Flaming Roots

Posted on by Thor

Hurricane Milton blew over several trees at the studio I am renting. To help out the landlady, I offered to pay 5 months rent up front so there could be a pool of money to help with the hurricane recovery efforts.

Two pine trees were removed from the back yard and this tree had been blown over, knocking over a fence and leaving a giant six foot high root ball.

Over several days I lit the roots on fire and kept the blazes contained by standing by with a garden hose. I was sure I could burn the entirety of the root ball to the ground.

The tree service guy, Paul,  who had cut down and carted off several other trees was supposed to grind down this root ball with a mechanical grinder. He abandoned the job for over four months and that is why I started by burn campaign.

The landlady was in contact with Paul who had some stellar excuses for not renting the grinder and getting the job done. One of the more inspired excuses was that the wife of a friend of his had driven onto his property and smashed her car into some of his equipment. His friend had been accused of abuse and Paul sided with him. Other excuses were less colorful but just as inspired.

My landlady told me to stop with my controlled burns. She said I shouldn’t make Paul’s job any easier, and she was certain her negotiations would get him back on the job. I have less faith in human nature.

Since the root ball had been abandoned for so long,  native plants had started to sprout on top. They were a crisp bright green showing signs of new life.

This burn didn’t last long. I didn’t have enough wood to keep the fire stoked. The interior roots were already charred and there was as much dirt as there was roots to burn.

The following month the grinding was finally completed. My landlady’s persistence and faith in human nature had prevailed.

With the huge root ball removed, there is now a hole in the ground and plenty of wood chips for mulch. I have been trying to level out the war torn landscape with a metal rake but progress is slow.

I have taken to wandering the yard bare foot to do the work. I feel more grounded but my feet are still tender and the wood chips are bloody sharp. I have one wood splinter in my left heel and I am wondering if it will ever come out. With every step the splinter is pushed deeper in. I have to assume my body will find a way to get the splinter out without me having to dig it out.

FRINGE: Naked at My Age

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Naked at My Age was a one woman show featuring  Charla Hathaway about sensual pleasure at every age. She recounted an early affair with a French Soldier and then an open marriage where she was free to meet and explore other partners.

It was inspiring to listen to a woman who is my age or maybe a little older discussing her sensuality. Americans seem to feel pleasure is only for the young. Every audience member was given a peacock’s feather and at one point in the performance, we were encouraged to caress our skin with it’s gently tip. I did so, but kept my sketching hand moving, an act which also gives me pleasure.

There were several original musical numbers where Charla strummed her guitar and sang about, well, sex of course. A song related to free sex of the 60s and later in life finding a partner who could not get erect. With patience and caring she learned how to give and receive pleasure. Chala openly talked about having to get an abortion before it was legal. Later in life She felt she had given all she could as a school teacher and she answered an ad as a senior sex worker.

What started part time after teaching school children developed into a Ph.D from Florida University, an online sex advice site and several books which she wrote on sexuality. Today Florida University is cutting any mention of women in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and related language. UF has removed women’s studies courses.

A sign on stage was a quote from May West which was, “If my panties aren’t wet, they don’t come off”. Young boys used to try to force themselves on Charla but she learned to set boundaries until she knew she was moist and ready.  She pointed out that most people are so concerned with giving pleasure that they never relax enough to receive pleasure. Sexual partners might come and go but her advice was to, “leave your partners better than you find them”. It is advice that everyone should take to heart. It was beautiful to see that as we age, our sexuality continues to bloom when we find the right partner.

Spiral Circle Jubilee

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Spiral Circle Bookstore and More (750 N Thornton Ave, Orlando, FL) celebrated it’s 5oth anniversary on May 17, 2025. To mark the occasion, Julie Wilder the owner and proprietor was introducing a new aspect to the magical shop called the Jubilee Tea Garden.

Crowd funding will soon end for the Jubilee Tea Garden. At the 50th celebration samples were offered for the first time. Tea and other delights are served in a small structure behind the bookstore.

Julie opened Dandelion Communitea Cafe 20 years ago with a partner. That tea house became a hub where people came together to share ideas. I went there often to sketch. When Julie became a mother, she had to sell her share of Dandelion. After she left, that amazing place was shut down after being mismanaged.

Jubilee will bring back the magic of sipping tea and relaxing with friends. Food is ordered from a blue and gold window behind the bookstore. People then can sit on the front porch or find their way back to the shade of the side garden. The bookstore already offers inspiring workshops tarot card and palm readings and events. The Mills 50 neighborhood around the bookstore is developing into a humming hub with fine dining and now Spiral Circle offers a fantastic place where people can sit, slow down and relax.

I arrived at the Jubilee several hours early. As I started the sketch, work was started to touch up the new golden yellow lettering. The painter also touched up the green trim around the windows. A woman introduced herself to me. She worked at the bookstore back in the day when when the bookstore was called The Sky Mother. She loved that name of the place and was sad when it was changed. She was adorable describing to me how much she loved the bookstore which gave her a job shortly after High School. The sign painter offered to take her picture. She was delighted and posed beside the now historic blue Sky Mother sign. The past flickered to life in her delighted smile and bright eyes as Spiral Circle expands into the future.

Later that day the actual celebration began with comments from politicians and community leaders. Light bites and teas were on hand and people gathered in the rocking chairs on the porch and in the side garden. Spiral Circle continues to be a true oasis and haven in the hustle and bustle of the Mills 50 District.

Salt of the Earth

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My dear friend Stella P. Arbelaéz Tascón, was looking for a piece of furniture and found it on Facebook Marketplace. She went to pick it up at a garage sale. Chris, who was conducting the sale had the item neatly tucked away and they closed the sale.

I let Chris know that I would be doing a sketch, saying “don’t mind me, I’m the weird guy sketching in the shade of the tree.” He said, “You must get that a lot.” Which I do. I don’t usually announce that I will be sketching, but I would be sketching his private property, so I thought it was the polite thing to do.

In the front yard, hundreds of items were organized on folding tables on the lawn. I noticed a beautiful bright yellow hammock and Stella noticed it about the same time. She purchased it, along with several other small items for about $5. She was stunned. “Are you sure?” she asked. “For you, absolutely.” He said. Some people are destined for sweet deals.

Stella had an appointment and left, but I stayed behind to sketch. I liked the look of the giant oak tree that dwarfed the home and all the activity as people came and went.

Some people seemed quite seasoned to garage sales and estate sales. One woman regretted not buying an item that had sold the previous week for dirt cheap. Another woman purchased a large piece of furniture which he helped her tie down on top of her car roof.

Chris must also collect items at estate sales, I can’t imagine any other reason he would have so many knick-knacks. He had to run down the street to fix a garage sale sign which had fallen over. One of the shoppers must have told him about it. While he was gone, I wondered if I was in charge. Maybe I could close a sale! However it was very quiet while he was away. There were no shoppers inspecting items. I didn’t sell a thing. Typical.

A husband and wife searched the sale together. She joked that it took her 30 years to train him into the obedient man he is today. He wore a T-shirt that said,” I turn wood into things, what’s your superpower?.” Chris asked how I was doing. We spoke for a bit and he said to me, “Folks that show up to garage sales are the salt of the earth.” I added that they are also creative. After I said that, it sounded self serving, but I was thinking of the guy with the “I turn wood into things” t-shirt. It would be fun to sketch that guy’s woodworking shop.

Chris had worked with Lon Smart a former Disney Feature Animation colleague of mine years ago. It therefor stands to reason that Chris must be creative himself. He is moving next month and I have to wonder what new adventure he is embarking on. One of the shoppers was a return visitor and he said, “Why did we meet only last week? You are someone I would have liked to have as a friend.”

I showed Chris the sketch when I was done. I thought it would be rude to just leave. He was delighted and said, “I am a new fan.” As I drove away I spotted the garage sale sign, several blocks away, standing perfectly erect.

Downtown Penguin

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Three inflatable penguins have popped up in downtown Orlando. They are on display through June 19, 2025. SeaWorld Orlando  teamed up with the Creative City Project to bring these giant birds to Downtown Orlando.

In June, guests to SeaWorld Orlando will have the rare opportunity to get up close to Emperor penguins in real life. For more than 40 years, SeaWorld San Diego has been the only place in North America to see and learn about these majestic birds.  Now, the Emperors are coming to the East Coast and will call the Orlando park’s Antarctica penguin habitat home.

Creative City Project first launched the massive, inflatable Big City Birds installation with local artist and Bungalower Editor-in-Chief, Brendan O’Connor when seven giant pigeons “landed” on rooftops across Downtown Orlando as part of DTOLive.  That first initiative took place from August to October 2024.

the streets of Downtown Orlando are seldom crowded , but the few pedestrians I saw while doing this sketch tended to not look up. If someone saw me sketching then they would turn and look up, surprised to see a penguin. One African American fellow carrying a bible, approached me. He said it was a blessing that he found me sketching at that spot. That morning he had reached out to God, saying he wanted to get back into the habit of creating art. I let him know of my one sketch a day habit and suggested he do the same. Part of me thought a sermon was about to follow, but he just thanked me and offered a fist bump. “Have a blessed day.” he said as he walked away.

A father and son stopped below the penguin. The boy looked up in wonder while the dad scrolled endlessly on his phone. Two workers were putting up a banner at a night club. The banner announced wild parties coming up in the week before July 4th.

Orlando Urban Sketchers are going to have a Penguin Sketch hunt on June 14, 2025 from 10am to noon. They are meeting at 30 South Orange Avenue and then branching out to sketch the three penguins. There will be a sketch throw down after sketches are done. It is a great way to get out and meet local artists. Unfortunately I will be in New York State at the time.

The three location where you can spot these Penguins are at,

  • Areo: 60 N. Orange Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801 (Adult Penguin – 14’ tall)
  • 55 W. Church Street, Orlando, FL 32801 (Adult Penguin – 14’ tall)
  • 30 S. Orange Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801 (Baby Penguin – 10’ tall)

 

Mount Dora Corn Festival

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After teaching virtual classes on Saturday, I packed my art bag and drove over to the Mount Dora Corn Festival. Zellwood used to host a corn festival each year but that festival went the way of the Dodo Bird.

This was the second annual corn festival in Mount Dora. It was held in Elizabeth Evans Park (100 N Donnelly St, Mt Dora, FL) which is right by the historic Lakeside Inn.

The police had the road blocked leading into the park. According to the online site, the festival cost $8.35 to get in. However it was late in the day and the admissions gate was wide open.  Another factor to the free admission might have been the fact that the sky had turned a dark grey and a thunderstorm was brewing on the horizon.

The wind kicked in making my sketch pages flutter. I clamped a pen to the corner of the sketchbook to try and keep the chaotic fluttering to a minimum. Vendors were quickly taking down tents and packing up their wares. A policeman got a case of canned drinks from a vendor.

Rather than explore the whole festival, I decided to immediately sit and sketch an 8 foot high fiberglass ear of corn and a scarecrow which was on hand to allow for selfies. Every couple of minutes people would pose beside the scarecrow. On the drive over I had thought that I should take my umbrella to the festival. However when I left the car and started walking I forgot the umbrella. The sketch is rather panicked since I was in a race against the impending storm. I didn’t want the watercolor to get drenched and I didn’t want to get drenched. I could have spent more time on the sketch, but I packed up my art bag and started hiking back to my car which was about 10 blocks away. I smelled ozone in the air.

On the last block of my hike the first large rain drops stared to fall sporadically. When I got inside they splashed on the windshield. On the drive back to the studio the sky’s opened up in a deluge. I felt victorious, I had the sketch and I had beat mother nature. Than night I boiled several ears of corn from Bountiful Farms to celebrate.

Renter

Posted on by Thor

I did a sketch as a demo for a student at Elite Animation Academy. The lesson on that day was One and two point perspective. The objective was for the student to simply sketch the room they happened to be in.

On this day I worked from my bedroom since I want to be sure my roommate has plenty of privacy and doesn’t need to overhear my students.

This was before I for a noise cancelling headset which allows me to listen to my students crystal clear without anyone else hearing.

This sketch was completed after I had finished building a bed frame which allows me to store art storage crates three high. Most all of the stored art now fits under the bed. The princess and the pea bed has risen even higher. Now the top of the mattress almost reaches the bottom of family history photos and one framed sketch that was once part of a solo exhibit. I actually altered the earlier sketch when I started painting to select the new room layout.

I just ordered a large metal storage rack which will be used to store frames and unframed art. I saw a YouTube video that showed how to create a spider web which supports the paintings and kept them from leaning over too far. When I get that set up a whole lot of framed art will come out of m closet and the corner of this room. The metal storage unit is on casters so it can be rolled around. It should be easy to move once I find a studio that I want to call home. For now, I rent month by month.

Bountiful Bistro

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On my birthday, I decided to treat myself to a sketch and brunch at Bountiful Bistro (27314 County Rd 33, Okahumpka, FL). The week before I had driven in the driveway and saw that there was a field of sunflowers. I vowed to come back to sketch the sunflowers.

Wend I drove onto the Bountiful Farms, this sign pointed me to park at the second fence. The first fence was for people shopping in the Bountiful Market which is what I decided to sketch. There didn’t seem to be as many sunflowers as I had remembered and they were off in the distance.

The bountiful market has a simple lean-to design with a carport entrance. Baskets were stacked on a post. Though the website said the Bistro opened at 9am, it really doesn’t open until 11am. I had plenty of time to sketch. I sat in the shade of a giant live oak which is where Bistro patron sit.

I finished the sketch and the Bistro still wasn’t open, so I went to shop in the market. I got tomatoes and ears of corn. When I piled by produce on the counter, one of the tomatoes fell to the floor. When ringing up my purchase the cashier noticed that one of my tomatoes was bruised and cut. I confessed that it had fallen. She gave me another tomato at no charge. I’m not used to such kindness. I realize now that the stack of baskets were not for display but are to be used to hold produce as you shop. Next time I will shop like a civilized person rather than as a neanderthal.

I was the first person to sit down at the Bistro. I ordered a delicious and fresh cold pressed fruit drink. The dink had Orange, Lemon, Cantaloupe, Ginger and carrot. It was a healthy and delicious way to start my birthday brunch. I ordered the Red Snapper Sandwich which had light crispy old bay seasoned green banana battered red snapper. Served on a brioche bun, with lettuce, pickled onions, tomato, and creamy tartar sauce. It was so delicious.

The Bountiful Bistro is a real Lake County gem. I know I will return at least once a month for fresh produce and I will want to sample more of the items on the Bistro menu. Now I know to show up closer to 11am which is wen the bistro opens.

Renninger’s: Spring Yard Sale

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From the studio, I headed East to Renninger’s. A home I am considering purchasing is just a few blocks south of the Renninger’s complex.

I went to the yard sale late in the day after teaching virtual classes online. There was just an hour or so left for the sales.

It was a scorcher. I parked on a hillside then walked up hill towards the tents that were set up. Since the tents were all different colors, I assume people brought their own tents to the sales event. It didn’t seem like there was any cost to participate.

I settled in the shade of a large live oak tree to sketch. A breeze blew up the hill in my direction but it was still hellishly hot.

A couple manned these two tents that are in the foreground of my sketch. Behind the lawn mower there was a red bin full of framed pictures. A woman brought one framed picture for $5. Further back in the scene there were 3 tents full of clothing. Before I finished this sketch, people started putting away sales items and dismantled their tents.

Items on the tables were quite varies. There was a kitchen lamp, vases a wooden box and a Miller Craft Beer sign. You never know what you might find.

A family arrived as I was getting close to finishing my sketch. The son was watching a butterfly flutter around. He must have crushed an insect because his mom asked him why he would do that. The insect had done nothing to bother him. After admiring my sketch the mom started bragging about how her 4 year old son loved to draw. He could draw things right out of his head. I encouraged her to keep him motivated. Then the young boy joined the conversation. I figured he wanted to share his artist statement or brag about his art techniques. He said, “I pooped on the potty this morning!” I laughed out loud. The parents might have been embarrassed since they wandered off rather quickly.

I pooped on the potty this morning as well. I appreciate his bringing some well grounded perspective to my day. I poop then sketch, poop then sketch, as the world turns.

FRINGE: The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln

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When Abraham Lincoln delivered the now famous speech at Gettysburg, there was a photographer on hand who was scrambling to get his camera and flash set up. When he finally took the photo, the president was already in the process of sitting down. The image of the president was a blur. It is a shame there wasn’t an artist on hand.

Historical performer, Tom Leahy stood in as the former president and I had plenty of time to sketch him as he read from the script.

Besides reading the Gettysburg Address, he talked about his relationship with Mary Todd Lincoln and the death of his son which devastated them both.

Abraham discussed his launch into politics and read his acceptance speech. With the Civil War being such a gut wrenching dramatic time, I wish more of that drama had made its way onto the production.

Next door a huge audience was going wild for one of the opening shows of the Fringe. The muffled cheers made their way through the thin walls, marking a start contrast between the boisterous flavor of the Fringe and the stark historical monologue being read aloud.

A woman who had seen me start the sketch wanted to see the finished result. As she was looking at it, Lincoln wandered over to look. “Why did you lean me forward?” he asked. If I sketched him standing upright, he would not have fit on the page.