I had some fun creating a few imaginary people (as you’ll see below with Sailor Blue, The Critic and Greeneyes) who were perhaps echoes of people I’ve seen at sometime.
That led me to think of trying a few caricatures that were modelled after actual people.
But caricatures are tricky. They’re like exaggerated portraits. A portrait attempts to capture the essence of a person, while a caricature emphasizes identifiable characteristics of a person’s features for humorous effect. But how far does one take it? Jean Chretien’s facial tick, for example, is peculiar to him, but overemphasizing it would not be funny.
After I’d attempted a couple of caricatures, my dear wife suggested that if I were going to have the gaul to caricature other people, I should caricature myself. So I did. I don’t know why he looks so peeved, but he is recognizable as me. Incidentally, it took me longer to paint that stupid plaid shirt than it did to build the whole sculpture!
sailor blue, 2001, clay, acrylic paint, 23 cm h.
I was just playing here, seeing how far I could take things, like his nose.
sailor blue, 2001, clay, acrylic paint, 23 cm h.
The hair was extruded.
the critic, 2001, clay, acrylic paint, 44 cm h.
I’ve never had a high opinion of most critics, thus the sour expression.
the critic, 2001, clay, acrylic paint, 44 cm h.
I did emphasize his ears, why, I don’t know.
greeneyes, 2001, clay, acrylic paint, 38 cm h
I quite enjoy the impudent expression she has.
greeneyes, 2001, clay, acrylic paint, 38 cm h
Even her profile is evocative.
greeneyes, 2001, clay, acrylic paint, 38 cm h.
tenor ben (Heppner), 2001, clay, acrylic paint, 32 cm h.
It was perhaps impossible to capture the idea that he’s singing.
tenor ben (Heppner), 2001, clay, acrylic paint, 32 cm h.
the artist (self), profile, 2001, clay, acrylic paint, 43 cm h.
This profile captures a little more of me than the other angles.
the artist (self), 2001, clay, acrylic paint, 43 cm h.
the artist (self), half right, 2001, clay, acrylic paint, 43 cm h.
king ralph, front, 2002, clay, acrylic paint, 46 cm h.
I seldom got political with my art – and Ralph Klein was long retired by the time I did this caricature, but he, in my humble opinion, was the worst premier Alberta ever had.
king ralph, 2002, clay, acrylic paint, 46 cm h.
Klein dismantled all the progressive advances that Peter Lougheed had begun and instead concentrated Alberta’s economy on the petroleum industry, which they’re paying for now.
king ralph, 2002, clay, acrylic paint, 46 cm h.
‘Easy come, easy go.’
da PM, 2002, clay, acrylic paint, 55 cm h.
Jean Chrétien was also no longer involved in politics, although he wasn’t shy of offering the occasional opinion.
da PM, 2002, clay, acrylic paint, 55 cm h.
As I mentioned above, I had to be careful not to over emphasize Chrétien’s features.
da PM, 2002, clay, acrylic paint, 55 cm h.
All I had to work with for these caricatures was photographs from newspapers.
the prince, 2002, clay, acrylic paint, 54 cm h.
I’ve always been amused at the flaccid royal wave.
It’s probably not visible here, but the ring and cuff links had what I imagined to be royal crests.
the prince, 2002, clay, acrylic paint, 54 cm h.
