Behind the Scenes: The Work of Inspiration, An Evening with British painter Emily Ball

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This was my first time going to the McRae Art Studios Arlington Arts Building (1000 Arlington Street Orlando FL 32805).

The title of the evening’s presentation interested me, The Work of Inspiration.

British painter Emily Ball will was joined by her daughter, Eve Stuart, a costume design student at Wimbledon College of Art in London. Together, they shared the unfolding dialogue between paint and cloth, mother and daughter, idea and form, history and modernity — an intimate collaboration which shaped Emily’s newest work. The series of works they were creating together became known as Viluptuous Punk.

Through drawings, collages, painted studies, and works in progress, Emily opened her studio door, revealing how inspiration sparks, gathers, and takes shape. She revealed a process that was layered and visceral, a dance between intuition and intention.

What I loved that there were an entire series of large drawings that Emily did of her daughter who was dressed in period costumes. The drawings were powerful in their gesture and experimental use of line and value. It was clear that the drawings were done quickly in an attempt to capture a moment and make it larger than life.

The mother’s and daughters materials differed — paint and textiles — the questions they explored belonged to all who create: how do we dial in, respond, and follow the work as it becomes. A power pint presentation was shown on a large TV screen but it really want needed since the bold drawings clearly spoke for themselves.

In the question and answer session that followed the power point presentation, Eve answered a question about inspiration and the strength that it takes to constantly create. She spoke of her mother and got choked up when she began to point out how inspiring her mother was. It was a precious moment. The art of bold gestural direct observation is very much alive in the work of Emily and Eve. It gives me hope that artistic collaborations can produce incredible results.

The evening left me wanting to do large gestural drawn and painted studies but I need to find my muse.

Disney Animation Desk in a Museum

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The Orange County Regional History Center had an exhibit celebrating the art of Animation called, Animation-Land. The exhibit ran from January 17, 2026, to May 3, 2026.

Hosting the exhibit were Tracey the pencil dog and her quirky crew – Rooth, Drop, Inky, Uno, and Kari. They lead visitors on an immersive journey into the art and science of storytelling. Families and fans of all ages could dive into hands-on activities such as story boarding, sketching, and stop-motion filmmaking while discovering how animated features are brought to life. The exhibit featured colorful characters and interactive stations, Animation-land empowered everyone to experiment, play, and create their own stories through the magic of animation.

The exhibit also celebrated a remarkable local chapter in animation history. Drawing Magic: Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida explored the groundbreaking studio that operated at Disney-MGM Studios from 1989 to 2004. Visitors discovered how Florida artists contributed to such beloved films as Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Pocahontas, Mulan, Lilo & Stitch, and Brother Bear to name a few, and how the studio helped define Disney’s animation renaissance. Through artifacts, stories, and artwork, this section revealed the creative community that once flourished right here in Central Florida.

This exhibit at the end of the exhibit caught my eye. It shows a Disney Feature Animation desk in what the animators once called The Fishbowl. I worked at a desk exactly like this in the Fishbowl. My desk was right below a bank of windows that allowed tourists to look down and see how the art of Disney Animation happened. It was my first week on the job and I definitely felt some imposter syndrome since the lead animators were sequestered away in their private offices truly creating animation magic.

When I started work on Pocahontas,  desk did not face the wall of tourists, but rather my desk faced away from the phalanx of distraction. However, on my first day on the job, tourists kept knocking on the thick glass to get my attention. When I turned towards them and looked up they would smile and give me a thumbs up. It was a nightmare. I felt like a gorilla in a zoo.

Eventually the Disney Guard who worked in the tourist corridor also wanted my attention. He knocked on the glass. He was saying something, but the glass was too thick to hear him. He was pointing down into my workspace and I finally realized he was pointing at the lower ledge of the tourist windows. I reached up and felt around with my finger tips and finally found an edge to some white artist tape. I pulled the tape up and there was writing on it. It  said, “Hi, My Name is Tom, if you like my sketch, please knock on the glass and give me a thumbs up!” An animator seated deeper in the fishbowl was laughing out loud when he saw me groan and roll my eyes. This was an initiation for new hires.

Now the Disney desk I once sat at between 1994 and 2004 is a long-lost analog example of a time when artists drew on paper with pencils to create movie magic. In our digital age, computers have long replaced the magic of drawing lines on a page to breathe life into a character. AI further threatens to eliminate the need for any human talent.

Come From Away

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Come From Away at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater is a 2017 musical, with the book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. It is based on the events in the Newfoundland town of Gander during the week following the September 11 attacks, when 39 planes carrying approximately 7,000 passengers, were ordered to land unexpectedly at Gander International Airport. This influx of passengers into Gander effectively doubled the population of the town.

Passengers were exhausted and many had been in the air for over 24 hours. Cell phone were rare back then and so one were fully aware of what had happened in America on that fateful day. Residents of Gander pulled together to house and feed so many passengers who ultimately stayed in the town for five days. All air traffic had been shut down.

The characters in the musical are based on hundreds of interviews with actual Gander residents and the stranded travelers they housed and fed. The funniest line in the show has to be the Gander check out girl at Walmart who said to a passenger, “Welcome to Walmart, would you like to come to my place for a shower?”

The show is so heartwarming. Amongst the chaos, friendships and love blossomed. On the other hand, one passenger was Muslim and he was treated as suspect and strip searched. Hatred and animosity for others began on 9-11 and continue today.

Working on the poster for this show was a challenge. I did so many versions that incorporated planes and attempted to show the open arms of the Gander residents welcoming the passengers yet it is challenging to pull off visually. After several approval sessions where I knew I needed to find a new direction, I finally settled on the symbol I had seen so often in Orlando after the Pulse Nightclub Massacre. That symbol was two hands making the heart sign. I simply took that idea and added multiple hands making the symbol. This demonstrated what the show was truly about which is empathy, supporting one another and love.The show demonstrates what a community can accomplish when they pull together. These themes are so important now in America which has lost its way, favoring suspicion, anger and hatred.

You need to see this show. It will move you to tears and ultimately uplift you. I cannot recommend the show enough. I fell in love with every passenger and the townspeople who threw their doors open.

Come From Away

Margeson Theater 812 East Rollins Street Fl 32803

August 26 to September 27, 2026

Tickets range from $55 to $69

Judith Segal Opening

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Judith Segal is an advocate for all women artists in Central Florida. She had an opening in a group show in Mount Dora. The gallery was in the Mount Dora Center for the Arts in a former vintage mid-century service station (847 E. 5th Avenue, Mount Dora FL).

The exhibit by the Florida Sculptors Guild was called Hazards. Inside the gallery was packed. It felt too claustrophobic to get a sketch in there, so once I walked around and saw all the art, I went outside to do this sketch. In the rush to get to the gallery I had forgotten my hiking boots. I was wearing slippers to the show but didn’t notice until I got there with Stella Arbeláez Tascón. Bonnie Sprung shot a photo of me doing this sketch and sure enough, I was caught red handed wearing slippers to an art opening.

This chrome sculpture made from found parts was outside standing where a gas pump might have stood in the past. I took the artists card and wanted to sketch his studio space but I managed to loose the card. If anyone recognizes his work, please let me know. Judith’s art piece was smaller in size although it was a life sized shocking representation of a vagina. I am debating about whether it was cast from life. There was something flame like about the sculptural piece. For those who recognized what they were looking at, I bet it sparked conversation. Great art does that.

After the opening, Stella and I grabbed a bite to eat across the street. I got a text that a large number of artists were getting dinner at another restaurant in Mount Dora. When Stella and I were done eating we went over to meet the crowd who sat around a long table in the crowded restaurant.

In all it was a fun evening that made me realize that sculpture is very much alive in Central Florida.

Stella’s Print Party 2

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Stella Arbeláez Tascón was working on a commission for the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA). She was responsible for creating beautiful tablecloths for a fundraiser dinner to be held at the museum.

The overall design of the dinner was loosely based on a 1979 Judy Chicago installation called The Dinner Party. The Dinner Party was built around a massive ceremonial banquet, arranged on a triangular table with a total of thirty-nine place settings, each commemorating an important woman from history.

To engage the public in the creative process, Stella held a Print Party where visitors to OMA could walk in and make a print on one of the tablecloths. I had already finished a sketch of the Print Party but realized I couldn’t see much of the tabletops from my seated angle, so I stood to do this second sketch. I loved watching people’s excitement as they added their personal touch to the art process.

There were about 4 or 5 volunteers who were recruited to help. Stella had to train everyone on the methods needed to make clean prints. The volunteers would then have to train each guest on how to make a print.

It was cute to watch children making what was probably the very first print they had ever made. I could see their eyes light up when they saw the results and many wanted to try and make another print. Adults exhibited just as much wonder.

Stella was very clear about making sure the ink rollers were stored face up and it was important that the guests rolled enough ink on the plates without putting too much ink down. Once a tablecloth had enough prints it was removed and put aside. Later all the finished tablecloths were moved to a classroom in the back of the museum.

Stella had purchased a simple, mechanical printing press. However, once on site, Stella preferred to use traditional hand printing methods instead, providing a more personal experience and control over the process for the guests. Flat wooden spatulas were used to burnish designs from the wood blocks with water-based inks onto the fabrics. As with Eco-Printing, there was a wide variety to the prints that were made at the print party. Some were light because the guest felt tentative, while others were bold and dark. Like all hand made art, the result reflected the spirit of the artist, even if it was their first time making a print.

In my humble opinion, the Paint Party was a smashing success.

Stella’s Print Party

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Stella Arbeláez Tascón was working on a commission for the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA). She was creating tablecloths for a fundraiser dinner that would happen at the museum which was based on the 1979 installation by Judy Chicago called The Dinner Party.

Stella decided to use the commission to create Eco-prints on the tablecloths. This tied in nicely with her UCF Masters Thesis, which outlined the effects of communing with nature while thru hiking the Florida National Scenic Trail. That hike helped foster a lasting love of nature that inspires her work.

Prior to the Print Party, she Eco-printed many of the tablecloths. Eco-printing uses natural leaves to make prints directly on the fabric. Not all the Eco-prints were complete yet, but she also carved wood and foam blocks of leaves, birds and insects for guests to use.

The public was invited to a Print Party at OMA where they could help with making prints on the many fabric tablecloths. It is nerve wracking to have complete strangers contributing to such an intricate process. Multiple folding tables were set up in the gallery space right near the entry to the museum. The tablecloths were then laid flat on the table so guests could make prints.

Stella reached out to her old friend Leanne Klein for assistance during this event. Leanne is a good friend, recent transplant to FL and former classmate from her undergtad years at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. She holds an MFA from NYU and teaches printmaking workshops at the Tampa Museum. Leanne was a godsend because she interacted with the guests playfully and got them excited about making an artistic contribution.

The excitement built as more and more guests arrived.

Mudita Musical Meet-Up, Mixer and Jam: India Baseline

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Terry Olson organizes international music meetups at restaurants. This Mudita Mixer was held at the New Punjab Indian Restaurant (7451 International Drive Orlando, FL). When I arrived the restaurant was pretty empty buy it quickly filled before the music began. Terry arrived in full Indian attire.

I ordered a delicious appetizer called Dal Makhani which was sweet and flavorful. Most of the items on the menu are vegetarian and gluten free. Looking back, I now want to find the recipe for what I had and make it at home.

The Mudita Musical Meet-Up, Mixer and Jam offered good times, tunes, and a chill vibe. The music was hypnotic. There was some explanation as to how the vocals and extended notes were structured so the evening was also educational. The woman was playing an Indian Harmonium, or samvadini, peti (“box”), or vaja. It is a small and portable hand-pumped reed organ where notes changed based on the buttons pushed. The drummer kept the beat on his Indian Tabala drum while the singer let his voice oscillate and flow.

Later a member of the audience set up his instrument which sounded like a sci-fi movie soundtrack. His instrument blended in perfectly with the jam happening on stage. This was a relaxing and very entertaining night with delicious food and inspiring music.

Eco-Printing: Wrapping Bundles

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Stella Arbeláez Tascón had a commission to create table coverings for a fundraiser dinner at the Orlando Museum of Art. The table arrangement at the museum was based on a 1979 art installation by Judy Chicago called The Dinner Party. In that installation there were 39 elaborate place settings that represented famous and historical women. The messaging of the Dinner Party was to end the ongoing cycle of omission in which women were written out of history.

Stella decided to use the tablecloth commission to create Eco-prints. With the Eco-printing process, the fabrics had to be soaked and treated allowing them to pick up organic prints from leaves placed on them.

Stella gathered leaves from her yard. She picked leaves from the many plants that were on her property. I volunteered to shoot video of her gathering the leaves which she placed in a wicker basket and I used my iPhone to shoot the footage. When we went back to look at the video, we discovered that I had just shot still photos of her gathering the leaves. Damn, I had done such fluid and careful cinematic camera work. Whoops. I should stick to sketching. Still the photos are nice of her reaching and gathering bundles of leaves.

When the fabric was ready, Stella would arrange the leaves on the cloth surface in a pattern that made the most sense. Besides the Eco-prints there were some block prints of leaves that had been carved onto linoleum. I enjoyed helping with the carving of the linoleum as well and I am proud to say I never stabbed my hand.

Most of the leaves were at the outer edges of the tablecloth and the central area was left clear for the intricate place settings which other artists were commissioned to create. To make the prints, Stella rolled up the fabric tightly with the leaves inside. When the sketch was done, I helped her with the rolling process since 4 hands made the job easier than 2.

With the bundle rolled, it was then tied tight with thin strips of fabric and placed in a large pot where they would all be steamed. Stella had no idea how the printing would turn out. She had researched every step but there were so many variables that she couldn’t be sure the prints would work properly.

After steaming the rolled-up fabrics overnight, the moment of truth came in the morning. As Stella unrolled the first rolled up bundle, I began to ooh and ahh as the leaves were removed, each left a distinct mark behind on the fabric. It is a bit like watching fire works. The most rewarding moment of the process was removing the leaves, and I loved helping. Some leaves left district and clear prints while others were ghostly and faint. When all the fabrics were hung on her clothesline illumined by the sun, there was a glorious variety of prints as the cloths waved in the breeze. I loved the variety and Stella was just happy that the process was working.

Renninger’s Military Show

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While living and working at the Yalaha Florida Studio, I drove over to Mount Dora for the Renninger’s Military Show. When I was married, I used to go to the Renninger’s Antiques Show once a year and stay at the Mount Dora Lakeside Inn after a long day of seeing hundreds of vendors set up on the rolling hills around Renninger’s. I always lived in the hope of finding a working vintage fountain pen that would change the way I draw, but I never did.

The Military show wasn’t quite as large as the Antiques Show but there was an impressive display of military vehicles and collectables inside the vendors booth areas. The next-door neighbor at the Yalaha studio and I shared an interest in the military. We would stand at the fence and talk about WWII often. I therefore shouldn’t have been surprised when I bumped into him at Renninger’s. He was shocked at how the prices had jumped. He asked what I was looking for, and realistically I was just looking for a sketch but if I found an old WWII era watch, that would have made me happy. I didn’t find the watch but later I ordered a 24-hour watch that resembles the watches issued in WWII. I love being able to glance down and see the day of the week and date along with the time in AM and PM and 24-hour military time. Europeans use the 24-hour clock more often than Americans. Having the watch saves me from having to dig for my iPhone to get the date every time I write the date on my sketch.

Walking the aisles I noticed several boys dressed all in WWII era uniforms. Military reenactments were popular in France and Belgium when I was there. The first one I sought out and I was embraced into the American camp. The second reenactment in Belgium I stumbles across by mistake and once again I was embraced since I was the son or an American WWII Vet and I kept sketching the scenes as they unfolded. In Belgium I wasn’t sure there the battlefield was and I ended up getting a ride in an American Jeep to the front lines. It rained lightly at the battlefield, but I managed to get a sketch.

Crealde Travel Sketch Class

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My first Travel Sketch Class at Crealde School of Art (600 St. Andrews Blvd. Winter Park, FL) had 10 students to start. Since it was during the heat of the summer, we spent much of our time inside the air-conditioned classroom. My goal however, is to get the students out of the classroom eventually to explore the would using sketches. I structured the class so we discussed a premise and did some exercises to explore the drawing skills in the class and then at the end of class we would work outside.

One lesson was in perspective, and I mentioned to the students that I used to put my index finger on the page to remind myself where the vanishing point was in the scene. I would then just point a bunch of lines towards my finger. I was pleased to see one of my students applying the finger lesson on the sketch she did outside. The vanishing point principle is hard to grasp for many students at first. Some think that the vanishing point is always straight in front of them, but it’s position can vary depending on the man-made object like buildings or a tent that is being drawn.

We would cover many principles, but pesky perspective would be returned to again and again until it started to become second nature. One student made it an ongoing joke about how mush she despised perspective, but we worked together diligently to help bring the concept into focus. It became a fun challenge to find new creative ways to help her grasp the principle. She was super fun to work with. It is impossible to cover every principle in just 6 Sunday classes but we have a fun time trying.

Two of my students went on vacation before the last class. One went on a cruise and the other to visit family in her home state. Both took those trips as excuses to apply the travel sketch principles we covered in class. One student set up a social media group chat, and it was fun to see the travel sketches being shared among the students. They were all so gloriously supportive of each other. I do think several of the students caught the bug and will continue sketching to document their travels.