MASTER PLAN PRODUCTIONS Music Studio Ad by Elgin Bolling

 

Every  now and then Im reminded that I used to be a graphic artist and was hired to make flyers one page,quarter page and full  page Ads, like THIS one that I'm doing for a friend. He wants to remain nameless, but has actually toured all over the world working for some of the biggest names in the music industry behind the  scenes. He personally has helped me to get some of the things I want to do musically off the ground, and if you're in the NYC area, and are SERIOUS about learning music production, Piano, and how to sing and record in the STUDIO  you really should give him a call, TRUST ME its WORTH YOUR TIME!

The Art Jumble Blog: Elgin SUBWAYSURFER Bolling's 5 Best pics

The Art Jumble Blog: Elgin SUBWAYSURFER Bolling's 5 Best pics

AFRICAN AMERICAN CARICATURE ARTIST Elgin Bolling

As a busy subwaysurfer slash extreme life drawer on the trains of NYC, I frequently run into people who just cant resist, to my delight, booking me to draw at their party. After seeing me hilariously and quickly draw their fellow commuters quickly, they correctly assume, "hmmmm, if he's THAT good drawing them while they're NOT even paying attention to him, he must really be good drawing them LIVE when they actually know it. And yes, they are right. Ive booked a lot of parties that way, particularly in the Black Community.
I never really thought about it, but a lot of my African American clients have booked me as a result of seeing me draw on the trains. I constantly get the comment, "I've never seen a BLACK MAN do this before," or "I NEVER thought of having an artist for my party before!" Traditionally, us Black Folks LOVE to party! Food is a MUST and of course the DJ HAS to be good! but as far as a caricature artist is concerned.... well, that's something that "other" people do. People who have deeper pockets, or have Bar Bat Mitzvahs.
After quizzing some black folk on why they don't use caricature artists the answer is, "I dont know any black ones". Now on the surface that SOUNDS racist, doesn't it? I mean after all, the ART should be neutral. If artist is skilled, fast, and can make the picture look like you, well, it shouldn't make a difference WHAT color he or she is and YES I AGREE with this viewpoint.

BUT...

I still think it's GOOD for Black People,African Americans, Colored Folk, to Hire African American Artists, If possible.

IMAGE AND SELF ESTEEM

As People of color,who have been in some ways, marginalized and compartmentalized by society, it's important that we see each other doing other things that traditionally we haven't seen.
It's INSPIRING to Black People, especially children to see an AFRICAN AMERICAN Doctor, Lawyer, Pharmacist, and yes, CARICATURE ARTIST.
When a child, and a people see others in these professions it causes them to drewam. it makes them say, HEY! maybe I can do that TOO!
Because President Obama is in office as of this writing, MILLIONS of Black males are sitting up a little straighter and dreaming a little higher, AND feeling a little better about this country in general.
It warms my heart when a African American child looks at my picture , then says to me,
" I want to be an artist JUST LIKE YOU" when I grow up"
I NEVER get tired of hearing that, and Ive heard it a lot over the years.

One last thing....
One of the reasons that IM a professional Caricature artist TODAY is because of an African American Caricature/cartoonist named OVERTON LLOYD.

Overton drew cartoons for PHARLAMENT FUNKADELIC back in the Day and Gave life to George Clinton's outrageous characters like STARCHILD and SIR NOSE DAVOIDOFFUNK!
Overton drew a caricature of my friend, Dennis at a party and i was amazed that a BLACK MAN did this. I couldn't keep my eyes off the picture! and while I didn't get a chance to be drawn by myself, just SEEING that planted a seed in my little artists heart, that grew up into the "TREE" that I am today.

Dreams DO come true, when BLACK CHILDREN have something or someone to hang them on.

THIS CARICATURE ARTIST IS CRAZY FAST Meet ADAM PATE!

This is my buddy ADAM PATE a quick draw artist who THANKFULLY doesnt live in my part of town! LOL Adams strong point is his speed and man can he rock!

MY PERSONAL 911 STORY by Elgin Subwaysurfer Bolling

Sept 11th sticks out in my mind because it was on that day that I was starting, for me, a "new life" artistically speaking. I worked for years as a freelance artist doing illustration "the old fashioned way" by hand at my drawing board laboring for hours. I grew accustomed to working that way because it was what I was taught, what I'd always done, and it worked. I began to notice that I had my head stuck in my drawing board so long that the world had changed and now EVERYONE was doing stuff on computers using programs like Photoshop, and Illustrator.

I swallowed by pride and enrolled in an 8 week course that would bring me up to speed and make me competitive in the marketplace. It was a BEAUTIFUL day. Gorgeous BLUE sky, and Cloudless. It was the perfect backdrop for a new beginning, and as I got off the bus in Boro Park, I waiting patiently for my connecting bus.

I looked up into the sky and noticed something peculiar. Seemingly out of "No Where" I saw what looked like, at first glance, confetti falling to the ground. It reminded me of a ticker tape parade Mayor Giuliani would throw each year for the Yankees after winning the World Series. As the paper hit the ground and became more visible I could see that they were 8X11 pieces of paper Seconds later,. a man ran up to me holding a sheet, exclaiming, "look at this!" I examined it and saw that it was a page from a larger business document, but how did it get HERE?

I looked to my left, and that's when I saw it. Thick black smoke in the sky coming from the direction of the World Trade Center. I didn't know WHAT to think as I boarded my connecting bus and when to my school.

When I arrived the TV set was on, and that's when I knew that we were under attack. I watched the broadcast in shock along with my teacher and other classmates not knowing what to do, and lacking words... NO ONE knew what to say... Incredibly my instructor broke the silence. "Let's go ahead and have class," he said, so we all sat down at our computers as he gave us our first Photoshop lesson.

I am now very proficient in Photoshop and would be lost without it in my daily work. I don't even REMEMBER the instructor's name that taught me, but will always remember him having the insight and the BRAVERY for going on with the class in the face of this tragedy. For a few brief hours we all were made to forget what happening outside as we focused on the lesson, and for ME at least, it helped to focus me for what I would be facing that day.

Sept 11 we Remember by Elgin Bolling

To The men and women who died
To the Parents who cried
To the husband who lost his spouse
To the mother who comes home to an empty house
To New York's Bravest
Who fought so valiantly to save us
To all the selfless volunteers
To all of you who've shed your tears
And to the God who calms our fears
On the 11th of September
We will always Remember
What we lost
and what we won
There's so much left to be done

Elgin Bolling

The love letter

LABOR DAY CARICATURE GIG by Elgin Bolling

Did a Labor day gig on a street called "NATIONAL DRIVE" in Brooklyn. What could be MORE "Labor Day ish" than doing a gig on "NATIONAL DRIVE?" Much thanks to my gracious host for hiring me for his annual party. I always look forward to coming to his home to draw and entertain his guests. The great thing about his party is that since he's a repeat client I get the opportunity to draw a lot of the same kids year after year and see how they've grown and how my art style had improved.

This is a pic of one of the "bigger kids" , not the host, who posed for a picture. He kept claiming that I made him look like the old skool baseball catcher, "YOGI BERRA"... even though Yogi hads thicker darker eyebrows..darker hair..... tanner complexion.... and is stockier.... it's really amazing the perceptions that people have visually of themselves! His buddies at the party "corrected him"

Comics Power Heals the World

It warms my heart that people in other parts of the world are actually using the medium of COMICS to DO MORE than just make "funny pictures" "soft porn" or "autobiographical egotistical meanderings " as we do so often here in the states where we're either looking to "get paid" or get a photo op. People in Asia, Africa and parts of Europe are using this to make statements, call attention to social and political issues and to give grassroots people a voice to build community. As a political editorial artist myself I see the power in this and definitely want to be a part of it... heck, I AM a part of it already. I need to play a BIGGER PART.

Elgin Bolling Drawing at THE HAMPTONS CLASSIC HORSE SHOW

What an incredible day Sept 4 was! After biting my nails down to stubs worrying all week about what Hurricane EARL would be doing on Saturday... the weather was picture perfect, the breeze was gentle, the horses were jumping , and there I was drawing caricatures under the Big tent to a captivated crowd of children and adults. Drawing at the Hamptons Classic was such an enjoyable event that I refused literally to take a break and ended up drawing five hours continuously, and i can HONESTLY say I did over a hundred drawings all perfect!!!!


sadly, I didn't get an opportunity to draw caricatures of my fellow commuters on the HAMPTONSS JITNEY bus ride over , but I DID manage to capture some fellow commuters on the MTA going to the event and returning home that I'll share in another post.

Here's an excerpt from a press release on the Hampton Classic web site talking about yours truly...

http://www.hamptonclassic.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=159&Itemid=87

Cablevision's Kids Day Shines at Hampton Classic Horse Show
Bridgehampton, NY-September 4, 2010- A beautiful sunny day welcomed children of all ages that came to enjoy Cablevision's Kids Day at the Hampton Classic Horse Show on Saturday.
The Exhibition Kids Tent was filled with exciting activities including the Amazing Zola, the master magician, who mesmerized one and all with his amazing magic tricks. Elgin Bolling, the Caricaturist, was kept busy the entire afternoon offering a free character drawing to anyone who was willing to sit for a couple of minutes, which was difficult to do for most of the children because there was so much to see!

ZOMBIE CARICATURE ARTISTS

Here I am with partner in crime, Kenly disneyland Dillard getting ready for battle on the subway!

HEATWAVE effects kid in subway

The kid is hot and starts to sing...

I cant friggin breathe
in this thing!!

these new mothers
with their kids
they like to wear...
they dont realize
they're cutting off their
babies' air!

Hope the kid survives
his uncomfortable subway ride!

The Heatwave is reallly effecting everyone in nyc and the subways offer no relief! LOL I saw this poor kid sweating up a storm being carried by his mom in one of these "kangaroo like" contraptions that literally straps the kid in like a bad coney island ride. The heat from the mother, combined with the childs, body heat, combined with the heat from the street AND the subwaystation makes for a VVVVVERRRRRY uncomfortable ride.

BULLIES DON'T DISAPPEAR... they just GROW UP and Become the "BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE"

Maybe you're one of those folks who had a carefree childhood where you never got your lunch money taken, your hair pulled, your glasses broken, or laughed at when you walked by a group of kids in the playground.... But I wasnt. I was a victim of Bullies on a DAILY basis, and led a "charlie brown like" existence throughout childhood. I had this hope that when I grew up, BULLIES would be a thing of the past. I thought Bullying was an immature childish behavior much like excessive whining and bed wetting. With maturity and training it would vanish along with other childish things.... at a recent party I was reminded once again how bullis just "grow up" to become "beautiful people". I was drawing caricature at a party where just about everyone looked like they were coming from, or going to a photo shoot. It was a blast. These folks were successful, rich, had great careers, AND were good looking. They appeared to have it all. Yeah, ALL but one thing...another opportunity to make someone "less beautiful" the butt of a joke. One woman asked me to draw the ugliest creepiest looking caricature face of a woman I could think of and give it to her. When I asked what it was for, she gleefully replied, , "Oh, there's this REALLY UGLY woman at our job who couldn't be here tonight, so wehn we hang the pictures in the office tomorrow we want to hang "HER" picture there too and say, "look you weren't at the party , but you were AT the party"
I felt a twinge of anger flare up, but kept my composure and quietly declined, stating it would be right or fair to make fun of someone who wasn't there.

Was it any wonder why she didn't come to the party? I bet she didn't feel welcome in the office either.
That night, catching bits and pieces of conversation I was struck how these folks were busy patting themselves on the back for a successful financial year while most New Yorkers were standing in unemployment lines and wondering where their next meal was coming from. I also thought about the poor "ugly woman" had been as MUCH of a contributor to the success of the company's financial stregth, and yet for what ever reason didnt feel comfortable enough to come to the party...
BULLIES.
They never really grow up do they?
Im glad I took a stand NOT to be part of this nonsense, and in some small way, by refusing to do a picture, I felt I did MY part in stopping the whole bullying cycle..

But before I pat MYSELF on the back TOO fast, there was a brief moment, im sorry to say when I wanted to draw the picture... where I wanted to be thought of as popular and "cool" for having done it. Im glad that I resisted the urge. Maybe that's the CURSE of the beautiful people. They ALL want to remain in the same club, and some are afraid to break out for fear of becoming one of the ugly ones...

THE KOOL KIDS a poem by Elgin Bolling aka El Prophet the Scribe

THE KOOL KIDS
By Elgin Bolling

...THE KOOL KIDS

The look at me, not at YOU kids,

THE KOOL KIDS

The RULE kids
The kids, the teacher thinks
Never Fibs, Never responsible for what he did..

THE KOOL KIDS

The Me Hit YOU kids.

The Spit on your Shoes, Kids
The Push you down the Stairs,
Pull out your Chair,
Make fun of the clothes you wear kids.

THE KOOL KIDS

The ones who make you look like a FOOL kids
The kids who always get the girl
Who laugh at you when you start to hurl
Who pretend to be your friend
Only to embarrasses you in the end
The kids who take your money for lunch
Who in your face, they like to punch

THE KOOL KIDS

The Kids who got
SHOT
Because the poor Nerd
Cant take a LOT
He KNOWS it aint right to HATE
But can’t eat another lousy Morsel

THE KOOL KIDS

Have put on his plate.

Now it’s too late…

The Nerd whose done
Nothing but Heard
His good name
DEFAMED
Who’s taken the
Blame
So

THE KOOL KIDS

Can have FAME.
All he wants to be is the SAME
To have a friend who won’t
Send him away
Who say’s I’m GLAD you CAME!
C’mon! Let’s Play!
Join the game!
But there’s pain in

Isolation.

THE KOOL KIDS

Done his work of mental and emotional devestation
So without hesitation
Things go terribly terribly wrong

RATTTA TAT TAT!!

Goes the semi automatics song that does not cease…

THE KOOL KIDS

Recoil in horror,
To the NERD
It’s just sweet release..

Finally, NOW the angry,
Taunting voices will cease…
Now, finally he’s the center of attention.
And no one in the playground even dares to mention…

His crew cut
His protruding butt
His high-water pants
His bowlegged stance
His coke bottle glasses
The gas he always passes
His hair that’s never neat
His braces, and bucked teeth
His clubbed feet
The way he weeps…

They all fall in a heap
Now silent and bleeding at his feet.

There’s a lesson in this, so do not sleep.

Next time you see a kid being
Picked on
Don’t just sit on
Your Butt
And Ignore
DO MORE
To raise his self esteem
Protect him from
THE KOOL KIDS
Who are mean

Do this and we will hopefully see
Less kids in a coffin
If you do nothing
This will happen more often…

Funny how this brings to mind
A little town called
Calinbine…

Copyright 2010 Elgin Bolling all rights reserved.

Assorted subway faces of diffeent people going places by subwaysurfer

Drew some GREAT faces today. One of the keys to doing great subway caricature is to not SO much "GET THE LIKENESS" in the objective literal sense, but to "GET THE EXPRESSION" I feel that if you go for THE EXPRESSION you will get the likeness as a bonus. Extreme life drawing gives me the opportunity to observe and record expressions in a way that would just never be possible with the live model. The teenager in the middle pic is my favorite. His face literally changed expression three or four times in a minute as he was deep in thought pondering something.
The businessman on top looked at is he was just hanging on waiting for the workday to end, and had that dull thousand mile, businessman's soulless stare.... the guy with the ponytail had this look on his face that said, "HI! ENGLISH ISNT MY FIRST LANGUAGE!"

RAT on the Subway Platform

Ya know SOME people just LOOK like Rodents! LOL! Ive been riding these trains TOO LONG!

The Year In Cartoons - 2009 ... Elgin Bolling

The Year In Cartoons - 2009 ... Elgin Bolling

Awesome corporate gig at the Penthouse

I was sitting on the top of the world drawing at a swank corporate penthouse last night for a leading financial company in NYC. There was a gorgeous penthouse view that over looked the river that made drawing an absolute joy. Weather was VERY good. Not too hot not too windy and NO rain in sight! It was a blast. I can honestly say that i didn't draw ONE bad caricature the whole night. Here are a few of the folks that had fun. Now if you're wondering how I got these pics it's because I IMMEDIATELY drew two pictures of the subject. Ono for them and one for me. Funny thing is I really had to fight to keep my pictures as the guests wanted em both! LOL

The thing I like best about drawing caricatures at corporate gigs is seeing people relax and have a great time, EVEN the boss. I have the advantage of not knowing the boss in the sense that the employees do, and can put him on "equal footing" as the "rest of the victims" I often hear comments like, "draw him nice, remember he's the one paying you!" from the crowd, but I really think that in these situations the boss likes to get treated like everyone else at the event. After all, he's at the party to have fun TOO!. Now that DOESN'T mean I go out of the way to make the boss the "butt of the joke" that would be in poor taste, and I DON'T. I try to feel out the crowd and after so many years of doing this I can tell pretty accurately who really WANTS an extreme exaggeration and who doesn't. My goal is always to get a good likeness whatever Im doing and if I get THAT I'm satisfied. Exaggeration is just icing on the cake.

DOGS ON THE TRAIN! IT’S INSANE! By Elgin Bolling

DOGS ON THE TRAIN! IT’S INSANE!
By Elgin Bolling

You will find it strange
I’m sitting between tow dogs on my train
Boy, oh boy is this insane

Do MUTTS now pay admission?
Who in the world made THAT decision?
Was there some “Formal Presentation??”
Hey! I‘d really like an Explanation!

Excuse my Exclamation
But did my brain take a vacation?
Since when were Canines allowed in the station?
People now board dogs without hesitation!

What’s next?
101 Dalmatians???

THIS is one confusing situation
I can UNDERSTAND the occasion
To have a dog if you are BLIND
You need a “seeing eye” all the time..

But it’s a crime to see your pup’s
Grime in my SEAT!
Don’t you remember?
Dogs walk on their FEET!!

Your pooch may be cute!
But now there’s dirt on my suit!

So sorry miss, I stepped on your poodle!
Er..what’s THIS on my SHOE
Oh, no… It’s DOG ‘DOO-DOO!!
Who Knew that I ‘d be sharing my seat
With a Shih Tzu!! ACHOO!!!!

Doesn’t any one see that this is a HEALTH ISSUE!?
I’m ALLERGIC to dogs!
Please hand me a Tissue!

Won’t SOMEBODY LISTEN???
WON’T SOMEBODY PLEASE!!!!???
I can’t stop this itching
CAUSE IM COVERED WITH FLEAS!!!!!

Copyright 2010 Elgin Bolling all rights reserved.


It started with ONE dog and then another... I've just started to notice lately that the NYC subways are becoming combination Dog park/kennel. This is especially true in YUPPIELAND, my pet name for parts of Manhattan, but ;you can also see dog passengers on the L line that services Greenpoint, Williamsburg, and of course, Canarsie. Mostly you see little dogs like poodles chiwawahs (yeah I KNOW i spelled it wrong) and other "toy dogs" . I dont know when this trend started, but I really think its an unhealthy one and Im really wondering where it will lead. If it's now become "LEGAL" to have non seeing eye dog in the subways what's next? OTHER "exotic " pets??? Oh, dont be scared, that's my pet python,be calm! Pythons can smell fear! just the other day NO LIE I saw a man walking down 14th street carrying a live RAT... not mouse, RATT on his shoulder! Was HE going into the train station with THAT??? getting back to the DOG issue,If the MTA is allowing this now, is there a ban on the size of the dog, or maybe the breed??? I was at the Union square station recently and looked to my left to see a man with a full grown pit bull dog waiting for the train. The dog was on a lease, well behaved and didnt seem too bothered by the crowd, but there is a certain negative reaction that some people have to THIS particular breed of dog. To have it in an enclosed area only adds to the discomfort and stress some feel already riding underground in a post 911 city. And then there is the BATHROOM issue. I dont know about YOU but when a dog "has to go" they usually DO GO! and most pet owners ABOVE ground are not responsible for picking up after them, can you imagine UNDERGROUND??? It's a crazy city we live in... panhandlers are NOT allowed on the subway to beg for food, homeless PEOPLE are routinely rounded up and hurried off the train, while canines are allowed to share space underground.
You cant make this kinda stuff up people! What a city! No wonder I never lack inspiration!!