Oregon Tree Stump

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I have been working on breaking down giant root ball for the last couple of weeks which is from a fallen pine tree knocked down by Hurricane Milton next to the Yalaha studio.

I am a bit like an ant trying to move a mountain. Each night I burn the roots that I have clipped off with sheers.

The section of the pine tree that fell in the yard was cut with chainsaws and carted away. The tree cutters were supposed to return to grind down the root ball, but they haven’t returned yet. In the mean time I am using the roots as fuel for the fire which  I  enjoy each night.

My virtual classes let out at 8pm and I quickly make dinner and then eat it outside beside the fire. The finest roots make the best flames. they ignite quick and furiously. The bulk of the pine tree that fell is in the undeveloped lot next door. Several other trees fell in that dense tropical forest of a lot. One of the fell on a house on the far side. Some roots develop into smooth pointy shapes that are quite menacing. I am saving them from the fire because they might be useful for a future sculpture or wood caving.

There was a huge rain storm the other day and I got to see what parts of the yard flood first. I am working on a drainage ditch but that only effects water coming from the roof gutters. The other areas that flood may have to be filled with sand, dirt or mulch so the water flows off to the edge of he pr0perty. The gutters seem to get filled with pine needles rather quickly. I clean out the back gutters yesterday and plan to clean the front gutters tomorrow.

From the chaos of destruction, comes the brilliant flames of inspiration for what may lie ahead. During the day, I have been doing theater poster designs. After class, I plan to start wandering out and paint nocturnes in oil or maybe digital. I will try both. The night time is when this artist gets to play and experiment.

Blood Moon

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Another night fire to burn away roots from an uprooted pine that fell from Hurricane Milton at the Yalaha studio. Sometimes rather than sate at the fire, I like to look up at the immensely tall pines that point up to the stars. On this night an owl kept hooting in the woods behind.

Sparks from the fire would ascend and then flicker out. The blaze was white hot on this night. The thinnest of roots are like kindling and they light up in a flash.

I was feeling accomplished because I had worked my way out of a box I had painted myself into on the design of one of the Shakespeare Theater posters. At the start of the night the poster felt weird, but after many adjustments it is now my favorite poster of the season. It is unexpected but recognizable.

I bought some Masonite and a couple of thin wooden slats today. The plan is to constrict a very simple carrying case of oil paintings I do on location. Once the box is constructed and the oil paints are squeezed out on the portable palette, I plan to start doing oil paintings after class ends at 8pm each night. All the painting will be the same size which is just big enough to fit snugly into the shelves of my bookcase. If this world I will be able to store hundreds of paintings neatly shelved like books.

Today Stella Arbelaez hooked me up with the Leesburg Center for the Arts which has a membership support group called the Tropic Art Alliance. They meet every third Thursday. This month I have a class when the group meets, but I am hoping I can get to the meeting next month.

On this night there was a total lunar eclipse, or blood moon at 2:59am. I didn’t want to miss it. Lunar eclipses occur when the earth is between the sun and the moon, casting a shadow across the lunar surface. During “totality,” the moon moves through Earth’s umbra, the dark center of its shadow, giving rise to the red-hued “Blood Moon”. The lunar eclipse reached its maximum phase, whereby the moon is fully obscured by Earth’s deepest darkest shadow, the umbra, at 2:59 a.m. eastern standard time.

 

Las Vegas Airport

Posted on by Thor

The Las Vegas airport is unique in that slot machines can be found in every nook and cranny of the place. Obnoxious theme songs echo through the halls and waiting lounges. Even with all the noise,, some passengers with delayed flights, manage to sleep through it all.

I didn’t touch a slot machine for my entire stay in Las Vegas. I was there for stage shows and sketching opportunities. The Las Vegas strip is much like Epcot with faux hotels mimicking places from around the world. But for a full Las Vegas experience, you really don’t have to leave the airport, just start hitting the slots hard as soon as your flight arrives. I don’t see the appeal, but clearly many people do.

Werther at Sedonie

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Orlando Opera presented Werther, with music by Jules Massenet libretto by Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet, and Georges Hartmann at  Sydonie Mansion (5538 Sydonie Drive Mount Dora, FL 32757).

This mansion is just a 15 minute ride from the Yalaha Studio. The roads I traveled were the same one I take each day I head down to Orlando. The mansion is down a long dirt road and sits on a beautiful lake. It is such an unexpected beautiful surprise off of winding country roads. I am starting to fall in love with traveling these winding country roads.

There was valet parking in the parking lot and yet when I arrived the valets were off duty. A young assistant at the ticket table gave me the lowdown on how the opera would unfold but as we were speaking the music for the opera began. I jogged out back and found the audience seated as the opera unfolded on the large porch of the gorgeous home. The opera is set in the German town of Wetzlar around 1780.

I was only able to sketch the first act because the next act took place inside the home and I spent that time finishing the sketch I had started.

What I did discover is that Werther, Gabriel Preisser, falls desperately in love with Charlotte, Chelsea Laggan, a woman he could never possibly have. Their affection is mutual, but she was set up in an arranged marriage by her parents to an older man named Albert, Thandolwethu Mamba, that she would never love. The opera explores the themes of impossible love, rebellion, and the consequences of convention. I felt heart broken for Werther because societal norms would keep him from his true love.

By the time I was adding color to the sketch the actors and audience had moved inside. There was another staging area on the far side of the hose staged around a beautiful fountain. As I worked all the chairs that were in front of the porch were moved to a gorgeous sloping lawn behind be that overlooked a lake. There was lighting set up so it is possible that the opera might go until the moment the sun set.

I considered sketching the outdoor scene but the setting was so panoramic that I decided I had my sketch for the moment. It was such a beautiful setting and such a heartbreaking story. I decided my heart was full and I left before the final act. I knew that tragedy would ensure and I preferred to leave with hope in my heart that love might find a way to endure, but being an opera, I ran from what I assumed would be a tragic finale. I came to experience the beauty of the first act and I was satisfied.

Laughs in Spanish

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Mariana, (Marasol Robles), runs an in the Wynwood Arts District in Miami. Art Basel, is a huge week long international art Market, and the stakes are high for her gallery.

When Mariana’s movie-star mother Estella,  Angela Cotto, tries to help out, things get even more complicado. Laughs in Spanish is a fast-paced,  comedy about art and success, and mothers and (lesbian) daughters.

Caro, Mariana’s assistant, (Isabel Bernal) has just graduated with her masters degree in art. The play opens with Maraina discovering that all the art she was going to show at Basel has been stolen. Caro was dating a cop, Juan, Jonathan Gardon. The only option is for Mariana to show Caro’s art at Basel.

The play is largely about forgiveness, family and love. Mariana’s mom Estella,  is larger than life. Her mom became pregnant and had to give up her dreams of one day being a singer. When Estella became pregnant she decided she would never give up on her dreams. She wanted her daughter to know that you can have it all as a mom and a star.

Mariana sacrifice her dreams when she gave up on her art career. She built her career out of selling other artists work. Her love life was on hold until she met a blast from the past, Jenny, Daniella Bloom. Their blossoming romance offered some of the most romantic moments of the play. By the end the play all have found the love they so richly deserve. When the entire cast danced to vibrant salsa music on stage, the audience stood and danced along with a standing ovation. This was a glorious life affirming production.

Portland Trail

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I am searching for a home. One, I called the Umatilla Homestead. I was making plans to turn an   pool into a greenhouse and I wanted to build a col retractable staircase up to the attic which is large enough to house a studio.

Anyway this place was just sold before I made an offer. So I am back to the search. There are several I saw that are habitable, but I want something that sings to me.

Last week Just Jeff started his cross country hike. He will start in Delaware where he will take a quick dip in the Atlantic. He will then hike across America and then jump in the Pacific ocean when he gets to California. The American Discovery Trail is 4,834 miles.  He tends to walk 25 miles a day, so he may be hiking 193 days or 6 to 7 months if he doesn’t stop in communities along the way.

Before he left, he showed me how he packs his bag. I paid close attention to the supplies needed and how to pack them. He used to pack neatly but realized over time that just shoving everything in the pack better utilized the space. I am starting to think that the open trail might be calling my name rather than buying a studio right now. I have camping equipment from my cross country trek way back in the 1980s. The studios I fall in love with seem to sell out from under me before I commit. Maybe it is a sign.

I found am amazing home in Ithica, New York but it is light years from NYC. The chimney if falling apart, but that could be fixed with staples and some ductape. Taxes on that property are over $10,000 a year. Yikes! But it is soooo pretty and built in 1912 so it has tons of character. Once again the place is much bigger than I need at this point in my life. Ithica is supposed to be a community that supports the arts. There are multiple theaters and visual art galleries. It could be a place to reestablish my sketch a day habit starting from scratch. I am searching in all directions for a place to call home.

Animating

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This is a sketch of a Full Sail University student animating. For several years I worked at Full sail in the traditional animation classroom. I mostly got the students up to speed on the computers that shot their work. As student animated, I would sketch. I do not think this traditional animation studio space still exists at Full Sail. We felt it was important for students to understand where the animation principles came from using traditional pencil and paper.

These days I believe students are thrown straight onto the computer and the art of making something come alive by hand is being lost.

The final day of class students had a chance to finish up their animation projects. Instructor, Kathy Blackmore would put on a film and mist students took the time to refine their animation. There are two types of students, those that want to create,and those who want to be entertained. The student in this sketch is a creator. I am drawn to creators, and drawn to life.

Turek Lane Umatilla Florida

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Cheré Carr, my real estate agent arranged for us to see two properties on my list. This property on Turek Lane in Umatilla, Florida has a dock right on a lake. One thing I keep thinking is that it would be nice is a place to launch a kayak.

I had time to do this sketch since Chere was running late. Instead of getting upset, I seized the opportunity to block in a sketch. My pen ran out of ink so I used my brush pen. The brush pen ink bleeds when water color is added. I will replace the ink at some point.

As I was doing this sketch the next door neighbor rode over on his golf cart to see what I was doing. He let me know that the lake has some of the largest bass in central Florida. He tends to catch and release. He has a woodworking workshop and across the street from the place I was looking at he has two goats in a field. They were baaing the whole time I sketched. I thought I heard a shriek of a peacock but he said I must be mistaken.

The landscaping on the property I was looking at was rather barren. There was one lone tree next to the house up front and several small palm trees out back. The front lawn was burnt out. I would want to replace it with a native ground cover. In back I would want to start some raised bed planters to grow vegetables and herbs. I’m sure planters up front would look good as well if tastefully done. What the property needs is a whole lot of lush plants. If course all that would take time. I would also want to replace the shingle roof with a metal roof. The 4 other homes on the dirt road all have metal roofs which can last 70 years.

The dock is rather rickety. The first few boards are rotted through. As I walked out Chere shouted out, “You should leave your sketchbook behind!” I liked her thinking, which was save the sketchbook, and let the artist drown if he wants too. She didn’t dare walk on the rickety dock. Repairing the dock wold be another big project.

There is a small granny shack behind the property. It might be nice as a Air B&B for fishermen. I would seldom use the shack and it would need to be air conditioned to keep out mold. We opened the refrigerator and it was nasty, with tons of black mold. The refrigerator had clearly been unplugged for quite a while. That would have to go.

There is a large sun filled room in the main house that would work great as the studio. Every room smelled of cigarettes. A candle was lit to mask the smell but that didn’t work. Amazingly the place has a root cellar where I could store mason jars full of vegetables and jams.

Surrounding the property is farm land and orange groves. It is an absolute country escape, but my eye is still trained on a bigger homestead not far away.

P.E.A.R. Reserve

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Once back at the Yalaha Studio after the surgery, I was not content to sit around and wait to recover. I was in the yard cutting roots from a giant uprooted tree for firewood and in the afternoon I suggested we all go for a hike at P.E.A.R. Reserve (4800 University Blvd, Leesburg, FL).

My sister Pat was visiting from Port Charlotte and Just Jim was camping out on the back patio after coming from Ohio to see Stella Arbelaez‘s Masters Thesis presentation. The reserve is only about a quarter of a mile from the Yalaha studio, so me piled into Pat’s car and drove over.

Jim is a hard core hiker, so the trail was easy for him, but Pat started getting winded. We paces ourselves to a public bench overlooking the river. Pat and Jim sat on the bench and I moved my art stool closer to a haggard tree which resembled an octopus. The river was perfectly still with yellow and orange leaves floating on the surface. At one point Jim noted that eh river was moving. I glanced up and sure enough the leaves started flowing to the left. I don’t know why but I thought the river should flow right. It turns out the wind was blowing the leaves making it seem like the rives was flowing for a fraction of a second.

Finding order in the chaos of nature is always a challenge. The twisted tree roots offered a definite focal point. It felt nice to get out in the sun and walk. Pat had to admit that she felt better after the hike. Her legs and hips were not as stiff.

While hiking out, I saw a second scene that I definitely want to return to sketch. It was closer to the water with a massive grouping of roots and the sky reflected a much richer blue off the water’s surface. I’ll be back.

Recovery Room

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After my operation where I was essentially neutered like a stray dog with a laser shoved up the old flag pole, my sister Pat Thorspecken -Nepalitano came to visit the Yalaha Studio to take care of me in case anything went south in my recovery. Pat felt I would not be able to get up into the Princess and the Pea bed I usually sleep in. That bed involves stepping up on my flat files to jump up onto the mattress which is about 4 feet off the ground since there are 2 mattresses, a box spring, a bed frame and an extra pillow mat. Stella Arbelaez was off at UCF in Orlando where she is renting a place for convenience near classes, as she works towards her masters degree, and she was kind enough to let me use her bed at the Yalaha Studio, which is much lower, during my recovery. I stripped the beds and remade them both before surgery. I made sure to put protective pads on Stella’s bed just in case I might bleed out in the middle of the night. If I was bleeding I would bleed on my own sheets.

I was told, I might be on narcotics for the pain and my sister brought a walker and a cane, thinking I would not be able to get around. However the only pain medication I was given was over the counter Tylenol and I got around just fine. Instead of being convalescent, I ended up playing the part of the host. I made a lasagna so everyone would have something to eat over the course of the week. There was more than enough food since friends of Stella had dropped off some items and Pat brought several bags of groceries with her from Port Charlotte, Florida.

That weekend I hiked with Pat and Just Jeff at Pear Park (26701 US Hwy 27, Leesburg, Fl) as a way to get out into the sunshine and experience natures healing power. I got a decent sketch at the river on that walk. I also cut off roots from a huge root ball in the side yard of the Yalaha Studio, left over from a fallen tree from hurricane Milton with garden sheers. Jeff dug in and cut off several of the larger roots with a reciprocating saw. We had a fire in the fire pit each night which always calms my nerves.

The room pictured above had a calming effect on me. There was a faux Franklin Furnace and I would turn it on at night and watch the faux flames and the lights that would dance on the walls. The effect was mesmerizing and would instantly put me to sleep. Now that my sister has left, it is quiet again in the Yalaha Studio. I have moved back to the Princess and the Pea bed since I have no problem hopping up. Life has started to return to normal although my insides still feel akimbo like they have been scrambled and have to find their way back home. Instead of lying still, I went to see several more homes yesterday, which might make good studios. Since I am now a tumbleweed, it is hard to figure out where I should settle. Home is where the heart is and I am still searching for it.