Your Proud Career Moments!

[Victor Pross]

Your proud career moments!

What are the highlights and proud moments in your career? Come on, name a few!

Here are some of mine:

Generally: As it may be known, I am a professional Toronto caricaturist and illustrator. On the whole, I have extensive experience in caricature art, comic art, editorials, game boards, character design, CD covers, print advertisements, etc. I have also been privately commissioned for live events and commercial events. Basically, I must have drawn over 100,000 faces at these events over the years! (or do I exaggerate?) Really, I have done hundreds upon hundreds of these types of commissions and they do all tend to blur together, but I would like to highlight some proud career experiences.

Some highlights and proud moments would include:

***

*Teaching caricature, character design and humorous illustration at Max the Mutt Animation school here in Toronto. I enjoyed my stint as a teacher. I became rather close to my students, and it was rather sad to have to say good-bye. Once, I received a round of applause from the students on the last day of a final semester, and it left me chocked up. That made me feel very proud.

*Caricaturing actor Fred Ward when he appeared in Toronto for some on location shooting. Actually, the studio needed to hire an artist to paint a caricature portrait of Fred Ward’s character and the painting appeared in the movie for which it was commissioned. (Was it art or a movie prop?)

*I was commissioned to paint Ron Howard’s caricature portrait as a gift for the famous director. I have also been commissioned to paint a head-honcho at the William Morris Agency.

*I have also contributed articles on the caricature genre to magazines such as “Caricature” and “Exaggerated Features”. (This last is published by the NCN—National Caricature Network).

*I am very proud to have been interviewed by many television shows (and print articles) which would include shows like Canada AM, Breakfast Television, News at Noon, etc—and I have been pegged by Canadian Media as being “Canada’s foremost caricature artist.” I don’t know where this started and it does ring of standard media hyperbole, but who am I to argue with the press? What am I--a trouble maker?

*Finally, (without gong on and on) I am very proud to be working diligently on Icons and Idols, a book I'm writing, but it will primarily consist of my paintings.

*Live gallery events are always a plus!

I studied at the Toronto School of art and the International Academy of design and art. I also attended York University.

***

There you go.

Now it is your turn to step up to the plate and share some of your proud career highlights with the rest of us. Come on, don’t be shy—be proud.

:turned:

Edit: Harrumph! I am also very happy to have worked on Rich Engle’s CD cover for his first album. I liked this commission because Rich took the chain off me and allowed this dog to run wild—creatively speaking.

Edited February 28, 2007 by Victor Pross

[Wrighty]

As a sports and performance coach the proud moments are helping and guiding protegees and students to their achievements.....knowing that I've made a difference for them.....enriched their lives.

Those actions have then enriched mine - so yes that's the achievement.

Working with young people over the last 10-12 years the nicest payback is when they meet and greet you in the street in such a positive way....like they appreciate the time and care you lavished on them which for them was quite a different experience to the norm. I suppose that highlights the difference between coaching and teaching. The other good feedback is hearing from 3rd parties what protegees felt you have done for them in the past.

It always restores my faith (if it was ever wilting) in the goodness of human nature and (especially) the admiration and generosity of youth.

My most amazing sporting intervention, of which I am personally quite chuffed, was at half time in a rugby match where my side were losing badly and pretty ragged. I listened as their (and the other coaches') chat in the break disappeared in ever decreasing and meaningless circles. Before the re-start I asked for 30 seconds of their time.....got them physically and mentally connected with some synchronous abdo breathing and basically gave them all the means of a combined calmness and focus. They amazed themselves, won the game, and couldn't understand what had happened or how it had happened. At the post-match chat one of them pointed at me and said "you're a magician". I just reminded them that they had done it and not me and that that's the power of controlled breathing!

As I'm just qualifying as a hypnotherapist, hopefully there are some more uplifting moments just around the corner.

I just get a great buzz from helping people get to where they want to go and making a small difference in their lives.

[Chris Grieb]

Victor; I am crushed, CRUSHED that you did not mention my portrait as one of your career highlights.

[Victor Pross]

Victor; I am crushed, CRUSHED that you did not mention my portrait as one of your career highlights.

Oh Chris, don't be crushed. You are not a "career highlight". That caricature drawing was more meaningful: It was a gift for an OL friend.

[Ross Barlow]

When I taught high school history and philosophy back in the States, my philosophy elective course was called Great World Ideas. It consisted of lectures and of readings from the great philosophers with a heavy emphasis on rationality and libertarianism. The introductory reading was *Philosophy: Who Needs It?* by Rand. Other readings included portions of Plato’s *Apology*, Aristotle’s *Nicomachean Ethics*, Cicero, Tacitus, Aquinas, Hobbes, Locke, Herbert Spencer’s “The Right to Ignore the State” from *Social Statics*, Albert J. Nock’s “On Doing the Right Thing,” Hayek’s “Why the Worst Get on Top” from *The Road To Serfdom*, David Friedman’s chapter on the Icelandic Viking society under Rule of Law but without a government from his *The Machinery of Freedom*, Rand’s *Man’s Rights* and *The Nature of Government*, plus many other readings.

My proudest moment was when two graduates – girls who had both taken this course from me -- came back to visit their old alma mater at Xmas break and appeared at my classroom door. One was a political science major in some college in NYC and told me that my course had given her the basics for a solid understanding of her major. The other one was attending Dickinson College and told me that she xeroxed the lecture notes and readings from my class and passed them out to all her friends in her political science classes, who all raved about the fresh perspectives and the boost it gave them academically. These two girls were ecstatic and wanted to thank me in person.

Another great moment was when a former student of mine who had taken my Honors US History and Great World Ideas classes informed me that he had an article published in *Reason*.

This provided a sense of renewal for me as a teacher and helped me to continue to give my best for some years to come. Had my health held up, I would still be there enthusiastically cheerleading for rationality and liberty. It warms my heart in the memory.

-Ross Barlow.

[BAMF]

My proud career moments:

Learning how to use a typewriter, shredder, staple remover (!), copy machine, 400 System, etc.

I'm also proud to have learned how to deal with assholes on the phone. Okay...so maybe I still don't do that very well. "I'm sorry 'bout that, sir..." NOT REALLY! :shifty:

Okay, I'm obviously just joking around, but I did learn how to use all those things and more. I'm still sort of proud of that, even though that wasn't my life goal or anything.

P.S. I also learned how to eat cake at an office birthday party, but still manage to tune out the, "Oooooh, I'm so bad...I shouldn't be eating this. This is going straight to my hips!"

[Danneskjold]

Junior Olympics in Arizona as a fifteen year old (16u age group).

Varsity as a freshman (state quarterfinal team)

7.5 Perfect Game (scouting agency) rating at the 2006 California Underclass Showcase, tied for the highest rating of any 2009 graduate in the showcase (Also got honorable mention, barely missing the Top Prospects Team

Four of five tackles (depending on how you count them) in the state semifinal game as a sophomore in football (after starting the season as a 5th or 6th string linebacker)

Top level of 14-15 age group baseball as a 14 year old

Dodgeball god (unofficial)

Oh, and right now I'm proud that in my journalism class I'm yet to have gotten a point marked off in one of my articles.

Edited March 1, 2007 by Jeff Kremer

[Chris Grieb]

Jeff; Your absence has been noted. We missed you Kid! Your proud career moments are impressive.

[Danneskjold]

Recent homework upsurge. Hate the stuff. I'll be on whenever I can for sure.

[BAMF]

Just do like I do and don't do any of it.

Also, LMFAO at "Dodgeball God"

[Victor Pross]

I wouldn’t call this a proud career moment, but it was the most unusual: I was commissioned by a guy who bought a car once owned by Tammy Baker, (the other half of televangelist Jim baker) and he wanted me to paint a picture of Tammy! Now get this. He wanted to fasten the painting to the front of car! I suppose that while driving desolate roads at night, Tammy Baker will be a beacon of light to guide the way. :frantics:

Edited March 2, 2007 by Victor Pross