It is too early to say whether Chris Wilson is a sprinter, stayer or world beater.
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At this juncture he has established himself as an ace for any public hospital. Why?
There's not a waiting list he can't demolish in minutes.
You have until 10am on Thursday before quick-draw Wilson completes his Guinness World Record attempt for the longest marathon drawing of caricatures.
Wilson is raising money for the Canberra Hospital Foundation. He's blazing away on the drawing board in the hospital’s foyer. He began early on Tuesday morning.
Supporters have been lining up people in front of him to draw, and he’s come out of the blocks on fire, moving faster than a greased ward trolley.
His partner, Vivienne Andrews, says bookings haven’t been the problem. “It is just that a lot of them didn’t show up so we’ve been grabbing people.
“We’ve been booking two people in for 15 minutes. He is drawing them at the rate of five or six minutes (per person).’’
So determined were Wilson and Andrews to give the record a shake they bolted from home forgetting to pack any lunch, a shaky start for the three-day marathon.
“He’ll just have to suffer,’’ says Andrews. “ Suck it up, buttercup.’’
Having seen a previous record attempt on YouTube she’s taped some of his fingers.
Andrews has seen Wilson handle four and eight hour stints on the end of his black pen in previous charitable outings.
His father, Ted, is also nearby for support and they’ll round up some water, protein bars, fruit and nuts to keep him going.
Shift workers are handy as they map out the midnight-to-dawn stretch.
The booking sheets show vacancies are highest from 2am, 3am and 4am.
In the meantime, passers by in the foyer – dozens of them – are being invited to throw coins into the can and lend Wilson their faces.
“I think it is a pretty good likeness’’ says Bronwyn Battisson after sitting briefly with her eight-month-old son, Axel, who never flinched while Quick Draw slashed to and fro with his trusty pen.
“I always start with the eyes as a base, make an anchor point, then the other eye, the nose, mouth and hair. Give everyone a big smile,’’ he says, splashing a little orange on the top of his subject’s lips and pastel green on their jackets.
He expects he’ll slow down by Thursday, when he hopes to break by two hours Puerto Rican Gary Javier’s record of 48 hours.
“I reckon by Thursday I will become Pablo Picasso. One eye will be lower than the other.’’
When not fundraising, Wilson is busiest at end-of year-parties. It’s all a bit of fun, he says.
“I’m not breathing fire, not eating a sword, and giving you a bit of a draw.’’
David Larkin, a clinical cancer research nurse with ACT Health, is the next to sit for Wilson.
“How are you going? Thanks for dropping by,’’ the sketch artist says, peeling off a fresh page from his drawing pad.
Larkin is so keen to lend a hand he says he'll line up three times over the next three days.
“I struggle with good-looking guys and good-looking girls, ‘’ says Wilson.
“Next time come with a bald head, it’s much quicker. Looks like I’ve caught a bit of your 5 o’clock shadow,’’ he says, peppering Larkin’s lower face with black dots before adding fine detail to his lips.
And Larkin's verdict? “He’s just brilliant.’’