At noon Mayor Buddy Dyer held a pep rally on the steps of City Hall in Downtown Orlando. It was sunny when I arrived and a high school band was playing on the steps for the crowd of perhaps 100 people. Then some kids in blue Orlando Magic shirts ran out and started throwing tee shirts and noise makers out to the crowd. It was hot in the direct sun so I took cover in the entry of a building.
A speaker shouted that Orlando’s time had come, that Orlando deserved to beat Los Angeles in the NBA Finals. For whatever reason the event didn’t leave me feeling inspired. I have seen high school pep rallies with more energy and enthusiasm. It seems like the city is trying to drum up enthusiasm for the insane expense of $480 million dollars being diverted into another sports arena that isn’t really needed, and is now half built. I personally find the Amway Arena to be a fine venue.
When the Mayor got up to speak, the sky suddenly opened up and it began to pour. Everyone ran for cover and that was the end of the pep rally. I was under cover so I continued to work as all the people in the square dispersed. The wind forced some rain onto the pages so once in a while you will see a line bleed out as I drew through a rain drop.
John Pierro Sculpture Studio
Quite some time ago I went to John Pierro’s studio to sketch him as he started a new piece. John is a friend from my old Disney Feature Animation days and in recent years he has developed into an amazing sculptor. When John bought his small Orlando home he had the forethought to insulate his garage and turn it into a spacious studio space. When I arrived, Dunkin his aging yet energetic Terrier greeted me at the door with loud barks. Later when Dunkin was used to me he would stop by once in a while to lick me on the elbow as I was sketching. You can just see his snout in the lower right corner of my sketch.
John set a goal for himself of producing 30 sculptures in 60 days. Because of that goal John produced an amazing body of work. Like my sketch a day goal, it forced him to make quick bold choices and live with them. His art blossomed. In a guest bedroom at the front of the house a huge stockpile of sculptures are perched on industrial strength metal shelves, waiting to be discovered by expectant art collectors.
The sculpture John was working on when I stopped in was based on a sketch he did some time ago. It represents how he and his wife, Jacque have grown together as artists. John met Jacque at Disney. The two figures twist and grow together like trees sharing one head. I have followed John’s work for some time and it is astounding. It reminds me somewhat of the work of one of my favorite artists, Egon Schiele, with twisted expressionistic human figures. Explore John’s portfolio, you will be glad you did.
Fringe Volunteer Party at Pulse
All Fringe volunteers were invited to an appreciation party at Pulse. Pulse is a gay bar on Orange avenue south of Downtown. The tiny parking lot was packed and the side street parking was full for a solid block. I walked in and was given an armband. When I entered the bar area through an beaded curtain I could not see a thing since the room was so dark. I greeted some friends and then after staking out the room decided my best bet was to muscle up to the bar and sketch from there. I ordered a Fringe Tini and it was tasty. The bartender was of course in constant motion trying to keep up with all the orders. Another challenge was that the room would change color from red to blue to green to pink every few minutes. I chose to paint a lavender room.
When I was perhaps halfway done with the sketch, most folks went into the front room for an awards and a raffle. I stayed at the bar since the awards didn’t concern me. Brian Feldman and Jessica Earley also stayed at the bar. As I was slapping down watercolor, I heard Brian calling me and he said that the announcer was calling my nickname, Thor. I pushed my way to the stage thinking well maybe they made up an award for the most sketches done at the Fringe. I stood in front of the stage and shouted out, “did you say Thor?” The confused announcer said no George. What would I do with a pink flamingo anyway? Right? I still don’t know if Brian was pulling a prank or if he misheard the name. I shook his hand when I got back to the bar anyway to let him know no harm was done.
Earth Day
On the same day as the Kentucky Derby, Lake Eola became the home of Earth Day in Orlando. Twenty eight groups and businesses helped sponsor the event. Dozens of tents were scattered around the lake. There was free music, a kids play area and various performances through out the day. You could learn about building a local food network, health and wellness and water conservation. I on the other hand was drawn to such luxuries as a good shoulder massage. As I leaned back against a tree and did this sketch, my shoulders as usual tensed up as I worked. Right next to me in the lake was a gooses nest with mom sitting pretty. Periodically well meaning adults and children would chase the mother goose away by crowding the nest and throwing bread at the her as she swam away.
When My sketch was finished Summer and her friend Teresa stopped to say hello and I decided to be sociable for once and joined them on a quest for a refreshing desert. After turning down some holistic cupcakes we all settled on flavored ices. I got a mango flavored ice and we all sat down to enjoy some free music as we ate. The ice really hit the spot on a hot summer afternoon. It was nice to just relax after a solid day of sketching.
Green Festival
On a sunny Sunday I went to Lake Baldwin to sketch the Green Festival. I assumed I was looking for a lakes side park so I drove around the neighborhood for a bit before I finally rolled down a window to ask for directions. An old woman walking her dog pointed me in the right direction. The street was blocked off and two blocks were cluttered with tents. I was thirsty so I immediately got an organic iced lemonade. Kristen Manieri wanted to get some photos of me at work and we were to meet here. I walked on the shady side of the street looking for a spot to sketch. I settled on Joe’s Oat Patties stand because of the intermittent lines that would form offering me a chance to sketch people waiting in the foreground. The sun moved and within minutes I was no longer in the shade. I had stood in the shade of a palm tree and those never offer much cover. I dug through my bag for sunscreen but I had left it at home. My arms and neck got quite a burn.
Kristen walked right past me once then called me on her cell. She explained where she was and I could see her on her cell in the distance from where I was sketching. I steered her toward me until she saw me on my cell. She introduced me to her husband, Marc and baby, Elizabeth. Then she started taking shots while I continued to work. After perhaps a dozen shots she was done. Afterwords she and her family went to the lake side to have a picnic lunch. They had bought a picnic basket and blanket. I like the way she manages to mix work and pleasure.
Club Harem
Located on Lee Road, Club Harem’s double breasted architectural style is unmistakable. I decided to sketch this establishment after a day of work at Full Sail. When I started the sketch there wasn’t a cloud in the sky but as I worked storm clouds quickly formed and rolled over me.
There is a long history between Winter Park and Club Harem. The Winter Park police department has targeted the club in the past with the obvious goal of putting it out of business. The club has been raided multiple times but has always reopened for business. Club Harem is nestled on the edge of a quiet suburban neighborhood. A woman jogged by several times as I sketched and a man rode through the empty parking lot on a red bicycle.
Many years ago the bar was known as “The Booby Trap”. From my casual observance on a hot Wednesday afternoon, Club Harem looks to be a well maintained thriving business. It continues to be Winter Parks only adult entertainment establishment, and in my mind an Orlando landmark.
The Research Studio in the 21st Century
Friday evening I went to the Maitland Art Center to see the opening of RS21. I knew one of the exhibiting artists namely Kelledy Francis having met her at the Kerouac House. Kelledy exhibited some of her couture dresses from her Four Seasons series. She had planned to hire models and have them standing in a small man made pond out in the Maitland Arts Center court yard. However heavy rains were predicted so she decided on a more fine arts approach to exhibit her dresses. The three dresses seen in this sketch are hung from the ceiling by thin wire. The seasons represented are Spring, Fall and Summer. A woman in a gold dress expressed an excited interest in the dresses and I hope she and Kelledy had a chance to talk.
The three people sitting at the table were there for quite some time. It turns out that the woman typing was transcribing everything the young couple was saying. They were actually part of the exhibit put together by Kim Walz. Kim explained that the transcriptions were being fed wirelessly to a large screen in the exhibition room as were live texts messages. She apparently also had speech recognition software which would then print gallery goers conversations in real time.
The cutting edge exhibit and installations were created in the spirit of the work started at “The Research Studio,” founded by André Smith in the 1930’s. The show runs through July 13th 2009.
Grande Hysterie
This sketch is from an event called Blunder Bungle which was organized by Jessica Earley. The event or party took place in MoMNB, the Museum of My Neighbor’s Backyard. Twenty or so artists had work hanging off of fences and on the side of the house.
Erika Wilhite sat in a secluded corner of the yard with small stage lights illuminating her from below. She was dressed in a white night gown which made it seem like she had wandered into this event by mistake. She would play raucous songs on the accordion and then periodically select an audience member for a special demonstration.
After I finished this sketch she picked me for one of these demonstrations. I was asked to stand close, but not to close mind you. She then showed me a white glove and as she delicately pulled the glove onto her hand she explained that she was about to show me something truly beautiful. She daintily pulled the glove tightly down over each finger. Then she worked her fingers to test the fit. She reached behind her for one of the balloons and showed it to me as she cooed softly about the beauty of what I was about to behold. With the balloon inches from my face, she popped it with an quick motion and began to laugh maniacally as I jumped back in surprise. She continued to laugh uncontrollably until her handler, A man with a top hat and a waxed mustache, calmed her down and had her sit down. Erika’s demonstrations of grand hysteria had me mesmerized, and I drifted back several times as she worked her magic on other unsuspecting audience members.
Shakespeare Theater
Memorial Day marked the end of the Orlando Fringe Theater Festival. On this final day all the Visual Fringe artists were asked to pick up their work. As Terry and I drove to the Shakespeare Theater it once again began to rain. Driving through downtown on the 408 the rain became a torrential downpour. When we walked into the Visual Fringe room all the art was on the floor leaning up against the walls. I had to sign a form stating that I had picked up my work and then Anna helped me find my sketch. Everyone must have been up late partying because they looked exhausted. Anna gave me one last hug and then the rain let up as Terry and I exited the theater on our way out to the parking lot. Terry and I climbed into the truck and headed home. As we exited the parking lot, the sun burst through the clouds and an immense rainbow stretched from horizon to horizon. The Fringe was officially over.
Gunther Barnaby’s Traveling Show
I convinced my wife Terry to head out to the Fringe to see a show on my birthday which was May 22nd. She took me to a lovely restaurant in College Park where I had a delicious diner of duck with a cherry sauce which was to die for. When we got to the green lawn we had about an hour till show time, so we relaxed under a tent since it was raining. One of the event people had the fantastic idea of backing up one tent against another so that the audience watching the outdoor stage was not constantly getting drenched. As we waited, Gunther Barnaby’s Traveling show hit the stage. Barnaby offered an elixir which promised to cure all that ales you from Cataliptic Neuroplexy to Stoutness and Camel Toe. Two alluring young women wandered the audience handing out airplane vodka bottle sized samples of this magic potion. In the foreground of this sketch is my wife who continued to suffer from her cold. After trying the elixir she was able to get up and brave the long lines as we went on to the nights show. Perhaps it wasn’t a miraculous and complete recovery since she is still coughing four days later.