MY LIFE HAS COME FULL CIRCLE… AGAIN
Seemingly my life as an actor has transformed back into my life as an artist. Or has it just finally merged into one
I find it fascinating that my work as an actor and background performer has seemingly awoken the artist in me and in the eyes of the public. As I've gotten the chance over the last year and a half to use my talents as an illustrator and portrait artist to showcase my talents on screen. In a crazy way, my love of art and the thrill I get every time I create something new and my love for performance was always meant to join forces. Maybe thats my niche in this crazy business we call show, they say you must have to set you apart. 

Actor Luke Slattery with sketch I did of him and actress Dena Tyler, drawn on day 3.

As showcased in the pictures here, my latest gig was working on the pilot for Michael Weatherly's new television show 'Bull'. For three days, I was cast as a Court Room Sketch Artist. The art above was done on the third day, talented up and coming actor, Luke Slattery was featured testifying in court most of the day. Sadly I couldn't capture Dena Tyler, the actresses face in the sketch. Hopefully I'll get another chance when (if) the series gets picked up and begins taping its first season's episodes. I mean somebody might be cast to sketch again in court scenes, and it might as well be me right. Lets hope I passed the audition for that part, if they ever start looking. 
As the day was going on, one of the actors playing a jurist went over to Luke to tell him about the art. Well luckily for me he was thrilled.  He took a few snaps as the art was developing through out the day and at the end, after I wrapped, I gave the him the sketch as a gift. And he was gracious enough to allow me to photograph him for my records. Is it me, or should he have been cast as the new Peter Parker, I think Steve Ditko himself, might agree with me on this one.
So I basically got paid to sit in a real Court Room in Yonkers, New York, on a television pilot, and simply sketch to my hearts content. Well, that is when I was allowed on set.  The great thing was, there were several hours where I was on set while they were setting up the scenes, and I got the chance to watch the real work that you usually don't see unless you're in the inner circle. The one where the actors, the directors and the crew get all their ducks in a row,  preparing for the shoot.  For the action. I felt this much closer to my goal of being in their inner circle, while my friends the working background looked at me as if I had arrived. 
It doesn't get much better then that for me.  The best part it seemed, good or bad everyone liked what I was doing. Personally its always thrilling when your subject's and the people paying your bills get excited about what you create. The look on their faces can be the best part of the gig.   Below are the other sketches I did while working on Bull.

 On the set of Bull, Jane Dashow as Judge Greenfield. Drawn on day 1.  

Jane Dashow and Peter Francis James as Clyde Rutledge, this sketch drawn on day 1 of the shoot, and will be featured on camera as I'm drawing it.

Jane Dashow, Peter Francis James, and Katherine Reis. Dawn on day 2.

Katherine Reis as Taylor Bensimon on the witness stand, drawn on day 2.

My abilites as an artist have been showcased on several television programs including: Law  and Order as a Court Room sketch artist. As the hands of a serial killer, pretending to be a sketch artist in the park on Law and Order: CI. I was the lead in the film The Painter as the Painter, and most recently I was seen as Court Room Sketch Artist's in the upcoming season 2 Premiere of The Jim Gaffigan Show and as showcased here, the Pilot episode of the new Michael Weatherly series, Bull.
I just had an idea. Perhaps I need to pitch a series about a Court Room Sketch Artist, the silent witness if you will, to each criminal case tried in court, cant't remember that ever being done before. And for once the actor playing the character wouldn't need a photo double doing the art. Now, if I can get a meeting with Dick Wolf…  

Guess thats it for now, hope you enjoyed the view.
Neil