set up shop in a crowded place and draw caricatures of people....for free. This idea got me excited because I have always thought those people who can draw really well are awesome. I cannot draw really well. I cannot draw well, or even okay, so today got me a bit outside my bubble, if I may use the term.
My first goal was to figure out the perfect clientele for this. Who would be willing to sit and get a crappy picture drawn of them for fun and think it was cool and possibly hang it on the wall? A young area of town with college students and hipsters? Bingo. Washington Square Park was the spot. Fun Historical Fact #14: Woody Guthrie was one of the first people to play music publicly in the park way back in 1941. He would sit around with his sons after church and play folk music*.So I set up shop with my trusty sign and waited for people to come around. I hit the perfect storm for people traffic: a school day at lunch hour. People and food and dogs in clothing running amuck, along with friendly lunchtime conversations that started something like
"Mark said that Karen said Billy told Helen that him and Sarah weren't dating anymore". What? Sometimes I miss college, azqsometimes I don't. Anyway, my first taker was a lovely woman named Wafaa. Wafaa is a painter from Morocco visiting her friend Leon in Brooklyn. Of course the FIRST person who sat down for my shitty art was a PROFESSIONAL PAINTER. Wafaa and Leon, who is ALSO a professional painter, were very nice to me, but I can only imagine them thinking "No wonder this kid doesn't have a job." You can check out Leon's art here. Wafaa, send me your link and I will post it. She did not speak very much English, so we had to do some translating, but it worked out. Art has no language.
Next up was my man Avi Colon. Avi strolled up to me with a swagger that only some men possess and perform correctly. Avi had both down. The man was the real deal, but obviously was in dire need of a self portrait. As I started working on his picture, I asked Avi about his lif
e. He told me he is a musician from around these parts, and has been playing music all his life. Anyone who knows me or read the post two days ago knows I love music, so I knew this guy was awesome. Avi has been around long enough to know a thing or two, and paid his dues to get to where he is now. I asked what one of his favorite moments playing was, and he said it was when he opened for Peter Frampton. Peter Frampton! Mr. Baby I Love Your Way talk box loving Frampton! This show was in front of 100,000 people. Tell me that is not completely badass. Anyway, so as I was unsuccessfully trying to fix the nose I have drawn for him, he told me he is about to get another big break: Don King has commissioned him to write the intro song for the next Mayweather fight. Whaaaaaaaa? Don King is still alive? Either way, Avi has it going on. As I was finishing up the last touches, Avi turned to me and said, "You're a good kid, we could do a lot of cool things together. Look me up when I'm playing and come to the shows as my guest. They'll let you in for free." I have a lifetime VIP pass with Avi. Thank you brother.
My last piece of art went to Sean (not spelled Shawn or Shon or Scheauexn). Sean is a Junior at
e. He told me he is a musician from around these parts, and has been playing music all his life. Anyone who knows me or read the post two days ago knows I love music, so I knew this guy was awesome. Avi has been around long enough to know a thing or two, and paid his dues to get to where he is now. I asked what one of his favorite moments playing was, and he said it was when he opened for Peter Frampton. Peter Frampton! Mr. Baby I Love Your Way talk box loving Frampton! This show was in front of 100,000 people. Tell me that is not completely badass. Anyway, so as I was unsuccessfully trying to fix the nose I have drawn for him, he told me he is about to get another big break: Don King has commissioned him to write the intro song for the next Mayweather fight. Whaaaaaaaa? Don King is still alive? Either way, Avi has it going on. As I was finishing up the last touches, Avi turned to me and said, "You're a good kid, we could do a lot of cool things together. Look me up when I'm playing and come to the shows as my guest. They'll let you in for free." I have a lifetime VIP pass with Avi. Thank you brother.My last piece of art went to Sean (not spelled Shawn or Shon or Scheauexn). Sean is a Junior at
NYU and has taken 1 class on basic art. This is more than I have ever taken. Well done sir. Sean sat down for his fitting and immediately asked if he can draw me while I draw him. The tables turn. Artist becomes art. This feels like "As Good As It Gets" (I must draw you...), except I didn't take off my shirt. Halfway through the art process Sean ran off. Where did he go? You're not done Sean! You need your art! A couple minutes later Sean came back and said "Sorry I saw a girl that I had lost the number of and I needed it." I replied "Ah, is this a friend, a girlfriend, or just a make-out friend?" Sean paused a second and replied "I guess all of the above." Touche sir. I'm glad you got that number back. Make sure you hold onto it this time. I felt a bit bad from Mr. S because his picture turned out the worst of them all (I even added a note 'sorry this doesn't look like you'), but I guess you can't win them all when you're a Finance major. I hope you put it up on your wall though. Let me know about it. Yours is going up on my wall, even though the other half of my body is a snake. I dig it.
Thanks for following along. Send in those suggestions. Donate if your heart so desires. Thanks Katrina for donating! I wish the best of weekends for you. I'm thinking about taking Sunday off. I mean it is the Lord's day of rest, and football starts. Gotta stay on top of my fantasy team. My team "The Kyle Orton Era" is going to take it down this year. I feeeeeeel it. Stay well. * I overheard this from a dude giving a tour to NYU parents in the square. Pretty interesting stuff.
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