This, as we all know, is winter. And for lots of industries it is a slooooooooooww time for business. It is our worst time of year, often forcing us into living off our savings until  things pick up again — usually around April.

Two weeks ago today I decided we needed a good strong client that could use our services and give us a boost during this bleak, snowy season. BING! Immediately the phone rang.

Super guy on the other end. He owns a steel business in this area and had just bought a second one to join forces.

I have since done lots of projects to help with this bold undertaking on Dave’s part. One aspect was designing a Mascot, a cartoon figure to represent the company. After some development, here is our guy, called Tinner:

Also I did a cartoon showing the existing building and some of the crew:

And the incoming guys and equipment:

These two images were placed on a banner, twenty feet wide and five feet high. Looked rather small on the building, though:

And there was more, lots more. I drew a couple of hours at the Open House and we have plenty of other projects cooking.

Will keep you posted. Thanks for reading!

Wow, the cost of living just keeps pushing up there, eh?

Our grandchildren and other kids these days all seem to have LOTS of expensive toys: iPods, cell phones, laptops. My heart goes out to the poorer kids whose families just can not justify the hundreds of dollars those little gizmos can cost. It was always roughest on the poorest kids of course, but I suspect it is far worse now.

That thought likely came about due to our big push last month to get both our grandchildren their own computers. And that big idea came about when (a bit late) I discovered CRAIGSLIST! Yow, what a concept – an online flea market. Weird!!

And terrific for the cheapos in all of us. I might have been able to resist except for our first experience. A young guy had a small Apple iBook, a laptop computer that he described as a “piece of crap” that just would not work correctly. And cheap. We met, it seemed just awful so I offered a lowball price and got the deal.

And lucked out: a few tweaks and it is terrific. Even with the new battery our investment is less than $80. Wait a second. Give this away?? Like hell!! I LIKE it, baby, this one is mine mine mine.

So we found two more super cheap laptops and bought them, they made terrific gifts and all is well. And meantime I have a new addiction: I have to check out craigslist every DAY now. Ah well. There are worse things to be hooked on, eh?

Meantime, my friends at the Dayton City Paper are using my drawings of their writers. It is taking a while to get them all done, though. Here are a couple:

Yeah, they asked for a drawing of the official staff CAT. And had him do an interview with another cat for an item in this week’s paper. Oooooookay…

More drawings soon.
Thanks for reading!
Dennis

Ah January. A new year, a new decade, a new beginning.

Or not. We decide our future a dozen times a day with each small choice we make along the way. Somehow they add up to the big ideas and major turning points and large choices that define our lives in the long run.
Winter usually leads to melancholy reflection and I say forget that noise. It does not help. The challenge is to remain upbeat and happy and expect good things in our lives: that attitude will bring happiness and success every time.
The hard part is, sometimes it takes longer. The wait is damned hard when you are out of work or sick or in pain. Most of us have been there sometime or another and it is truly awful. But it does pass, thank God.
DRAWING: Back to business!
I had a fun project recently with a request from Carol, who knew me from a party she hosted, having me draw her guests. This time she wanted her friends and herself sketched together. The four of them go on vacation each year, funded by one member. What a pal to have, eh??
So here they are:

This was provided with printouts for each of the girls.
Carol was more than patient, waiting a looooooooooonnnnngg time for her drawing through the Christmas Crunch, then loved it to death when it finally arrived. She sent a lovely thank you note recently and included a gratuity. Thanks!!
I hope they all like the drawing and appreciate her thoughtfulness.
Best,
Dennis

Ah, winter. I remember this.

Snow. A gigantic icicle growing outside our kitchen window, sparkling in the bluish, brilliant winter sunlight. Our grandchildren came over to visit yesterday and DECLINED to go sledding: too cold.

Now that is cold. They are nutcases for any kind of fun.

I regret no drawings that I can post today. Have some that delivered recently but we are waiting for the clients to Okay their publication.

Meantime I am working on the long-suffering much-discussed Stage Act which will include caricatures. Finally I am going to do this! Sure I am, sure, sure… My wife is sick of the discussion and I can not blame her.

One thing I can have some pride in, though is a few of the the upgrades to our little studio here and some other areas around the house. It feels good to walk into the office and see our new bookcases and the various items placed upon the shelves, rather than scattered all over the room.

Not wonderful, but better.

Okay. More next time, and some drawings!

Best,

Dennis

A fun project kicked off in the Christmas crunch last month with a mail order asking for some Wacky drawings.
You may have noticed that page on this site: I do some odd and interesting drawings here and there, usually as surprise gifts from photos. Normally the client has no idea what I will do. They just provide a list of interests the person has and I work up something off the wall and – we hope – amusing.
But FIRST here is my revamped drawing of poor old victimized Tiger baby, who is being abused without mercy in the media. Hey, this is media, too, isn’t it?? Sure, and let me throw in a bit of silliness of my own while we are kicking him around…

Ho ho.
And back to something I know more about: the Christmas Crunch was less than usual, predictably enough with the worldwide financial crisis. But we did okay, thank God, and one order was notable in its novelty.
A lovely couple had the idea of Wacky Drawings for their college kids. They told me that the young lady is a psychology major and loves tennis. So:

… with apologies to Psychology Today magazine, of course.
Detail text reads: YOU’RE A SHRINK… HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT?
Below, she is identified as a psychologist and Wimbledon champion, interviewed on the subjects of SECRET AGGRESSION OF THE SERVE and DEVIOUSNESS OF THE BACKHAND and UNDERSPIN: WHAT’S IT MEAN?? Her blouse has a button reading: SHRINKS R US.COM.
Silly but fun.
Her brother, I was told, is majoring in Biochemistry and is a national contender in running track. So here is what resulted from his interests:

The sneakers are a takeoff on the classic Keds look, of course, with his face in the side disc and this text: The BIOMEDS KEDS TRACK TEAM and PATENTED DNA SPRING STEP®.
(It is likely illegal for me to place a legal Registered Trademark symbol on such a frivolous image. Ah well.)
Finally the sole has a bouncing-step device built in and this one has the DNA double-helix spiral as its functioning spring under the heel. Or at least as close as my drawing limits will allow; that is a complex image!
I do realize his major was not Biomed, but that rhymed with Keds, so I took the liberty.
Again, silly but fun.
I do hope the subjects here liked their drawings; their parents have been very nice in every respect. Thanks to them for the OK to post these!
More soon on the blog front. I am getting back into the swing of posting now.
Best,
Dennis