I had a blast last night with John Casey and other fellow artists at the Drawn Together event to benefit Children’s Fairyland storybook park in Oakland.
We got set up before the crowds gathered and had about two hours to draw, paint or otherwise make art to be sold at the night’s auction. Not a typical auction where bids keep rising, the works were set at a fixed price of $50 each, and competition for any individual piece was settled by drawing from a giant deck of playing cards. There were a few high-demand items that gathered more aspiring buyers than available cards, but the fans were mostly well-behaved in the scrum. A feeling of wise-cracking good humor ruled the night, thanks to our stellar host, Shannon Taylor, Director of Art and Restoration at Fairyland.
It’s always tough to document the drawings when they’re finished after dark. We all had our own lightning, but the best I could do was photograph my pieces on the wall before the auction began. These images have shadows and glare, especially on the rabbit, but at least it’s something.
This was my first time participating in a nighttime live-art event, and my first at Children’s Fairyland. I’d attended as a guest in the past, but not as one of the attractions. I hope to be invited again next year, and have already begun plotting pieces for 2023!
Fairyland Photos


