Darien Man's Hobby Has Him Meet Stars, Pols

Some people spot trains for a hobby. Others collect autographs of celebrities. Still others draw.

Darien resident Bob Carley's hobby is a bit like those others: It involves getting his picture taken with a celebrity as he gives the famous person his caricature of that person, framed and surrounded by quotes.

Carley presents his (always gentle) caricature and has someone snap his picture as he's doing it.

The celebrity is nearly always charmed, thanks Carley and walks away with his gift. Carley walks away with another photo. It's a symbiotic, if brief, relationship.

Carley has given more than 300 actors, politicians and celebrities their caricatures, he said.

John Kerry "actually asked for it—which is the ultimate compliment," Carley said.

At one event, Carley didn't have anyone around to take a picture of him giving Colin Powell a caricature—so Carley took a picture of Powell talking with Henry Kissinger instead.

After giving New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg a caricature, Bloomberg gave Carley a gift of a small lapel pin with a New York City theme.

Carley didn't see Bill Clinton when the former president came to town, but he had seen him twice before, he said.

Over the years, Carley met seveal of this year's GOP candidates for president to give them his portraits. He drove three hours to New Hampshire to present one to Ron Paul.

Carley remembers Mitt Romney as being "incredibly nice," Mike Wallace as being hesitant to accept the caricature of himself, although in the end he did, and Condoleeza Rice as not at all interested in accepting Carley's gift.

Kirk Douglas told Carley that he'd hang the caricature in his dressing room, and Jesse Jackson had one of the warmest reactions. Carley stood in a hallway of a building where Jackson was speaking and was able to get his attention.

"Ooooweee!" Jackson exclaimed, then called his friends over to show it to them. "I thought he was going to be a real stuffed shirt," Carley said.

Alicia Silverstone was also nice—but she wouldn't let him get a photo of him presenting the caricature to her, although she asked him for it. Carley took his drawing back home with  him.

Carley has been drawing since he was a toddler. At Darien High School, he drew caricatures of all his teachers, and drew a bit for Roll Call newspaper when he was an intern in Washington D.C. Carley graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and later worked in marketing for a tobacco company until he was laid off. He's still trying to get a job, but in the meantime, his avocation gives him something to do.

In the past few years, Carley has taken up acting as an extra in television shows and films, sometimes playing doctors, teachers or just restaurant patrons.

Some people actually make a modest living at being extras, he said, although for someone living in Darien, train fare eats up a lot of the earnings.

Carley doesn't think his art is a path toward a career although he does want to exhibit his work and get more recognition for it. In November, around election time, he said, Central Connecticut State University in New Britain is mounting an exhibition of his political caricatures.