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Home > Caricature Portraits

Unexpectedly, creating caricature portraits to commemorate a person's life or milestone has become one of my mainstays.  I've created literally hundreds - some of which are scattered around the globe - and it's the part of my act where my own rural community has found me the most palatable!

The proposed recipient is obviously the primary focus in the composition but I also try and gather in other dominant strands of their life.These artworks have been used to woo romantic interests, thank host families, mark important occasions and farewell politicians departing office. Some have made it on to book covers and even on to the cover of the subject's funeral program - which gives me a kick, it being the image the family decided summed up that whole, multifaceted life. In fact I've been told some are regarded as heirlooms because of the weight of family information captured there.

Caricature portraits come in two basic flavours:

• There's fast and loose ( and more economical) done initially as an ink cartoon on tinted art paper then enhanced with acrylic washes.

  And there's 'The Major Work', fully painted on stretched canvas.

If you feel like giving someone the treatment, or being immortalised yourself, make contact. 



Satisfied customer, 1976


View 2020 Portrait Exhibition at Cheviot Museum on Paintings' page sidebar.

Ecan '14

Ecan '14

Just stumbled on this oldie.
A line and wash at its best with a bit of crumbly
oil pastel.
Year2014
Steamtrain Dad

Steamtrain Dad

A dynamic line & wash treatment
for this Cambridge dad's birthday.
(The featured circus elephant had leaned over 
the fence from his carriage and scoffed
their cabbages.)

Line and wash
2022
Collage Mirage

Collage Mirage

The brief for this intriguing commission ( to celebrate 25yrs) was bursting 
with exotica.
The couple had lived all over the globe, the major locations to be signified by their 
favourite dishes there and a shared passion is collaging. 

-acrylic on stretched canvas
Year2021

Pete

Pete

This image has just come to light!, and I remember what a pleasure it was to paint.
The subject works at making things better for struggling communities and individuals
( here, I think ex-prisoners) and the whole thing thrummed with good energy.

Pete's 3yr old grandson, when he  stays, must touch it on his way to bed.
Year2013
The Rock

The Rock

The client of this fun commission wanted the rock supporting
her unique family home to be encrusted with memorabilia
- and her as a siren, enticing future hubby into her waters.
Year2021
Farewell Noble Citizen

Farewell Noble Citizen

Several sports organisations chipped in to
commission this portrait of a departing ex-councillor.
Year2021
Family Freeze Frame

Family Freeze Frame

This line & wash was commissioned to capture a family dynamic which can't last.
Soon the older kids go to uni or adventuring and the family home
will downsize.
Year2021

Bill's Totem Tree

Bill's Totem Tree

Friend Bill and his grandkids
- flourishing with enthusiasms.
Year2021
SuperMum

SuperMum

PNG diplomat finally found a gift for his powerhouse
diplomat wife's birthday...showing family, postings
and his photography passion.
Year2021
A Girl, a Boy and a Bike...( & a dog?)

A Girl, a Boy and a Bike...( & a dog?)

Dutch adventurer wanted to present partner with an image of his 
favourite things ( dog, bike, her!) and indicate the mega road trip
they're planning.
Year2021
Alexandra Bound

Alexandra Bound

A retirement present for a marine engineer
with a keen interest in brewing
and car restoration.
Year2021
Maleek

Maleek

This Auckland gent wanted a line & wash
to record the trajectory of his multi-faceted life:
singer, sound-engineer, new dad and real estate agent
- and his wife's clever production of fantasy cakes and baby.
Year2020
Kipungani( Swahili for 'Place of Fresh Air')

Kipungani( Swahili for 'Place of Fresh Air')

This paintings role was to record,
in transient times,
a happy vibrant time on a colourful estate.
Year2020
Blockhill

Blockhill

An acrylic on canvas rendering
of Olmec and Melisa - and assorted critters
on their permaculture haven.
Year2017
The Whitebait Crew

The Whitebait Crew

This bunch of Cheviot worthies have gone out
whitebait wrangling together for the past decade.

Something to be commemorated with an acrylic
on stretched canvas.
Year2019
Tug Captain

Tug Captain

A farewell gift from the port to the tug captain returning to Oz.
Facing 2 weeks quarantine in Singapore then another lot 
in Perth, only the prospect of his favourite tipple awaiting
keeps him going.
Year2020
The Catch

The Catch

A fast and loose acrylic
for the mermaid to present to her
fishing-boat owning boyfriend
on his birthday.
Year2020
Winton

Winton

A farewell gift from the Hurunui Council
to its retiring mayor.

acrylic on stretched canvas
Year2019
Bee Keeper Plus

Bee Keeper Plus

This style lets you show other facets of the subject's life.
He may be an apiarist now - but he was once a commando!

It was a surprise birthday gift. He seemed to like it!

acrylic on stretched canvas
Year2019

Happy Couple

Happy Couple

A line & wash engagement present for a physio 
featuring some of the icons of his life ( including his betrothed!)
and the location where he proposed.
Year2019
Photo Finish

Photo Finish

A rapid line & wash for a client
before he and his keen photographer mate,
( about to turn 60 ) cruise-shipped off to Oz
for the Melbourne Cup.
Year2018
Growing Old Disgracefully

Growing Old Disgracefully

There was heaps of fodder in the brief
for this gentleman. From psychiatric nurse, through
motorcycle cop and Elton John security guard to 76yr old biker
and fuel tanker driver! Thank you, thank you...
Year2018
Carl

Carl

A Kiwi arborist married into Japanese culture gave plenty of visual fodder.
(Carl is also Ray's son.)

Line & wash on tinted paper.
Year2015
Ray

Ray

This is my second study of Ray.
The first, and tragically Ray himself were lost
when his house burned down
three weeks back.
Year2016
Pete's Palace

Pete's Palace

Englishman Pete wanted an image
which captured the utopian
future of his young marriage.
Year2008
Murray & Viv

Murray & Viv

...an airbrushed study from way back
of an animator and his dressmaking wife.
Year1987

...a thank you gesture for a sculpting architect.

...a retirement gift for a flying vet.
A painterly job...

A painterly job...

in which washes of contrasting colour have been used
to differentiate between the harsh zone our subject
is escaping from and the idyllic one he's headed for.

A line and wash on paper...

A line and wash on paper...

commemorating the marriage of a carpenter
and a nurse.
Starting to develop a work on canvas.

Starting to develop a work on canvas.

A fully rendered work on canvas

A fully rendered work on canvas

A 'fast & loose' rendering of our lot-
(they're almost all there!)

A 'fast & loose' rendering of our lot- (they're almost all there!)