Henry VI: First Ad seen

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It is always a pleasant surprise to see the first add using my poster art for a new show, in this case Henry V Part 2. I reused the Henry VI hand drawn title for the previous years Henry VI Part 1 since I figured some continuity was needed. I find it funny that the thumbs up symbol for likes fell right on Margaret of Anjou‘s left hand making it look like she were giving a thumbs up rather than clenching her fist.

This is a rare case where we found out who was cast in the part before the poster was complete so I painted the actress for the poster.

I looked at heroic sculptures as inspiration for this scene. Since the play takes place during the war of the roses, it made sense to include a huge red and white rose. The vertical blue background implies a misty forest.

Orlando Shakes continues the exciting saga of Shakespeare’s Henry VI trilogy! A love triangle, a plot to murder, and a rebellion are all part of this thrilling tale – centered on the Wars of the Roses! In this raw, “Bare Bard / Original Practices” production, Orlando Shakes’ actors will perform the play with less than 40 hours of rehearsal, no designers, and no director – just like the acting companies of Shakespeare’s time!

Henry V Part 2: The She Wolf of France ruins January 8 -19, 2025. Tickets are Pay What You Will, between $15 and $50.

A Christmas Carol: Final Poster

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For the final version of A Christmas Carol poster, for the Orlando Shakes,  the title had to be larger. that meant slipping the paint lover thus removing the floor in the scene.

Instead of the detailed room setting I added a shimmering red glow to the background. This was an abstract element to keep visual interest behind the title and credits. The focus of the scene is the torch flame and the background helped make that very clear.

I am surprised the old English cursive credits made it to the final poster. I remember being told at one point that people in this digital age have trouble reading cursive writing. It would be a shame to only use bold block lettering for fear that the digital mind can not comprehend the more flamboyant cursive style. Charles Dickens hand writing was definitely cursive and rather messy. I am a fan of leaving some of the messiness of the creative process. I always feel the need to see the imperfect touch of the human hand.

Merry Christmas one and all.

A Christmas Carol: 3rd Pass

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The third pass at A Christmas Carol poster was filled with light. Light equals drama.

I had a rather detailed room as the setting. The intricate mirror behind Scrooge was fighting with the credit type, so I had to blur it out in spots. Ultimately it was decided that it might be better to just get rid of the room details.

All the fruit also needed more painted detail. Things were still a bit sketchy.

Both actors portrayed in this poster reprized their roles for this year’s production. It is very rare that I get to include the actual actors since the posters are painted far in advance of the auditions for each show.

Since I rethink the design for A Christmas Carol poster so often, I am becoming very familiar with the Charles Dickens show. The possibilities are endless, from the depth of despair to the sheer joy of celebrating the holiday.

Since all the posters are painted at the same time, things often rough while changes are made and if time allows, each poster is refined where people will notice the most. It is a fun juggling act. Sometimes I hit the mark right away and other times I search blindly for what is needed. That is the fun of being an illustrator, it is seldom a linear path.

A Christmas Carol: Poster 2nd Pass

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The second pass at A Christmas Carol poster involved zooming in a bit for a medium close up shot. Two children were removed and I gave Tiny Tim his crutch back. With the crutch raised over his head however it seemed to dominate the scene.

I liked the glowing lights in the background and would have liked adding snow to the street. In general it was working but something was missing. Perhaps it was too dark.

I decided to press on and work on a completely new scene to give options. I could have pushed this forward and resolved anything that was making me uncomfortable. The next rendition however had pure brightness and a sense of glowing celebration. That ultimately is what was needed.

 

 

A Christmas Carol: First Rough Sketch

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This rough sketch was an attempt to create a poster similar to the one I had done the first year but with the actual cast from a Shakespeare Theater production.

It was decided that we really didn’t need to see all the cast from a distance.  Seeing the feet on the ground wasn’t needed. I had neglected to draw Tiny Tim’s crutch which would make him difficult to identify. I had to decided weather to hide it in the lower hand or thrust it up in the air with the raised hand. It was also decided that the two extra siblings were not needed for the poster.

The time I did not put into painting the figures, I had put into refining the title for the poster. The new title treatment was accepted as is. My placement of the Charles Dickens and adopted by credits was a bit sloppy but I would give that placement much more though as I refined the poster image.

This rough sketch was enough to send me in a new direction which I would push much further along. I knew the the illuminated

A Christmas Carol is running at the Shakes through December 22, 2024. General Admission tickets are $25. The show is in the Margeson Theater at the Orlando Shakes, 812 E Rollins St Orlando, FL 32803.

A Christmas Carol: First Ad Seen

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It is always fun to see the first ads that appear for shows that are coming up. When I design the poster I supply all the different elements as separate layers so that different sizes can be accommodated. I design the poster vertical but then do a second version that is horizontal. This square ad lives somewhere between those options. Brianna Bell the web and graphic designer does such a good job making design adjustments for all uses. She even produced cool video animations that help bring the poster and the show to life.

I have designed A Christmas Carol poster each year I have been painting these images. One year the poster from the previous year was reused but I also did several variations that were not used. This poster used elements from previous unused posters to come up wit a new images for the show. A Christmas Carol has plenty of darker imagery which attracts my aesthetic, but it is the images that express some joy of the season which make the grade and get used.

The annual tradition continues at Orlando Shakes with the return of one of Central Florida’s favorite holiday classics! The miserly and miserable Ebenezer Scrooge greets each Christmas with a “bah humbug,” until he is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Come see this classic, heartwarming story at Orlando Shakes – a magical and musical spectacle for the whole family!

A Christmas Carol runs through December 22, 2024. Tickets are between $25 and $47. there are special deals for Military and students.

Heidi Schreck

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There was one other version of the poster for What the Constitution Means to Me. I kind of forgot about it since it was instantly changed. For this poster I painted the author of the play Heidi Schreck in the lead role. I like her glowing smile.

Since Heidi Schreck was recognizable it was decided that I should change her face to a younger woman. I did the change in a matter of hours. I redrew the face but kept all the paint that was used for Heidi and just morphed it to match the new sketch. I was proud of myself, it was a quick and effortless change. That adjusted painting became the final poster image.

Since the iterations of the posters happened so fast, you can always see the artists hand in the process. I don’t push for a highly polished image. I just push for a bold image with intricate detail where it is most needed. These posters are fun to do. At times I feel the poster images I create are better than anything plastered up around Broadway in Times Square. I used to sketch those layered pealing posters in Times Square and now I am designing and painting posters that bring back those memories of the hustle and bustle.

Raw Milk

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Health experts have been warning against consuming raw milk during the H5N1 outbreak now happening among American Dairy herds.

Pasturization should kill the virus found in the milk but there are no set standards on the process. Pasteurization is a process in which the milk is heated to kill bacteria and any other pathogens. The usual temperature is 100 Celsius (212 Fahrenheit).

Personally I have switched to using almond milk which tastes great. Pasteurization works when it is done right but with wide ranging standards, the industry can not be relied upon to get it right.

In November of 2024 regulators recalled two batches of raw milk which had come from a Fresno dairy farm after H5N1 was detected in the milk. The farm was placed under quarantine raw milk, cream, kefir, butter and cheese products produced on or after Nov. 27 were suspended. Despite experts warning about the Bird Flu virus being found in raw milk, sales are up. The incoming head of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy said that raw milk “advances human health”, contradicting the FDA and food scientists.

On December 16, 2024 there was another recall near Modesto California due to H5N1 in a milk tank. The contamination was confirmed at a farm on Maze Boulevard. The pubic was again warned of potential exposure as the avian influenza spreads in dairy products.

Scientists are not sure yet what the risks are for humans consuming raw milk with the H5N1 virus in it. California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of Emergency in response to the H5N1 Bird Flu outbreak on December 18, 2024. “This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to the outbreak.” Newsom said in a statement.

Video Edit

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Stella had notes for James Parris on a short documentary he shot edited and directed, about SECAC Art Conference which is a national non-profit organization devoted to education and research in the visual arts.

Together they worked on extending some shots and refining others.

I worked with James Parris at Disney Feature Animation. After my intenship, I started work on the Feature animated film, Pocahontas. I believe James was a Key Assistant animator on that film. Together we worked on the character of Powhattan who was the father of Pocahontas. Powhattan was a proud regal character who moved slowly and deliberately.

James would work on the key drawings and my job was to add all the inbetween drawings to smooth out the action. James would check each of my drawings and there were always plenty of adjustments he would make. We worked together for over 2 years. Stella was on a Zoom meeting with James and she turned the computer towards me so James could see me. He squinted his eyes and didn’t recognize me at first. Granted I have a grey beard now, but then I realized that there was a bright side table lamp behind me as well. What James saw was a mysterious silhouette from his past. It was good to see him. He directed a CGI animated animated film called Blue and Pink. It was exciting to share my recent film festival experiences. James put it simply, “Welcome to the Club.”

Crealde Parking

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It has been a while since I taught a Crealde Urban Sketching class.

Our class was usually held outside and we would sketch the Crealde campus. Each class was built around a single premise and we built our sketches up from line to line and wash then fully developed sketches.

I never forced my style of sketching on my students, preferring instead to encourage what is unique in each of their sketches. When we shared our sketches at the end of each class the variety was always something to celebrate. I would always do one sketch myself but I would walk it around and share it with each student at each phase to show progress. I would then also do thumbnail sketched with suggestions to share what I would focus on with each of their unique views.

I will be moving further north in January, so I am not sure if it will be worth it to drive back to Winter Park on Sunday’s to conduct classes.