On a third Thursday I had plans to attend a number of art openings downtown. I had another commitment that kept me from getting to the openings on time. I rushed downtown and got to the galleries just as the shows were closing for the night. I walked in and out of 3 shows in short order knowing I would not have enough time to do a sketch. I was then left wandering the streets hoping inspiration would strike. A biker gang pulled up in front of a bar with gorgeous custom choppers and after they all parked curbside, I crossed the street for a closer look. I started roughing in a sketch but something about the bikers activity left me feeling they were not staying long. I decided to walk up to them and ask if they were planning to stick around. They said they were illegally parked and just resting, they would be gone in ten minutes. Again in agony I decided to pass up the sketch opportunity. As I wandered the hot humid streets I passed this Tiki Lounge and felt a cool blast of air from the air conditioning from the open door. That breeze was enough to lure me inside where I immediately sat down and started sketching the music act, named John Neff. He played a soothing mix of contemporary pop tunes. As I sketched I heard the roar of the biker gang as they rode by. A woman walked up to me and asked to see what I was up to. As it turned out she is John’s mom who came to watch her son play. Later a man approached me and wouldn’t you know it was John’s dad.
War of the Worlds – Opening Night
Opening night of the War of the Worlds was pure magic! When I arrived in the lobby of the Shakespeare theater I was shocked to find the cast had assembled all my blog post sketches on a board in the lobby to share with the audience. I was deeply touched. For once I put away the sketchbook and sat in the front row center to get an up close view of the show. This was the first time I watched the show straight through without the distraction of attempting to sketch. This performance with a full audience had a panicked energy that I had not seen before. All of the actors performed the very physical scenes all out. Everyone was sweating which added a sense of authenticity to the emotions. Certain scenes left me feeling terrified. That feeling lingered.
After the play was finished and the standing ovation had died down, Terry and I were invited back to the green room for a sip of champagne with the cast. I was unbelievably happy and proud of the performers. The cast then went to the Social Chameleon and we all partied late into the night. Joshua and Terry got into a heated discussion on how events portrayed in the play in many ways resembled the emotions and fears generated on September 11th. Joshua actually said he channeled some of those feelings by re watching footage shot on that day of the people, who had to choose between being burnt alive or leaping to their deaths. I stayed at the party to the bitter end, When I finally got home and slipped into bed, thoughts of unfinished conversations and the adrenaline rush of the evening left me unable to sleep. I watched the sun slowly slip into the bedroom and then got up at 7:30 AM to go to a senior center to sketch a writing workshop. The sketch was effortless and had a renewed feeling of humanity.
Dr. Sketchy
Dr. Sketchy is held the first Wednesday of each month at Tatame Lounge which is located at 223 West Fairbanks Avenue in Winter Park. The place had an unassuming glass storefront but inside I found a huge crowd of young artists. The event only costs $5 so it is a cheap and fun sketch opportunity. I found a spot near the front windows and squeezed in behind a table. This location offered me a view of most of the artists in the room. I noticed that the young girl in the stripped shirt and purple beret was a really good artist just from the doodles she was doing before the model posed. I began my sketch watching her work. Her friend had bright pink hair. Quite honestly I would have been happy just watching and sketching them working. I ordered a peach sake and on this night if you ordered a sake you got another for free. The sake came in a small white pitcher shaped like a woman’s figure. I drank out of a small thimble of a porcelain cup which requires you to raise a pinky just to hold it. The model was dressed like a 1940’s pin up girl and she took some challenging fun and provocative poses.
Just as I was finishing up drawing all the artists and photographers, the model took a break and I realized it was getting near the end of the event. I used the break to start throwing down some watercolor washes. The artist sitting next to me started joking that I had spent all my time drawing the artists and I might never get to draw the model. For the next pose the MC announced that the following sketch was a competition. The artists in the room were asked to incorporate the theme of “Ghost Busters” into their sketches. Whoever won would get a Making of book for Pixar’s CG Movie “UP”. Since I was knee deep into my blog sketch I didn’t compete. The model was the judge of the competition. The winner was the girl in the striped shirt and purple beret. I coulda been a contender. My sketch wasn’t finished, I hadn’t even sketched the model yet!
After 2 sakes, I was feeling pretty good and the lines were flowing freely. The model took one final 10 minute pose and I sketched her into position as fast as I could. I was lucky and thankful that I had finally caught her.
This is a fantastic informal gathering of artists in a hip fun setting. The next event is August 5th at 8PM at Tatame and I can’t wait to do it again.
War of the Worlds – Lighting Cues
X2L calling CQ . . . 2X2L calling CQ . . . 2X2L calling CQ . . . New York. Isn’t there anyone on the air? Isn’t there anyone on the air? Isn’t there anyone . . .
War of the Worlds has invaded Orlando. I spent a solid day sketching rehearsals on the day before the play opened. Here Fletch and Zac are in the sound booth working on the lighting cues for the show. This is a grueling process for the actors who had to go thought the play scene by scene being interrupted every few lines as the lighting was adjusted. I finished 5 drawings all together this day and I discovered it is possible to draw and paint in a pitch black theater. As the actors performed the lights seemed to switch constantly and arbitrarily. This forced me to work in different ways using less line and larger masses of color. Not being able to see where I placed lines forced me to trust my instincts more than the final polished look.
When I arrived at the Shakespeare Theater, I saw a young woman struggling to get in with a huge plastic bag packed to overflowing on her shoulders. She was also carrying some heavy coats on hangers. I helped her by opening the inner theater door. It turned out that this was Kelly Ann who is in charge of the shows costuming. One at time the actors approached her and tried on their stylish 1940’s duds. What followed then was the first full dress rehearsal. For the first time the play was performed from start to finish with lights, sound, props and costumes. For me the performance was overwhelming and a joy to watch. The play taps deep into the depths of our humanity and the our vulnerability and everyday fears. Something magical happened at this dress rehearsal, emotions and actions were crisp, clear and sincere. The directors and actors are continuing to polish the performances but they are polishing a true gem. Tonight is opening night, don’t miss it! If there is one play you need to see this year, trust me it is War of the Worlds. Performances are:
Opening night Friday July 31, 8PM.
Saturday August 1st 2PM and 8PM.
Sunday August 2nd 7PM.
Friday August 7th 8PM.
Saturday August 8th 8PM
Sunday August 9th 7PM.
Tickets are $12. If you want to order online, go to http://www.playthemoment.com/index.
Do not miss the invasion!
War of the Worlds – Orange Day
While sketching at this rehearsal for War of the Worlds, Sophia Wise informed me that it was Orange Day at the rehearsal which meant most of the actors were wearing orange. I didn’t get the note so I was stuck wearing nothing but blues and grays. I did make sure to put plenty of orange into my sketch however. I also noted the blue tape which Zac had put down to mark the edge of the stage. If the actors wandered past these blue tape marks they would fall into the audience in the Goldman Theater. Since Sophia informed me about Orange day, I decided to put her in the foreground of my sketch and I made a note of her orange shirt and the stripe on her shorts.
In the play she is listening to the radio broadcast. “Now, ladies and gentlemen, there’s something I haven’t mentioned in all this excitement, but now it’s becoming more distinct. Perhaps you’ve caught it already on your radio. Listen: ……….
Do you hear it? It’s a curious humming sound that seems to come from inside the object. I’ll move the microphone nearer. (PAUSE) Now we’re not more then twenty-five feet away. Can you hear it now?”
Sophia and the rest of the public actors lean in to hear better.
While Fletch worked with the actors on the second act, Aradhana asked my if I would like to hear the acoustics in the First Baptist Worship Center. I had only been in this space once before for the memorial service for Caylee Marie Anthony. Zac and Lindsay ran to the highest point in the worship center which was like a footfall field away and when they were there Aradhana quietly asked them to say something. Zac said “what should I say?” in his normal speaking voice, and it was like he was right next to me. Amazing! The acoustics here made the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center seem like a muffled barn.
Faery Festival
Avalon held a Faery Festival that encouraged people to come out dressed like a Faery. There were perhaps 10 tents set up outside and dozens of people with wings. One tent was offering Henna Tattoos and another offered massages. Almost all the vendors were dressed as faerys or wizards. I walked among the tents for a while contemplating a possible sketch but the 95 degree heat drove me inside. The store was packed elbow to elbow with people picking out incense, cards, polished gemstones and assorted magical potions. I sat in the less crowded front porch area and waited till just the right Faery entered my scene. Some children with wings also entered the scene but parents always tugged them away quickly from the delicate figurines and crystal balls before I had a chance to truly look at their costumes. I know a costume contest was held but I didn’t find out who the winner was.
I was seated in front of the stores newspaper and flier stand. As I worked a woman came in and dropped off a flier for a Witches and Wizards Ball. I tool the flier because it sounds like a tempting subject. I rather liked the banner that proclaimed never, never, never give up. That mantra ran through my head as my field of vision was often blocked at I tried to complete the sketch.
War of the Worlds – Jessica Earley
Jessica is soft spoken, humble yet vibrantly creative. When she speaks I always lean as close to her as I can to hear what she is saying. She is almost always laughing and has a innocent charm that can be seen in all her video work.
When I arrived at Jessica’s studio, it was pouring rain outside. I climbed the slippery metal staircase and struggled to close my umbrella to get in the door. Inside was warm and cozy.
She is the creator of the amazing viral promotional War of the Worlds video. Here Jessica is preparing to animate the stop motion titles to me used in a possible second video. Her huge cat is named Mein Kampf (my struggle) and he had a habit of stretching every few minutes and he knocked the Crayola Crayons off the Coffee table twice. Occasionally Jessica would accidentally brush a piece of paper against his fur and this would wake him up and make him look around wide eyed in alarm. Jessica said it is a bit embarrassing when the he gets out and she has to wander the neighborhood shouting “Mein Kampf” to try and find him.
She quickly drew all the letters on brightly colored craft paper then cut out the letters with scissors. These letters were then taped on the world map behind her and she then incrementally moved them until they formed the title over North America. She then animated the flying saucers which entered the scene and blew up the title with lasers. Her tripod is the pile of books to the right and the individual shots were taken with the tiny digital camera perched on top. It was fun watching her work her magic. I decided my sketch was done when her second camera battery died. Her work and mine was done.
Brian Turner Poetry Reading
Brian Turner the new resident author at the Kerouac House read poems from is book of poems titled “Here, Bullet” at Infusion Tea on Wednesday night. These are not the type of poems that get polite applause from the audience rather they hit you strongly in the chest often leaving you chocked and dazed. The Iraq war that Brian writes about is still going strong today, the media seems to have turned away feeling the public does not want to hear more of the bitter hard truth. Often the line between the poem and an ongoing narrative or explanation was blurred. Brian talked about how he had done readings for cadets at military campuses and how he once slept in the same bed a s Dick Cheney in a fine hotel near the base. He spoke of how women soldiers in the army are often sexually abused, and of his visits to veterans hospitals where the injured go ignored.
Even after experiencing and writing about so much human suffering, Brian remains gracious and is a champion of all the arts. The Orlando arts community is lucky to have such an amazing author writing and compiling his work right here at the Kerouac House for the next 3 months.
War of the Worlds – First Baptist
An alternate rehearsal space had to be found for War of the Worlds rehearsals. Aradhana arranged to rehearse in the cavernous choir room of the First Baptist Church of Orlando.
It is not nap time for the actors. In this scene the public is lying on the ground after the Martian invaders have sprayed a poisonous gas over the human population. The audio playing is of someone changing 1930’s radio programs quickly. The actors coughing rise from their positions. Some actors exit the stage. The radio settles on a broadcast of German marching music and two members of the cast march toward the front of the stage. The effect is chilling and it makes you realize why hysteria was so easily triggered in these times. The scene is elegantly choreographed and perfectly timed to the music. The actors had to return to these starting positions again and again as they rehearsed the scene over and over. With each run through I would get another actor placed in the space relative to the others. Joshua and other actors have started to joke with me so I have started to feel at home at these rehearsals. Only one week remains until War of the Worlds hits the stage here in Orlando. Shows start July 31st through August 9th. Check the War of the Worlds facebook page for show times.
Brian Turner Poetry Workshop
At the Kerouac House Brian Turner hosted a Ekphrastic Poetry workshop. Ekphrastic poetry is poetry that is inspired by works of visual art. Brian first spoke about his humble background. He grew up in a family of middle class intellectuals. His father used to read a book to the family at the diner table, but the family never discussed what was read. Brian put himself through college as a machinist. Later like his father he felt the need to serve his country in the military. When he was deployed to Bosnia and then Iraq he wanted need to learn about the country’s culture and ways. As a soldier he had to be keenly aware of the environment and the pace of life in the villages and towns. If the pace of life changed something was wrong.
As an exercise Brian asked all the poets to walk through the house and pick and object to write a poem about. From all these separate poems he later compiled the group poem “Tonic”.
Tonic
A lone gin bottle sitting on the headboard
labors to inspire the numbing dreams
which-out of love, like musicians
with their instruments laid down-
might serve to keep me company.
The air has turned electric-conducting
all that is about to happen. Through windows
of blue and grey-the air smells of rotten cabbage,
pond scum, rancid sweet fermenting,
stewing, the dark soul of a marriage
overcome by the hive of bees in sheet rock,
layers of winged frenzy sweetened
only by the magnolia out back.
If there’s only one thing I have learned-
not from the wandering,
not from the traveling, and
not how Aristotle said it best-
it’s how I move, most impressively,
alone. No one stretches me.
It is true. A bottle of gin is only lonely
when it is empty.
This collaborative poem was written by: Susan Shannon Spraker, B.J. Hart, Naomi Butterfield, Julie Dunsworth, Mary Ann deStefano, J. Northlake, Lorie Parker Matejowsky, Mary Elizabeth McIlvane, Kenny S. Murry, Gene Moore, Bernadette Adams Davis, and Brian Turner.