Caricatures put ART in your PARTY!

Call Dino DiArtist: 607-262-6438

	Born and raised in Ithaca, New York, I started drawing and painting at a very young age and just never stopped. Eager to explore the big wide world, I left Ithaca as soon as I graduated from high school. I traveled around the United States, as well as Europe and Mexico.
Eventually I settled down in Chicago, where I studied art at the University of Illinois and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the American Academy of Art.
	I worked as a freelance graphic artist and had some cartoons published in the Chicago Sun Times and the Chicago Reader.
I started drawing caricatures in the parks and on the street corners of Chicago. During the summer, the windy city is covered with festivals, street fairs and block parties.
	In 1997, I joined the caricature crew at the Six Flags amusement park in Gurnee, IL, under the guidance of Gary Fasen. Gary was a pioneer in the field of caricature, who trained many great artists. He was a strong influence on me and I am very greatful for the opportunity to have worked with him.
When Navy Pier opened, I went to work for "Faces in Focus", a caricature stand down by the waterfront. Mmmm... I can still smell the hotdogs!
During the winter, we moved inside the mall. Wow! I sure drew a lot of funny faces in all those years at Navy Pier!
	It wasn't too long before I figured out that there was less down time and more compensation in the party circuit. I did company picnics and holiday parties for everyone from Q101 to the Lincoln Park Zoo, as well as many sales seminars and children's birthdays.
The year was 1999, when I joined a professional association called the National Caricaturist Network. That's an organization of caricaturists from all over the world, and once a year, we throw a four-day party for ourselves. We stay up all night, swapping caricatures and tall tales. Sure we exaggerate a little, but what do you expect? We're caricaturists!
	After four years in Ithaca, NY, I'm on the move again! As of 2010, I'm plying my trade in sunny South Florida!