This sketch is from my series of sketches of Orlando’s significant trees. An Orlando parks department map shows seven locations around Orlando of Significant trees and so I was going to each location to sketch. Carl T. Langford Park (1808 East Central Boulevard, Orlando FL) is a natural refuge near Downtown Orlando, filled with Large Shumard Oak, Swamp Chestnut and Laurel and live Oaks. I had 3 more trees to sketch before the pandemic shut the city down.
One location was Harry P. Leu Gardens which remains open daily but I refuse to enter a crowded botanical garden during a pandemic. The Gardens are still open until further notice. All events,
classes, memorials, weddings and meetings have been canceled through
April 30. The gift shop will close starting Friday, March 20, 2020. The
historic museum remains closed due to hurricane damage that has yet to be fully repaired.The idea that this park remains open astounds me.
A photographer set up a swing on a tree and was taking family photos as I did this sketch. The mom in a flowing red dress was pregnant. She posed with her husband and her two small children. There was so much love and hope in the photo shoot. I am hoping there was enough social distancing during the shoot. I was beginning to feel uncomfortable sketching outside, but the pandemic had not yet been officially announced yet. That wouldn’t happen until March 13, 2020.
Researchers in Washington state who are studying the spread of COVID-19,
are now saying Florida is expected to see the worst of the outbreak about April 21, instead of the beginning of May. As of April 26, 2020 there were 1074 deaths in Florida with 31,528 confirmed cases of Covid-19. Projections show between 18,000 people dying of the virus in Florida or as little as 1,700 deaths depending on how well people adhere to social distancing measures. To date, 30 people have died in Orange County with 1290 confirmed cases.
#StayHome, #StopTheSpread, #SaveLives.