The Hound of the Baskervilles: Second Pass

Posted on by Thor

The second pass at the Hound of the Baskervilles poster was simply a sketch I had done several years ago of the production. My primary concern while sketching live in the theatre is always to catch the key characters in a scene together. It is less about character and expression and more about doing anything possible to get the sketch done during the course of the play.

i knew this sketch would not fly, but I like to offer plenty of options. If this sketch was approved, I would then refine the poses and push it to more of a polished look. I do remember laughing out loud at the show. There were obvious theater doorways and frames were used which actors would hold as if they were posing for a portrait.

It was a very fun show to watch and sketch. The poster however serves a different purpose. It isn’t about portraying what happens on the stage but about conveying an idea of what you might expect to feel watching the production.My sketches from life are almost always a long shot trying to show what is happening on the entire stage. The poster image needs to be more of a close up, offering a chance to see the actor’s expression. The challenge for me of course is that aI never know who the actors will be. This created a catch 22 where I need to be specific but also generalized in the approach to the image.

Hound of the Baskervilles: First Pass

Posted on by admin

My first pass at The Hound of the Baskervilles poster was done thinking this was a serious drama based on the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle book. I wanted a mysterious and ominous hound to be the primary image to catch the attention of anyone looking at the image. I wanted a deep forest with plenty of looming fog. I then decided to make to hound huge and integrate it into the surrounding landscape. The idea was a bit abstract but it represented the psychological spirit of the beast.
I then added the more straightforward image of Sherlock looking through his magnifying glass.

Of course this idea didn’t fly because the play is an adaptation  that is a comedy. My image had nothing to do with a comedy, I was looking for intrigue, mystery and a dash of horror. Most of my paining for the past four years have had all of those elements, so it is hard to shake off the dark nature of the images that first come. Out of my hands.

The Hound of the Baskervilles will be running from September 24 to November 2, 2025 at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater 812 East Rollins Street Orlando Florida. Be prepared for a hilarious time.

First Sighting of My Hound of the Baskervilles Poster

Posted on by admin

While writing an article from France, I noticed that the Hound of the Baskervilles is coming up at the Shakespeare Theater (. This was a fun poster to work on.

I played with the replicate pattern aspect of Procreate to quickly find a pattern for the wallpaper. As usual there were multiple iterations of the poster until I dialed in this comedic image.

With my first pass at the poster I had no idea that it was a comedy. I watched several of the classic movies based on Arthur Conan Doyle‘s book and the movies were outright scary. I am never one to shy away from horrifying imagery, so I jumped in and played up the horror.

Of course the relationship between Sherlock Holmes and Watson is always rather comedic as Sherlock tests Watson’s ability to make deductions. Watson always does a passable job of making deductions based on the evidence but then Sherlock makes astounding deductions based on the smallest evidence, and of curse he is right.

I did sketch this comedy years ago and remember laughing out loud.

What I love about this version of the poser is the grinning rottweiler. With a smile like that how viscous can the hound truly be. The silhouette and sheer girth of the dog seen from the distance are what make most feel terror.

The type treatment is very much like one of the early movie posters for the Hound of the Baskervilles. I think my favorite move version of the story was in black and white starring Basel Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes.

The entirety of my poster color treatment is in warm tones except for the mysterious green glow emanating from behind the hound. I love working digitally on these posters because I can add new layers over the painting to make changes while keeping the original concept in tact. Sometime an eliminate isn’t needed and I can just turn it off. If I was painting traditionally I would have to redo the entire painting any time there was a change.

Elementary my dear Watdon. I would strongly advise you to check out Hound of the Baskervilles for yourself, starting September 24, 2025 at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater (812 East Rollins Street, Orlando FL.)

Forest to Mausoleum

Posted on by admin

A day or two before I left for Europe to follow in my father’s footsteps in WWII, a roof was thrown up on the home being built next to the Lake County studio I was renting. The lot had been a lush forested area just a few weeks before. The sand mountain the home sat on had been leveled and built up in a day. The cinder block mausoleum had gone p in a day, and now the roof structure went up in a day. This was now the largest home in the area on its own mountaintop/

The roof beams had an interesting inverted series of beams which I suppose are to keep the roof from collapsing inward in the high winds of a hurricane. All the triangular sections were delivered to the job site pre-assembled. They were each lifted int place where workmen quickly hammered them into place.

All the workmen spoke Spanish which made me concerned for their safety in the new hate fueled policies of ICE, seizures and deportations. I have seen photos of rooms filled with workmen still in their uniforms in detention centers, having been rounded up from their work sites.

I am in Europe right now in Northern France about to cross the border into Belgium. Russia has just sent military drones over Poland  and it feels like WWIII is about to break out with Trump, a wanna be dictator, in the White House who is owned by Putin.

80 years ago America helped defeat dictators and bring about world peace. Nuclear bombs were used to stop the war in the  Pacific. That was a questionable decision which I hope is never repeated. It only takes a few petty, power hungry men to break down democracy and embrace autocracy in a lust for land, power and a desire to stay in power indefinately.

Montreal Museum of Fine Art

Posted on by Thor

After the Convention, I went to the Montreal Museum of Fine Art which was impressive. Back when I was an art student in NYC, I used to go to museums and stay so ling that I would be exhausted by the end of the day. I call that museum burn and I got to feel that luxury again in Montreal.

There was an amazing exhibit of the remaining sculptures of Camille Rosalie Claudel. She is known as being the mistress f of the famous sculptor, Rodin, but er sculptures are even more expressive and sensual than his. She was a true master in her own right, but she was thrust into the shadow of the famous sculptor.

Rodin mentored the young sculptor and she became an inspiration for him. She posed for him and he encouraged her to experiment in new mediums like plaster, bronze, marble, and onyx. A passionate love affair developed. Rodin could not bring himself to leave his 20 year marriage to Rose however.

Camille had to have an abortion and she ended the sexual aspect of her affair with Rodin. They continued to see one another for about 8 more years.

After the relationship ended, Camille could not get the funding needed to create large public works. Her work was considered to sexual while Rodin’s sensual sculptures were embraced.

After her father’s death, the family who inherited the wealth he had built, decided to let he live in poverty because they didn’t believe she should have become an artist. Camille is a true inspiration.

Poster Session

Posted on by Thor

I had joined several members of the Orange County Regional History Center at a conference abut oral histories. I have sat inn on perhaps hundreds of oral histories that History Center staff have conducted. I would sketch as the oral history would unfold. Every person has a story to tell and oral histories open a gateway to some amazing stories.

I always feel like I learn something about how I should be living my life, when listening to peoples stories. The struggles they faced and how they over came them are always inspiring. At time I feel like they are telling my story. It makes me want to take more chances.

The posters were maybe about 3 feet wide by 2 feet high. Each poster showcases imagery which highlighted each researchers area if interest. The History Center poster was bout the large series of interviews with Pulse Nightclub survivors and family after the tragic shooting that killed 49 people who were out having a wonderful time dancing.

I sketched from the upper balcony of the hotel. I always like this gods eye view of events. The space always feel so dimension when I get the sketch to work right. When I do a sketch like this of a crowded room of people, I inevitably end up sketching the same person several times. They move from one group to another and since I had fun sketching them the first time I often just sketch them again in the new position. The goal is to just keep adding figures to the page. At time I can catch several people in conversion at other times I just put two people together fro separate areas of the room.

 

Never Again

Posted on by Thor

I went to a conference with several embers of the staff of the Orange County History Center. Daniel Bradfield and Pamela Schwartz gave a presentation about the History Center’s collection efforts after the Pulse Nightclub massacre, where a gunman entered the nightclub with an AK47 and killed 49 people while injuring many others.

Spontaneous and large memorial popped up of flowers and  memorial items related to the victims. The collecting happened in the hottest months of the summer in Orlando. Flowers quickly wilted an died creating a tench that is quite memorable and perhaps unhealthy.

A few people were angered by the staff collecting at the memorial sites, thinking they were steeling items rather than preserving them for history. If the History Center had not collected items they would have all ended in the landfill.

There have been incredible exhibits each year honoring the victims of the mass shooting which happened on June 12, 2016. I sat in and sketched during the oral histories with survivors and family of the victims. Hearing all these life and death stories can be overwhelming and i helped to talk to staff to try and come to terms with the horrible situations that were presented. I can’t say I have fully come to terms with all that I learned about this and other mass shootings. Americas love affair with guns and mass murder is ard to digest.

I was just at a WWII American Military camp reconstruction in Clamercy, France and on a few occasion there were loud noises that must have been fireworks. Such noises can be triggering, making me think I should look for cover.

La Socièti

Posted on by Thor

This sketch was done at a magnificent restaurant in Montreal, Canada called La Socièti. I was eating alone that evening. I remember having a really good stuffed artichoke dish that was delicious.

I am noticing that many of my sketches in public places are of people sitting alone. Edward Hopper is renowned for painting that depict a distinct American isolation. I seem to depict the same thing but it isn’t an artistic choice. I just seem to go places during the quiet hours, especially when I travel.

Today, I had breakfast alone in my hotel but by late afternoon I was having a raucous WWII style dinner with re-enactors in an army tent.I only got one small sketch of the joyous chaos, but I have another chance to catch he scene tomorrow night since they invited me to return.

I could have used Google translate in Montreal but it didn’t have the voice recognition feature. I used the translator quite a bit today but the program isn’t entirely user friendly yet. I have trouble navigating back and forth to translate what I say into French and then in the next moment translate French into English. I am sure t can be done efficiently. I will look at a few You Tube videos tonight to see if I can figure it out.

I lost all battery power on my phone today because I like to listen in on all the conversations around me. Since I am so nosy when I sketch I let the phone die a slow and painful death. It was resurrected in a WWII tent since one f the re-enactors had an iPhone cable. I handed out every business card I had on me today. That had=s never happened before.

Ho

Posted on by Thor

A few days before taking off to Europe, I checked with my Orlando Doctor Angel Ho. Mostly I wanted to be sure I had a refill on prescriptions. I had another sonogram of my ankles and the loud creepy heartbeat proved that I am still alive. She did refill the prescriptions but only for a month. Since I will be in Europe for 3 to 4 months, I jokingly said I would just stop taking the medicine.  She advised against that and said that they sell drug in Europe, and I should be able to find a supplier. I will cross that bridge when I get to it.

Just carrying my huge turtle backpack will be building my back and shoulder muscles. Running around the metro station must be helping my heart health. I discovered that hiking the Paris metro stations is a serious workout. Besides the backpack I also carry my art day bag that goes everywhere with me. That bag is heavy because to the large sketchbook I have decided to carry. Te shoulder strap pinches into neck and shoulder like Spokes Vulcan grip. Fr a while I tried hanging the bag off of both shoulders which evened out the weigh distribution.

I kind of regret taking along the laptop, which is the heaviest thing in the bag, but I am happily typing away on it right now. I have an assignment to illustrate a poster for the Florida Film Festival, that is in the works, so it will be good to have the laptop to refine the sketch I submitted.

I also brought along a trench coat which helped keep my legs warm in cold weather. After packing away all my belongings into a u-Haul storage facility, I realized that I had forgotten to put the trench coat in a box. Buy default that meant my subconscious mind was convinced that I would need it in my European travels. I have been wearing that thing every day, so my subconscious mind was right.

Wild Rivers Film Festival: The Flight Back

Posted on by Thor

I wish I could fall asleep in airports or in the airplane for tat matter. This airport had 19602 styped swivel seats that looked like they might be comfortable. They weren’t. I sat in one for a while and tried to relax, but my butt started hurting after 5 minutes.  I sat next to this fellow in these green semi reclining benches.

Those neck pillows never work for me either. I keep thinking an inflatable beach ball might be a good solution for falling asleep on a plane. First off blowing it up would exhaust me and ten I could lean forward and wrap myself around the ball.

I have just started a three month sketch tour, so I should develop some workable travel hacks by the end of this trip. My decision to take a laptop and an iPad in my backpack is deeply regretted right now. I walked for many miles yesterday with the backpack and discovered it is heavy as hell.

I also might have considered using smaller and thus lighter sketchbooks. My day art back is darn heavy as well. I am about to hike to a war memorial to sketch and I will see how I do. I suppose I just need to suck it up. I am committed to using what I have. An umbrella turned inside out the second I opened it yesterday and it went straight in the trash. If anything doesn’t work I have to be quick to rim the fat so I can travel lighter. Maybe a typical suitcase on wheels might have been a good idea. Traveling can be tough, but hopefully it builds character.