Florida Film Festival – Eden Bar

I finally made my way over to the Enzian Theater to enjoy the Florida Film Festival. This event has been going on all week and this was my first chance to stop over. I decided to view the animated shorts #5. I left the studio with the assumption that I would sketch the theater building but the radio on the drive over kept squawking tornado warnings. However when I got to the theater the sun burst threw the clouds. I arrived 2 hours early to give me time to sketch prior to my screening. After I got my tickets I walked around the building trying to find the perfect angle, but the theater is dwarfed by huge Live Oak trees which hide much of the architecture from a distance, so I started walking toward the entrance. I stopped in my tracks when I came across the Eden Bar.
The Eden Bar has murals painted by Oscar nominated animator Bill Plimpton. I sat at a table and ordered a glass of white wine and started to sketch. About midway through the sketch a fellow stumbled up to my left side and stared at what I was doing for a while. He leaned in towards me and wavered a bit then blurted out “Heyyyy!” He continued to watch my hand waving across the page and then he said “Get OUT! He then jerked forward and stomped towards the entrance of the theater swaying from side to side. Later another fellow approached me on my right. I braced myself. He said “Hey, are you that fellow that has a blog?” I said “Yes?” He said “What is it called?” I told him. And he explained that he has been following it for some time. He disappeared and came back later and said “Look, I am the Director of Operations, I have a proposition. I would like you to come to the Revel 18 Party on the final evening of the Festival to cover it in your blog.” He then gave me two complimentary tickets. Jana has agreed to find the human interest story while I sketch. Yet another curve ball that proves the arts are alive in Orlando!
Post Script: I just found out from an anonymous reader that Bill Plimpton is in the sketch I did of the Eden Bar. He is in the foreground with the high rise red socks and a green shirt. Apparently this was the first time Bill had seen his mural since it had been completed. I never even saw his face at the time. Did you hear me! I got to draw the back of Bill Plimpton’s head!!! How wonderful! How amazing! What a small world! Oh god, he must think I was staking him that night.