Dezerland

Posted on by Thor

I joined the Orlando Urban Sketchers on a sketch out to Dezerland Park (5250 International Drive Orlando Florida). Dezerland is an eclectic adventure park. There are go carts, arcade games, and a huge classic and movie car collection. There is also an auto museum for a small fee but I didn’t venture inside.

Perhaps about a dozen Orlando Urban Sketchers were gathered at the entrance in the morning before the park opened. There are some classic cares outside including one of the cars from the Pixar move Cars, so there were already sketch options before entering the doors.

As soo as we entered, I was drawn to the clown car and a tank. I wavered between the two and ultimately decided to set up near the tank which I spent a long-time sketching. After I finished sketching the tank I walked al around the park to see what else was there. The sketching opportunities are endless with the blinking arcade games and even a carousel.

We all decided to meet near the entrance which is where the clown car was located. When I finished the sketch of the tank and my walkabout, I settled in to do a quick sketch of the clown car. This was a rare case where I could have my cake and eat it too.

The little elephant on the car’s windshield looked like dumbo. The clown with the top hat reminded me of a paint by numbers painting of a clown that my brother Art did. It hung in the basement of our little home in Dumont NJ. Bugs Bunny can be seen in the background of the sketch. He is behind the wheel of another car. There are literally hundreds of unique and crazy cars on display. I could sketch in there for a year and not sketch them all.

Answers

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I went to the Casselberry Arts Center (137 Quail Pond Circle Casselberry Florida) for a concert by Lost Noised Office Band. Following that performance Answers took the stage. Answers is known for constructing layered sonic environments that move fluidly between abstraction, rhythm, noise and ambient composition. They use experimental electronics, improvisation and evolving textures. The group transforms live performance into an immersive sensory experience that challenges traditional expectations of music and listening.

This was a rare case where I took a front row seat for the performance. I was pleased to share the experience with a friend I bumped into that night. There were other familiar faces in the audience and for once I was feeling at home again after being alone in Europe sketching for so long. Two of the performers, Chris Belt and Béatriz Ramirez were a married couple that I have seen perform in the past. There was a screen set up behind the performers and a guest artist was using it to project experimental wave patterns. The sound waves were influenced by the  music as it was performed.

On the walls there was art from the UCF Masters Program students. One piece by Abby Frazier used red yarn to represent a woman’s menstrual cycle. My friend, who is also an artist, admired the work saying, “I wish I had thought of that.” We walked through the table of audio wires on stage to get close to the art.

I had no expectations going into the concert and I was swept away by the wave of sound. The performance had a mesmerizing and relaxing effect. I know that the sound was a joy to sketch along with. This was my second sketch for the night. After the set I slipped out pretty fast. My friend was catching up with people and it would have been nice to talk some more, but I was ready to slip out. The opportunity to talk will present itself. Life keeps trowing curve balls.

Lake Eola

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I have been going to Lake Eola each evening since I moved to Lake Eola Heights. Each evening I would find a lakeside spot and do a quick watercolor. Working with transparent washes has lead me to want to work with gouache as well. An opaque medium like gouache allows for layering. Doing these watercolors lead me to also start doing a series of oil paintings.

What I like about these watercolors is that the windows are well defined with pen and ink lines. With the oils I am being a bit more impressionistic and not defining every window. On some of the oil paintings I drew over the dry oil paint with colored pencils to define a window pattern. If I were to do that with a fine brush the lines would still be too thick.Since I plan to do 49 of the oil paintings, I will figure out what works best for me. I am hoping to develop a definite calligraphic way of defining the skyline.

I have just finished a series of gouache paintings done on the Appalachian trail and I hope to post those soon.

Lake Eola Sunset

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I just moved to the North shore of Lake Eola in Eola Heights, Orlando Florida. Each day I take a walk to the lake and often do a sketch. I started with watercolor sketches but now I am doing oil paintings which take about 3 sessions to complete.

This watercolor sketch was done before all the swans were removed from Lake Eola. I managed to sketch one swan swimming across my field of view. The sun  was setting quickly so I tried to capture the light before everything went dark. The fountain lights turned on and the streams billowed up a blood red. It is an effect I am sure I will capture better using oil paint.

There was a crowd of people gathered on the deck that juts out over the water. They were taking pictures and talking. I wonder if they are there every night or if this was a tourist group. Being able to walk to the north shore of Lake Eola any day, morning or night is a thrill and my plan right now is to do 49 paintings all around the circumference of the lake. I have done 5 of those oil paintings so far.

There will also be plenty of small sketches like there. I want to break away from watercolor and start using gouache which can be applied opaque with layers of color overlapping. With the lake as a backdrop subject every day I hope to start experimenting more and taking chances.

Making mistakes and making some honestly ugly paintings is all part of the process.

Figure Drawing Club

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Figure Drawing Club meets about once a week at Ten10 Brewing 1010 Virginia Drive Orlando Florida. I went to the June 9th meet up. Each session is $15. This group is perfect for artists of all skill levels who share a passion for capturing the human form through drawing. Join us for weekly Drink and Draw meetups where we will have live models for you to sketch and build your skills. Whether you are a seasoned artist or just starting out, this group provides a supportive and creative environment for you to explore figure drawing. Let’s come together to create beautiful art and connect with fellow artists in the Orlando area. Join us and let your creativity flow! Jack Griggs kept track of the time for each pose. The room was packed full of artists which is encouraging to see.

An  artist next to me stood on a chair and worked on an easel propped up on a table which made for a precarious platform to work from. Somehow, she pulled it off. Bernie Martin was seated in from where he worked on his signature delicate watercolors. Across from me sat the woman who was working in the archival print shop that I was using to get prints for Fringe performers. unfortunately that print job took forever to do so one of the performers backed out, because of the delay, leaving me footing the bill for the print.

I had met the model before since she performed in one of the Fringe shows I reviewed. At that performance I also got to meet her adorable little husky pup named Quinn the Pomsky. The pup is a bit of an internet sensation.  She posed with her pup which made for some awesome sketches. Of course, the puppy couldn’t hold the poses very long but I managed to catch him in a few sketches. It was glorious fun.

At the end of the sketch session the model offered to sign a sketch, and she even got her puppy to leave a paw print.

Fringe: Green Lawn

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Between shows at the Orlando International Fringe Festival there is often time to relax under the tents on the Green Lawn of Fabulousness. I got a meal at one of the food trucks that surround the lawn. There was a maze of folding tables set up under the tents and there were usually large groups of actors who would gather as groups before their show would start. You could often tell they were all from the same show from the costuming and usually some advertising signage. Besides working the lines leading into shows to promote their shows they would also promote on the lawn.

I wish film festivals had the same level of promotional energy as the Fringe. Film makers don’t tend to promote their films using posters, cards and fun promotional items. The lawn has become more sophisticated over the years. Now there is a huge billboard like in an airport that shows the show schedules. I figure out the days schedule on my phone to get to each show on time.

There is a hacky sack game and kids were kicking around a ball. There were also nice shady spots under the trees where seats were set up. Strings of lights were hung from trees to make these areas more festive. This year the festival was blessed with absolutely no rain making the lawn a relaxing place to hang out.

No matter how many shows you see you always feel like you are just scratching the tip of the ice burg in terms of all the amazing talent to be found.

Fringe: Gay Chorus

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Besides all the theater performances at the Orlando International Fringe Festival there are real gems to be found for free at the outdoor stage. Between shows I stumbled upon the Orlando Gay Chorus. I heard them as I was looking for a food truck, but thoughts of food drifted away, and I walked towards the music.

After the Pulse nightclub shooting, I heard the gay chorus perform many times. Seated in front of me where sign language interpreters and solo singers who later f=got up to signor sing. One singer got herself ready backstage for her solo performance with the whole chorus as backup.

There was also some exuberant dancing in front of the stage which was well choreographed. The conductor who has pulled this group together as a powerhouse singing group is unfortunately moving on soon. Hopefully his replacement will understand the legacy and keep inspiring this group to new heights.

The bottom line is that I had a fabulous time hearing the Gay Chorus again. Their harmonies feel as strong as ever and the added movement of the dance routines was an added bonus. A few weeks after Fringe ended, I saw the Gay Chorus again at the United Methodist Church in Downtown Orlando. It was the 10 year anniversary since the Pulse Nightclub shooting and they sang at a memorial service. Their rendition of Everybody’s Got a Pulse was transcendent and so needed in our times of division and hatred.

Fringe: Winning: Winning

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Sweet Action Theater Company from Toronto Canada presented Winning: Winning at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. It is a challenge to pigeonhole exactly what defines this show. Gordon explained in the program that it is part magic, 90s acoustic rock along with cupcakes, car crashes dating, piano, dogs, Microsoft PowerPoint and Otomatones. In general, he presented himself as a silentish clown.

Gordon Neill walked on stage with a dog collar cone of shame wearing a wrestling Lycra singlet. On the back stage screen robotic muscle man motivational speaker Tony Robins was taunting Gordon to convince him he was a loser. How do you discover what it means to be a winner? Comedy seemed as good a route to wining as any other.

Every comedic moment was fast paced silly and stupid. When Gordon performed a simple card trick it goes horribly wrong which is hilarious. Don’t expect to be amazed just expect to laugh until it hurts.

Through a series of crazy and very funny bits, Gordon wanted to prove to the audience and himself that he was a winner. For the locals seeing the show, a very funny bit came when the surprised face of a local Fringe Artist, Bobby was flashed on the screen with an arrow and the announcement, that “You slept with my wife!” Another image showed a couple kissing. Bobby was in the audience, and I glanced over when I saw the image. He seemed genuinely surprised.

Bobby was asked to get out of his seat in the audience and get on stage with Gordon. To remedy the embarrassing situation a duel was needed. They stood back-to-back at center stage and then walked ten paces. Since it was a rather small theater, they had to march up and over several rows of seats to finish their 10 paces. It was a hilarious moment. I still don’t know if Bobby was guilty of the accusation, but it resulted in some amazing hilarious comedy.

Eventually the cone of shame came off and I assume from that moment on Gordon was on the road to becoming a winner. The show was laugh out loud funny.

Late in the show Gordon began to speak to the audience. The act of winning was actually an act of struggling to remain sober. Gordon was looking to find validation from within. Performing on piano he was validating his true talent and victory over addiction. The show reminds us that we are all imperfect, human and growing.

Fringe: World Peace Through Humor: A German 101

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Pace Erhard / German Comedy International from Brooklyn New York,  presented World Peace Through Humor: A German 101 at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. Since I had just returned from a sketching trip in Germany I was certainly interested. I had learned enough German through Duo Lingo to order food and find a bathroom.

Pace presented a feel good comedy show that inspired connection. The overall theme of this show is that we all should learn from different cultures and perspectives, instead of relying on systemic division. He manages to paint the systemic decay in world politics with humor and a personal perspective from his world travels.

I often got a earful from Germans when they discovered I was an American sketching their home town.  Pace’s show was a joy for me since my mindset is still in Europe and defeating fascists. Pace’s mindset isn’t about defeating any particular culture or party but joking with them to find common ground. In today’s divided times his approach is refreshing.  World leaders and politicians could learn a thing or two about laughing instead of feeling the need to persecute.

Combine German efficiency and American excess and you might have a combination to laugh about. This was a fun one man show.

Fringe: Flashlight Cabaret

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The Orlando Fringe from Orlando Florida presented Flashlight Cabaret at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. This was a variety show where Fringe artists presented unique songs and skits never seen before. Each act was lit only by the flashlights held by every member of the audience. This was a challenge to draw but a fun night to say the least.

Waiting to enter the show it seemed like the performers gathered and came up with their bits moments before the doors opened. It was fun and exuberant chaos. Since I was sketching, my flashlight helped illuminate the sketch while I worked. I am usually concerned that my lighting up the sketch might be distracting for other audience members around me but in this case, everyone had a flashlight, so all bets were off. With so many performers doing so many different bits, it was hard to decide what to sketch. No single moment would suffice.

There were some songs performed which was expected, but there was also burlesque, some truly Shakespearean monologues and at one point as I sketched, I was blinded when toilet paper which was blown in my face with a leaf blower.

Being in a dark room where every person in the audience projects their light center stage is truly a magical experience.