Finding a really good artist...

by Mike Worley

As I went into the park this morning, there were deer at a wooded area right at the business entrance...

There were 5 in all, and unfortunately I could only get pics of their backsides. Gotta get faster with the camera!

Every now and then, there comes someone who shouldn't be as good as they are. Len and I found that out when we hired Jacob Duncan. He started out in caricatures, and in his first year did the unheard of thing of winning a few of our "caricature contests. We then moved him into the Airbrush T-shirt shop, and his ability to pick it up was uncanny. When I became manager, he became my assistant. And while he has had challenges indicative with entry level management, his artistry is exemplary.

The Airbrush shop has struggled this year, as outlined in my previous post. So we decided to try to spiff things up, changing out designs, and trying new things. One thing I had him do was to create premium level art for the Halloween season. Tonight's post is dedicated to his art in getting "phase one" done. There will be lots of images, so be patient. Here's the first one I threw at him. A classic, from "London After Midnight"...


I wanted to try to have as wide range of "monsters" to exhibit. And not to do the "expected" ones, but throw in others. His second one was from the upcoming "Wolfman" movie...


Next, I threw him a curve, or curves...the lovely and luscious Ingrid Pitt from "The Vampire Lovers"...


A lot of images, I couldn't use. But I wanted variety. I thought this creepy kid from "Night of the Living Dead" was just the trick. I really DO need to see the movie...


We couldn't entirely go for obscurity, so this one was next...


I gave Jacob a "change-up," as it were. We have some wildlife images at the shop which are not as expensive as the portraits. I thought this one would give the shop more of an edgy feel...


This one was very challenging for him. She's not only mean, but green. And the #1 villain of the movies. More frightening than any monster, more psychotic than Heath, more evil than J. R. Ewing...


I've never understood the "fear of clowns" thing, but this one has given a lot of folks the "willies." One of Tim Curry's finest moments, and not in drag!...


Here's how they look on one of the outside walls...

And the shop, in general with "Bruce" added out front...


Like I say, "the kid's" got talent! Kind of kick in the pants for me to quit whining and get back to creating, drawing and painting.

Next...the Ren Fest, and some of the stuff I've been doing at the shop to not totally look like a piker.