<a href="http://katherinehilden.wordpress.com/" title="Caricatures Chicago and Beyond">Caricatures Chicago and Beyond

Posted in Birthday, Friends, gift | Tagged Arizona, cattle, cowboy, general, poet, raconteur | Leave a Comment »

Valentine’s Day at The Hallmark

February 26, 2012 by katherinehilden

It’s always a privilege to work at the Hallmark and draw the residents and their guests. The sun was streaming in over Belmont Harbor. Fresh flowers on the café tables and goodies to go with coffee and tea. A combo was playing sentimental tunes to complete the Valentine’s Day mood… “Let me call you sweetheart…” I drew mostly women and some couples and children. It was a treat not only for the residents but also for those guests who were shopping for retirement options for themselves or for their parents. The leisurely ambiance allowed me to chat a bit and hear some life stories or at least snippets of life stories, for which I’m grateful .

Here’s a small selection of my drawings from that afternoon.

http://facefame.wordpress.com http://artamaze.wordpress.com——————————————————

Posted in celebration, Employee party, Family party, Therapy | Tagged guests, Hallmark, senior living, sweetheart, Valentine's Day | Leave a Comment »

Valentine’s Day: Rachel and José

February 17, 2012 by katherinehilden

Rachel and José are theater people in Brooklyn, working at the trade and bound to be famous soon. He’s 5’6”, she’s 5’10”. They’ve been together for two years, get along famously and their friends are all height doesn’t matter. The parents are not chiming in so much. So for Valentine’s Day they treated themselves to a kind of documentation of their enduring love. Worth it!! Turned out to be a big hit back stage with the rest of the crew and cast. The rents are trying to catch up, they told me. Congratulations, Rachel and José!

Posted in celebration, From Photos, Therapy | Tagged Brooklyn, Jose, parents, Rachel, theater, Valentine's Day | Leave a Comment »

“Art from the Heart” in Crown Point, Indiana

February 11, 2012 by katherinehilden

To fund the art program in his school, Tom Ruiz, an energetic young principal organized a fund raiser and called it “Art from the Heart.” It was held in the school gym, involved raffle prizes and, of course, a famous caricaturist. It would be an exaggeration to say that half the town showed up, but the place was buzzing. A fun crowd, very personable people and very interested in my technique. I learned that Crown Point has a population of about 20,000 and six florist shops; I learned this from a couple of florist who sat for me. Somehow, that ratio speaks favorably about a town. Thank you, Tom!

(More pictures to follow.)

Posted in Promotion, School event | Tagged art, art program, Crown Point, florists, fundraiser, heart, Indiana, Tom Ruiz | Leave a Comment »

Skylights in Glenview

February 6, 2012 by katherinehilden

A small company in Glenview specializes in skylights. How small? Small enough to fit everybody into the party room at Hackneys on Lake and be drawn—with spouses—by that caricaturist, what’s her name, that famous one. But big enough to have clients in two-hundred-and fifty-nine cities. I remember that number as the correct answer to one of the questions in the quiz game planned by the owner, who’s energy and wit is reflected in his name—Buff. He’s a math-and-science guy who also has perfect pitch in social encounters and in running the human relations of his company. I enjoyed all his people, who seemed to have interesting and interested lives, with several of them being serious musicians. Yeah! Thank you, Buff and Jeff!

I’ll post a few of the pictures from that evening here.

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Posted in celebration, Employee party | Tagged famous, Glenview, Hackneys, human resources, musicians, perfect pitch, skylights | Leave a Comment »

ohbabybaby

February 4, 2012 by katherinehilden

She was demure, mostly. Her posture was composed and genteel. She looked straight at me as if she had been instructed for a movie take. The deep iridescent blue highlighted her hooded eyes to great dramatic effect. I looked at her, I looked him, I tried to read this relationship. She noticed my quizzical look and twitched the corners of her pouty mouth in amusement.

Amusement and tolerance. She was putting up with him, evidently. How shall I describe this man? He was rotund and leaned towards her so that his head was snuggling against her shoulder and neck, all the while giving me a knowing, squinty look or maybe a leer. He smiled sweetly, seductively, even lasciviously, and at the same time he projected innocence, even a child-like pleasure in just being alive. He tilted his head so that I had a hard time getting a look at his baby face. A leering baby face? No, scrap that. Try Buddha. Maybe that’s closer: the smiling Buddha, or if not, then one of those Zen monks who’ve just been zapped and melted in satori. In other words, I couldn’t pick up a reading on this guy.

So, I drew her demureness first, hoping that he would find himself somehow in my drawing. I don’t have a lot of time to figure these things out, you know. There are ten people in line, gotta get this drawing done. I drew his Buddha-baby face and then, suddenly, my brush-tip marker went with the feeling. And out came this fat, sturdy baby, belly-button and diapers, shoulder pulled up in a knowing sassiness and hand on hip.

When I turned the drawing around for them so see, her lapis lazuli eye lids sparkled and he, well, he must have recognized himself. He lost it.

Several minutes later, as I was drawing the next or maybe the second or third couple after them, I felt a gentle pair of arms embracing my shoulders and a cheek against my left ear. I rubbed his arm. He was moved and grateful. I tell you, that brush-tip marker sometimes gets at that pleasure of just being alive.

(This post is the last of the series that started 12.13.11 with “American Eagle Party at Rosemont Convention Center” and then heated up to “Cleavage” and “Da Thong.” It was just a great party!)

Posted in celebration, Employee party | Tagged American Eagle, baby, Buddha, demore, hug, Rosemont | Leave a Comment »

Demo at Utrecht

February 1, 2012 by katherinehilden

It’s my favorite art supply store. I’ve bought my painting supplies there for years: oils, acrylic, linseed, brushes, stretchers, and canvas on the bolt. Great products, all. But it wasn’t until this past fall, October maybe, that I noticed that Utrecht had a house brand marker. I tried the nib and fell in love with it. By nib I mean the point end (the chisel ends of markers behave pretty much the same way). Drawing with the point end is like painting with a brush; all the nuances and possibilities are there. I was so enthusiastic about this discovery that the next time I was in the Loop I walked into Utrecht for yet more Utrecht markers and mentioned my excitement over this product to the assistant manager. I would be happy to do a demo, I said, to promote this wonderful marker. Good idea, let’s do it!

Utrecht used to be on the corner of Michigan and Jackson, near the School of the Art Institute and those students would buy their supplies at Utrecht. The new location, on Wabash between Monroe and Madison, is just as convenient. Same knowledgeable sales staff, bigger store, more products.

For the caricature demo using Utrecht markers on Canson Lay-Out paper I was set up directly in front of the entrance. It was great to face colleagues (art students and art teachers) across my drawing board. Here are a few of the people I drew last week.

My next demo at Utrecht is scheduled for Wednesday, February 8, late afternoon-early evening. The drawings are free.

Than you, Ricardo!———————————————————————-

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Posted in Promotion, Technique | Tagged promotion, Utrecht art supplies, Utrecht Markers, Canson paper, caricature demo, store, art students, art teachers, Loop, Wabach | 2 Comments »

Da Thong

January 31, 2012 by katherinehilden

Men usually do show up fully dressed, but sometimes they’re so confident and so sexy that the only way to draw them is stripped down to the essential item. At fraternity parties—and I’ve done fraternity parties—this all-important item is called “the package.” It’s great to draw a Speedo, a thong or a caveman’s scrap of leopard skin. Quick, too, just a flick of the drawing tool. A generous flick, since the artist gets paid for this perfect stroke. Ok, enough of this.

Here’s a guy who just collapsed when he saw his drawing. Not to worry, he then curled himself back up, threw his head back and roared with laughter. This is good for you, did you know that! He was obviously a punctual, conscientious, hard-working member of this company, so much so, that he quite obviously didn’t have time to go to the gym. And he wouldn’t have a tattoo, that much I could also guess. So, to be portrayed as a muscle man with a tattoo (R is for his wife, Rochelle, who couldn’t attend this event) was beyond his daily image of himself. In reality, that is. In his phantasy life, he probably appears quite a bit like the way I drew him. Who’s hung up on mere visible reality? Not me– when I’m drawing!

I do hope these drawings are worth a thousand words. When people double over– head on the table– after seeing the drawing, I can be sure that I’m close to scoring a thousand.————————————————————————-

Posted in celebration, Employee party | Tagged Christmas Party, men, sexy, thong | Leave a Comment »

Bar-mitzvah in Highland Park

January 27, 2012 by katherinehilden

If the bar-mitzvah boy is an enthusiastic photographer and accomplished caricaturist, then holding the celebration at the Art Center of Highland Park certainly is the right thing to do. The party was held in the galleries themselves, with art work all around us. The most elegant and cultivated setting you can imagine! For me, an absolute pleasure. ( I have had some of my paintings shown in these galleries. In addition to working as a caricaturist I’m also an abstract painter and teacher; see http://artamaze.wordpress.com) The slide show featured some of Jacob’s work. I found his caricatures most interesting and quite advanced, even sophisticated. Congratulations, Jacob! Thank you, Nancy.

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Posted in Bar-mitzvah, celebration, Family party, Kids party | Tagged art, Art Center of Highland Park, bar-mitzvah, caricaturist, elegant, galleries | Leave a Comment »

Wedding at the Adler Planetarium

January 22, 2012 by katherinehilden

Once you’ve seen the party space and the view from it, why would you hold your wedding reception anywhere else!? The Adler Planetarium is at the tip of a long pier and the party room curves towards the sky line and the lake—all glass, for a spectacular view. Day or night. I was fortunate to be set up for my work so that I could get a glimpse of the view. Ahhh.

This wedding reception was in the evening and the cocktail hour was set in a blue-lit spaceship, or so you would think. From beginning to end, this evening was a dream. The marriage was made in the stars…or find your own star-inspired, spacy metaphor.

As usual, the bride and groom slipped back to the dance floor as soon as the drawing was outlined and so I don’t have a shot of them as their formally dressed, beaming selves.

Friends and family thoroughly enjoyed themselves, as you can see from the photos here. It’s obvious that they were inspired and that they inspired me.

I love drawing pregnant couples. You can tell, right? And about the next …this man, a wit and charming braggadocio, promised that my blog would go viral as soon as I posted his photo. Let’s see. Oh, it’s some joke about a cheese.

I drew many more, but this will have to do here.