Meeting Al Hirschfeld

Caricature Art

Creating caricature art is such Joy! Al Hirschfeld's work is my main inspiration, of course. I had the pleasure of meeting him at his 90th birthday celebration in June 1993 at The Algonquin Hotel. The surprise was being invited to his house for lunch the next day. Seeing the stairway mural of the stars from the Silver Screen's early days and his studio where he worked while perched in a barber's chair was unforgettable. As we ascended the stairs to the third floor studio, faded original drawings were hung in broken, sagging frames. I wondered about the value of these, since the current dollar value of a signed print was well into the thousands. In the photos above, my hair was at an awkward stage of growing long, and this engineer's cap kept it out of my face. There is no rational explanation for the rest of my outfit.

The drawings and paintings below were created for a wide variety of purposes. Some were done as commissioned paintings (Bette Midler) and some as logos (the line drawing of The Brunette Gourmette.) The caricatures of Yetta Young and Queen Aishah were done in early 2009 as cast gifts for a "Vagina Molologues" performance. The rest were done just for the fun of it! A caricature of Sherri Shepherd is currently in the works, and will be posted once it's complete. She and I shared the stage in talent competitions in the early 1990s. She was usually the winner.

Caricature Images

Capturing the unique spirit of a beloved pet is a wonderful thing. They give us so much unconditional love, and show us how to be more loving by example. They gaze at us with loving eyes, and only look away when they see the love in ours.

Pet Portraits

Fashion Illustration

My favorite subject for drawing has always been the human form. While growing up, the way attractive clothing complemented the body was always interesting to me. During my second year at a Baltimore art college, I enrolled in a class entitled "Drawing the Clothed Figure," taught by a former Fashion Illustrator. She made me aware that Fashion Illustration was a viable career choice. After a class day trip to New York, I wanted to live and study there. The Fashion Institute of Technology was my school of choice, and the drawings posted here were created during my first years working in the clothing industry. Some of them were recently enlarged and used on the set of a national McDonald's commercial.

Children's Clothing Art

One of the best work experiences I ever had was with a company that manufactured baby clothing. Here are some close-up images of the actual garments. The art was created for applique and embroidery designs, and I was the on-site artist working with an enthusiastically creative design team. Here's hoping that you enjoy seeing these adorable images as much as I do.

Over 300 B&W illustrations (see samples below) were created for a 3 volume book series. The main theme chronicles the milestones and challenges a man faces in the course of a lifetime. The books were published in 2008. My work was chosen from over 100 artists who submitted samples. The design firm Wander Graphics managed the project, and working with them was a pleasure. We worked closely together to ensure that the image conveyed the author's vision. Since the images were printed as spot illustrations, clarity and line simplicity were key components of their execution.

Line Art Book Illustrations

Portraits of Celebrities

Some of my classic celebrity images were on display at a recent showing. Few of the young people there knew of Mae West, so it seemed to be time to portray some current icons. On a recent cross-country flight, I watched a brief documentary of Pink's life and career, and was inspired to do this drawing. More will soon follow this one. Some liberties were taken with the height of her hairstyle.

Decorative Painting

This piece is being called the "Ferrari Bed." It was made by Finished By Design in Canoga Park, a family owned and operated furniture/interior design company. The bed was ordered through Jenny Bec's in Brentwood. Painting it this August was fun, and Sal and KC (father and daughter) are wonderful people. Some boy is now having NASCAR dreams!

Angelo's Art

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to a blog chronicling the day-to-day life of an artistic soul. Creativity through Art and Music unleashes profound Joy in my life. It's time to share with you the images that result from years of artistic experience, rather than keeping them carefully preserved in a portfolio. May they inspire you to connect with your creativity.

Thank you for stopping by, and feel free to comment and spread the word!

In Love and Art,
Angelo