Cordillera: Bottle Rocket

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On the flight out to The Cordillera International Film Festival in Revo, Nevada, Delta stopped over in Saint Paul, Minnesota for about 3 hours.

I walked to a deserted section of the airport and decided I should get lunch/dinner. The airport restaurant I decided to sit in was called the Bottle Rocket which boasted good local food.

There was literally no one in the place when I arrived except the two servers. I ordered a burger and salad and calculated the risks of eating mask less. The airport air circulation system was being worked on and there were open ducts right outside the Bottle Rocket. The waitress apologized for the draft since the air was blowing right at my table. I considered this an advantage hoping that the breeze might be fresh air blowing into the restaurant. I went mask less long enough to wolf my meal down and then masked up to sketch. I wish there were outdoor dining options at airports but I suppose that would be a security risk.

The waitress kept refilling my Coke. I got a straw from the bar and would lift my mask briefly, hold my breath and sip, then pull it up and exhale hard before breathing again. I’m sure this is a flawed system but a meal was needed before the next long leg of the trip. I would rather risk the airport air in a relatively empty restaurant than the air in the sardine can fuselage of a plane. The waitress and bartender were super friendly and I shared my sketch with them when I was done, to break up their day.

Cordillera International Film Festival: Flight Out of OIA

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The flight to the Cordillera International Film Festival from Orlando International Airport just happened to line up with the day Hurricane Helene was churning north in the Gulf of Mexico. My sister reported that the eye of the hurricane would be west of Port Charlotte about Noon on that day.

I caught a Lyft to the airport about 10 AM to catch a Noon flight. It was cloudy but clear when I left, but we drove right towards a wall of dark grey clouds on the trip south to the airport. Half way there it began to rain. I joked with the driver that it would likely rain for the rest of the day. I realized that I likely left a ceiling fan on at home. There was no going back. Perhaps a power outage might save some electricity?

In the airport waiting area it seemed like everyone was checking their phones to see the track of the eye of the storm. I was sure the airplane would fly north away from the front bands of the storm. I was sure of that since airplanes roar over my home daily every half hour or so, their engines rattling the windows. I had hoped that I might sketch someone else wearing a mask, but I was the only one, except several airport staff. Am I crazy? Well that is rhetorical, I know the answer, but I also know too much about the invisible damage the virus is doing to peoples vascular systems, brains and immune systems.

There was a 15 minute delay boarding, but we were assured that we would make up the time with a strong tail wind. Strangely as the plane tires left the tarmac, it was sunny out. There were a few gut wrenching bumps on the ascent to cruising altitude but after that it was a smooth flight. I watched the movie Dune on the flight north west. We flew to Minneapolis where there was a 3 hour layover before catching another flight to Reno. It felt good to be flying thousands of miles away from the advancing hurricane. It was a rather extreme form of voluntary evacuation.

 

What the Constitution Means to Me

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I sketched a dress rehearsal for What the Constitution Means to Me, by Heidi Schreck is being presented by the Orlando Shakes at the Orlando Family Theater. Becky Baird dominated in the lead roll. The play rolls back the years to when Heidi was 16 years old an presented speeches about the Constitution at American Legion halls for cash prizes. She earned her college tuition this way.

There is a joyous excitement in her presentation about this document which she loves. yet during the presentation emotions start to run deep as she recalls her family history of a grandmother being sold to a outdoors man in Washington State. There is clear evidence of generational trauma throughout her family history. The constitution was written by the founders for the founders, in other words wealth white property owning men. Women never factored into the equation.

I loved what the actors broke the 4th wall towards the end of the play, breaking character and speaking to the audience as themselves. The Legionnaire who I assumed was rather conservative was actually a very liberal and open minded actor named John Voigt. A debate was held with an energetic high school debater. he debaters were played by Daisy Spann, and Tatriana Hinds. Each brought a unique energy to the roll. They  each argued their points on weather the constitution should be abolished or amended. Though the Constitution is very old and rather outdated, the youthful debate inspires hope for the future. With presidential elections only month away this play takes the audience on an inspired journey through what makes us all American and how we need to work hard to make democracy work for us all.

The play runs through October 13, 2024. If you only see one play this year, this should be it. Get your tickets now.

 

What the Constitution Means to Me: Final

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The final version of the poster for What the Constitution Means to Me has the actress much larger. There was an earlier version of this that had that looked too much like Heidi Schreck,

Altering the face and making her look much younger was actually quite fun. The paint itself was moved and morphed to fit the new drawing that I created for her face. I was surprised at how fast 20 years could be dropped.

The book cover was designed to match what an actual printed constitution looks like. Audience Members will each get a copy of the constitution to take home at each performance.

This really is a show that you should not miss. It will have you laughing out loud and also rethinking just what the founding fathers had in mind when they crafted this document. Presented by the Orlando Shakes, the show runs from October 2-13, 2024 at the Edyth Bush Theater at Orlando Family Stage, 1001 East Princeton St, Orlando, FL 32803. Get your tickets now.

What the Constitution Means to Me: Second Pass

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On the second pass of the poster for What the Constitution Means to Me, I had the actress much smaller. What I liked about this design was that the Constitution shows up quite well against the light shining on the wall. I also like that the American Legion photos seem to go on forever, and the authors name is crisp and clear against the light.

Having the podium and American Legion symbol helped set the place but I needed to change the focus and zoom in on the actress. I also had her smiling so broadly that you can not see the whites of her eyes. I would have to change that.

Working digitally I could borrow elements from previous versions of the poster which saved me from having to repaint them.

First Pass: What the Constitution Means to Me

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My first pass at the poster had the statue of liberty in place of the actress. I didn’t know who the actress would be yet since she had not been cast.

I liked this version and it set the color palette for the posters to follow. The problem was that Lady Liberty is too serious. I suppose I could have put a big smile on her face but that just felt wrong.

The American Legion photos in the background also were too large. There was some debate about if they were needed, but they stayed. I would reduce them in size and multiply how many there were.

This is really just a sketch so the painting is very rough.I would polish it up if the idea was approved. Since Lady Liberty was trashed, I didn’t push the painting any further.

What the Constitution Means to Me will be performed at the Edyth Bush Stage in the Orlando Family Theater, right across the lawn of fabulousness since the Orlando Shakes is undergoing some major  renovations. The show really shouldn’t be missed especially considering how divided the country is and the upcoming presidential election. It runs October 2 -13, 2024. Tickets are on sale now!

What the Constitution Means to Me.

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The posters I created for the Orlando Shakes are starting to appear with online variations. What the Constitution Means to Me is a truly inspired one woman show written by Heidi Schreck.

Heidi brings the audience back to when she was 15 years old and gave talks about the constitution at competitions held at American Legion Halls for prize money. She presented the constitution as a hot sweaty document that recognized that the person you are today might not the be person you are in the future. For all its short comings, the Constitution presents hope that it can and will evolve. I teared up every time I watched the play, there is a visceral joy in the hope that we can evolve.

Becky Baird will be playing the lead part. I had no idea what Becky looked like since she was not yet cast for the part when I created the poster, but I must say the smile on my poster is a close match to her smile. Any time I see a new actor taking on such an ambitious role, I feel inspired. It takes bravery just to audition, but to tackle such a large sweeping role is beyond brave. It reminds me that I need to keep putting myself out there. The creative process is a long road and seldom traveled on a straight line.

This poster evolved quite a bit as it was created and faced approvals. I will share those variations over the next few days. I was just so happy to see The Constitution make an appearance online that I had to share. Tickets are on sale now.

Out on a Limb

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I was arranging a sketching opportunity with Mark DeMaio who is doing amazing work harvesting food for the hungry.

Anyway the day before he had been working at the Mennello Museum of American Art and cut down this tree limb which was threatening to scratch employee cars that parked in the lot.

The added benefit is that a long obscured section of the mural was brought back into the light. Vines have been snaking their way across the top of the mural, one having crawled right across journalist Seth Kubersky‘s face. The vines were pulled off but the tiny vine suction cup marks remained behind. The crowd at the back of the mural line are more saturated with more contrast to the colors. The shade of the tree limb had protected the paint from the harsh Florida Sun. Though others in the sun were bleached, they still hold together as a whole.

It is interesting to watch the mural age. Michael Mennello who is seated, is no longer with us, he died of COVID-19, nor is Harriet Lake who is seated in her wheelchair reading Catcher in the Rye. I am seated at the end of the line sketching. I hope that has no bearing on my limited mortality. It makes sense that I would be hiding in the shade of a big tree limb.

Iowa Independent Film Festival: Awards Ceremony

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The last film to screen in the Mason City Community Theater was Stockton to Table Rock. the film was about a high school senior who faced her abusive mother hoping change was possible. The mother deflected and denied while claiming her daughter was manic depressive.

The entire film I felt myself urging the 18 year old to just leave, but relationships are complex and change is scary. There was love even in the alcoholism and abuse. The actress for the film was in the audience and was there for the question and answer session. She seemed so much older and mature in person. I guess that is the sign of a good actress. After the screening the theater had to be made ready for the awards ceremony. Stars had to be hung on the curtains. I stood outside and tried to recover from Stockton. It is a film that lingers and leaves you thinking. It was hard to shake.

The hosts for the awards ceremony where The Other Guys, a local comedy duo in red tuxedos. Most awards went to filmmakers who were not at the festival. Those awards were stacked up on an oval shaped table to the right. As I mentioned in a previous post the filmmakers for a music video called Infinite Battleground were seated next to me in the back row. Unfortunate they did not win, that honor went to Obsessed directed by Ashley Cherie Long. Obsessed got a good laugh when the singer suddenly woke up from a dream and found herself in a harvested cornfield.

Then came the Best Animated Film Award category. I was pleased to be nominated and they played what seemed like a good solid minute of the film. I kept sketching as the other animated films were shown. My fountain pen literally snapped in half over the movie screen in my sketch and a single blob of ink dripped on the screen before I could get a rag to stop the flow of ink. The winner of the best animated film category was Truth Detector, Directed by William Reliford. I finished this sketch in the airport with a sharpie, prismacolor pencil and watercolor.

COVID Dystopia: PPE Fashion Show

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The bottom line in the PPE fashion show is that the police wear several thousand dollars worth of PPE and weaponry while a nurse might get by with a garbage bag and home made plastic visor for as little as $27.

Mark Esper who was secretary of defense was told by then president Trump that he should have the military shoot protestors in the legs in the nation’s capitol. THe nation wide protests fired up after the murder of George Floyd by police which was captured on a cell phone video. Since Esper refused to follow the order from the commander in chief, he was fired with a tweet from the POTUS.

This scene had a depth map and very subtle animation of the angel wings rising. Nurses who lived through the height of the pandemic now refuse to wear masks to keep themselves and patients safe. Many went from being angels of mercy to angels of disease and death.