Joe Elliott

Tomorrow is Joe Elliott's 50th birthday and I have been commissioned to create an A2 caricature of the Def Leppard frontman. Apparently he's a bit of a golf nut, so I married his two passions in the drawing. The A2 carictures take a bit longer, around 8-10 hours in total and are a bit awkward to do sitting on the couch where most of my work takes place, but I think Imanaged okay...

The Shrinks

Yours Drewly will be appearing on a kids show called 'The Shrinks' this coming October Bank Holiday weekend on The Den. This show has the concept of kids psychoanalyzing adults, and the poor unfortunate lady here is brought by her diminutive analyst to have an artist's impression done of her ideal man. What she doesn't know is that I am a caricaturist and she kinda gets a fright when she sees the George Clooneyesque cartoon I do for her. I was a lot of fun making this, and miraculously it didn't rain during the shoot; something I always found a challenge when drawing caricatures on Grafton Street in my formative years!

Wedding Board

Here's the latest commission, an A3 wedding board for guests to sign. Rough and finished pieces...

Jolly Hockeysticks!

The coaches of St.Gerard's Hockey Club in Dun Laoghaire are the latest additions to the portfolio!

Newbies!

My latest cartoons. The group shot is a bit like Mount Rushmore I think! Thank Goodness for the bit of sunshine today or I never would have got these done...no way I was sitting in on a day like that. Sat outside in the sunshine doodling all day. Nice...

Dirty Old Cowen

The power of the caricature continues to generate headlines in this country with the continuing saga of the anonymous artist behind the two nude paintings of Taoiseach Brian Cowen that were 'donated' to the RHA and the National Gallery. RTE carried an amusing piece on the controversy which (due to the number of complaints) has been taken down from their website but can still be viewed at:

http://www.scamp.ie/2009/03/24/brian-cowens-underpants/

One of these complaints, it seems was from the Department of the Taoiseach. RTE were forced to issue an apology on last night's 9 o clock news by Eileen Dunne:

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0323/cowennude.html

I find it extraordinary that in a time when the leader of this country should be focussed on getting us out of the dire economic circumstances which he himself can take some blame for having been the Minister for Finance prior to his current role, that he has time to complain to RTE about what he clearly perceives as an affront to his dignity. Even more riduiculous was Fianna Fail TD Michael Kennedy's call upon RTE Director General Cathal Goan to 'consider his position' over the report. Between Prime Time and Geoorge Lee, any even slightly amusing news items are sorely needed to stop us spiralling into what the Irish Times today reported as 'A Nation of Brooding Pessimists.' The fact that the hanging of these paintings is currently under Garda investigation is perhaps the greatest joke of all. Wasting our little remaining public expenditure in the pursuit of a practical joker who has hurt Cowen's feelings should tell us that we have already become a caricature of our former selves. Lighten up, people.

50th Wedding Anniversary

Another recent commission, this time for a 50th Wedding Anniversary. And fairly quick to do considering there are no props and backgrounds! I deliberately left blank space for the party guests to sign the image so it made life a bit easier for me. Enjoyed this gig, they are such a cute couple.