Tom Cruise in Days of Thunder

16″x12″ watercolor on Arches 140lb. watercolor paper

This piece is AVAILABLE through Just Looking Gallery at http://justlookinggallery.com/

“Color does not add a pleasant quality to design – it reinforces it.”  -Pierre Bonnard, 1867-1947

I did this piece way back in 1990, almost 20 years ago,  for the newspaper on the release of Tom Cruise’s latest movie at the time, “Days of Thunder”. This was supposed to be a centerpiece illustration for the entertainment page, no frills, no “editorializing”, according to the features editor. Well, caricature is innately about editorializing. It makes a statement on its own merit. The caricaturist has to do very little to get his or her point across. I’m always amazed at the comments I get when I do a caricature. They elicit all manner of thought, which is a good thing. I’ve received hate mail, bomb threats, and love letters about my work. “Why do you make people look so weird?” is one of the most common questions I am asked. How do you respond to that? It’s a caricature.

This piece was one of transition for me. My style was transcending from a very naturally-colored way of painting to a far more colorful approach of expressing my caricatures. I was experimenting a lot back then, trying to find “my style”. I still am, I suppose. I have come to recognize that as growth. I was told as a young illustrator that in order to “make it”, I had to have a definitive style. I was trapped by that statement for many years. I knew that I liked doing different things as an artist, but I tried desperately to stay with one way of expression. After much inward looking and a lot of late nights fighting off frustration and pulling my hair out, I am happy to report that I am still looking!  Enjoy!

Artwork Copyright Columbus Ledger-Enquirer