Acoustic Eidolon

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The Timucua White House hosted Joe Scott and Hannah Alkire who are a tour-de-force of acoustic music, described as “World Music for the Soul.” In February 1998, Joe Scott and Hannah Alkire founded Acoustic Eidolon. What began as a musical adventure turned quickly into a life adventure, for both Hannah and Joe. Joe described how he builds his own double-neck guitjo. He described the intricacies of designing and playing this one of a kind instrument. His long impassioned description was followed by, “Oh, yea, Hanna plays a cello. Hanna and everyone else laughed.

It might have been fate or destiny that brought these talents together but this couple from Colorado had a unique and heart felt sound. Hannah told a story about how she checked her cello in with luggage for a United Airlines flight and what she got back was splintered and destroyed. United never accepted responsibility for the damage. Scott wrote Hannah a song called “In Your Cathedral” of condolence for the instrument which she called, her lost voice. It was the first of many love songs. This couple who madebeautiful music together eventually got married on October 14, 2001. Hannah wrote a song called “Hurricane Hannah” that expressed the whirl wind of emotions as she searched to regain her voice. A cello repairman had a large slab of wood that came from the same tree Hannah’s instrument came from. The repaired cello had just as rich a sound when repaired.

Terry, my wife arrived late, but when my sketch was done, she sat beside me and rested her head in my lap.

View from Ivanhoe

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When I was at the Palmer Feed Store Grand Opening, Brian OHalloran suggested I do a drawing of the Orlando skyline from a spot on the far side of Lake Ivanhoe. There were no big events going on, or I just didn’t know about them, so I drove to the spot he suggested after I got off work at Full Sail. It was a quiet suburban neighborhood off Princeton near the Shakes, OMA and Science Center. A street circled the lake and the homes had this wonderful view from their front yards.
There was a park bench, so I sat down and started sketching. The sun was setting so the light grew warm. The quiet peaceful scene was shattered for a moment by a speed boat pulling a water skier. A cormorant swam by on the near shoreline. I felt completely relaxed. Now I know why artists do so many landscapes, they don’t have to worry that people will move or just walk away.
Yesterday at the Florida Film Festival I saw an animated clamation film called “Venus“. In the short, a young couple, Caroline and Rasmus, had a passionate relationship, but years later find that they haven’t made love for over four months. Rasmus feels they can remedy the situation by going to a swinger’s club. Caroline is reluctant to go and embarrassed. She is about to leave alone, when another woman in the locker room describes the thrill she feels when men lust for her. Caroline looks at herself in a mirror, then goes back inside and meets a man seated alone who is a bit shy himself. They quietly, then passionately make love. In the meantime, in another room, Ramus finds he can’t perform. Embarrassed, he looks for Caroline and finds her in the throws of passion with a crowd watching. Rasmus sees how beautiful she is and when they get home, the passionate spark is re-ignited between them. This is a very European ending. In America if you knew your partner was with another man, it would end the relationship.

Relay for Life

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Marilyn Wattman–Feldman suggested I go to the Sanford Zoo to sketch the Relay for Life. My wife Terry arrived before me and I looked for her in the crowd. Tents were set up in the area in front of the zoo entrance where the zip lines are set up. There was a makeshift stage set up and I noticed a llama wearing a diamond studded tiara. A radio personality asked all the cancer survivors to come forward and stand in front of the stage. A large group of survivors, all dressed in purple T-shirts stood in front of the stage. There were young and old alike, people from all walks of life.

The Relay was an all night fundraising walk. The first lap was for the survivors lead by Clarissa the llama. The announcer didn’t realize Clarissa was a llama. “It wasn’t in my script!,” he shouted and he laughed. I saw Marilyn among the survivors as she did the first lap. Children were selling wristbands with passion. Terry and I got some bratwurst for dinner and we watched the girls make up new chants as they tried to sell the wristbands.

For $5 you could go on an evening tour of the zoo with a zoo guide. Marilyn said that the animals were more active at night. Guests were given flashlights with red gels which wouldn’t disturb the animals as much. We saw kangaroos, gators, a porcupine and some monkeys but most animals were either very well hidden or they were backstage asleep. After the tour, Terry left and I started searching for a sketch. I settled on this young zoo employee selling stuffed snakes and letting people know about the zoo tour. The snakes were cheap, like $3, and she sold quite a few. As I started putting in color, the lights all went out. I thought there had been a power failure, but someone finally explained that there was going to be an hour of silent remembrance for friends and family who had died to cancer. Paper bags with candles inside were placed all around the relay track. Some bags had photos of loved ones and many had loving tributes. Even the girls selling bracelets quieted down. It was a solemn, quiet time. The lights all flickered on, and the carnival-like atmosphere resumed. I splashed colors on my dark sketch, losing the gorilla and rhino in the dark of the night.

Jane Goodall

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Anthropologist Jane Goodall gave a talk at Rollins College about her research into the behavior of chimpanzees. The talk took place in the Alfond Sports Center. I arrived an hour or so early. There already was a huge line of people waiting outside to get in. Lauren Bradley, the PR Director at Rollins met me at a side door and she was gracious enough to help me find a seat with a good line of sight. The first two rows of the bleachers I decided to sketch from were reserved for the ushers and staff, so I sat in the third row and got to work.

Ushers were dressed in black and they had a meeting with the Fire Marshall before the doors opened. He wanted to be sure that everyone remained seated once they got inside. Student seating was in the bleachers across from me and of course VIP seating was up front on the floor of the basketball court. The doors opened and the crowd rushed in. Just about every seat in the cavernous room was filled. Footage of baby chimpanzees flashed on the screens.

Jane was announced and she stood at the podium with quiet dignity. She spoke with a sweet British accent as she recalled how she ended up pursuing her life’s dream. Jane read, “Tarzan” as a child and she imagined herself in the exotic jungle setting. When she was even younger, she wondered how a chicken could lay an egg. There was no hole big enough! She sneaked into the hen house and waited there for about 14 hours. Her mom didn’t know where Jane went, so she was sick with worry. Finally a hen layed an egg and Jane rushed to her mother to share the experience with her. To her mom’s credit, she didn’t chastise her daughter. When she saw the look of excitement and wonder in Jane’s eyes, she put aside her worry and listened. When Jane first went to Gambe in what is now Tanzania, her mother joined her, and encouraged her, since it was close to impossible to find or get close to the primates in the beginning. Sadly her mother left right before the moment an alpha male chimpanzee accepted Jane. The rest of the chimps then decided that, if he accepted her, then she must not be a threat.

Jane encouraged everyone to go to see “Chimpanzee“, a Disney nature documentary that opened in theaters April 20th. If you see “Chimpanzee” the week it opens—April 20-26, then for that one week only, Disney Nature will contribute 20 cents per ticket to the Jane Goodall Institute to protect wild chimpanzees. The funds will help, protect their home—the tropical forest, educate the next generation and Care for orphaned chimpanzees.

Jane spoke about how similar chimpanzee’s are to humans. It was assumed, back when she began her research, than only humans used tools. She found that chimpanzees not only used tools, they created tools. Both chimps and humans display sorrow, grief, joy and paternal love. She was shocked to discover that, like humans, chimps have a dark side. Humans are better at spoken communication and yet they are destroying their own resources. The environment is being destroyed for the next generations. Jane began a program called Roots and Shoots, which encourages children and young adults that they can take steps to help make the world a better and more sustainable place to live.

Earth Day at City Hall

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In the plaza in front of City Hall there was a small Earth Day Celebration with about ten tents promoting conservation and green initiatives. There were two large circular plague where all the world land masses were covered with green grass. Terry was there with her co-worker Sy. She picked up a free green earth day reusable shopping bag. In the Orlando Wetlands tent there was a baby alligator in a blue tub. People could hold the gator while having their picture taken in front of the Earth Day plaques. Red flowers decorated the edges.

There was a miniature golf course with bleach bottles and other garbage as the sand pits. Half full water bottles were being tossed into a recycling bin as a carnival game. New energy efficient light bulbs to a new totally electric car from Nissan were on display. There is now an electric outlet for a car right on Orange Avenue outside City Hall. The same gray electric car has been plugged in there the two times I’ve walked by. Todd Morgan was there representing Comprehensive Energy Services. I know Todd for his work with Harmonious Universe which helps brighten the town with colorful interactive murals. Anyone can help in the painting so long as they can hold a paint brush.

It started to rain as I was sketching so I rushed under a palm tree for some cover. Mayor Buddy Dyer walked out of City Hall and paused to look at the makeshift Earth Day Celebration, then he walked across the street toward the Grand Bohemian with two other men in suits. Be sure to stop by Lake Eola today to see all of the activities throughout the day.

The Search for the Holy Grail

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My wife, Terry, agreed to meet me at the Florida Film Festival to see the Animated Shorts. I got to the Enzian a little before Terry and ordered an Orange Blossom Pilsner. There wasn’t anyone in the box office so I sat at a table and sipped my beer, watching people as they arrived. I waved hello to Kim Robinson from the Mennello Museum. She sat down at my table and began knitting the tiniest baby slipper I have ever seen. She had seen at least ten films already although she stopped keeping count. She essentially takes the week off and sees all the independent films she can. A line started forming for “Single Ticket Holders.” I wondered out loud if there was a line for “Married Ticket Holders.” Kim decided she had better stand in line so she could get a good seat.

Terry arrived and she checked with the box office. The Animated Shorts program was sold out. A woman in blue was at the head of the “Standby Line.” We sat down in the second and third standby spots and waited. The group of people behind us all knew each other. Director Sari Gilman approached from the Eden Bar. She recognized these long lost friends and her face lit up. There were hugs and a quick flurry of conversation as they tried to catch up before the line started moving. Sari is a film maker from San Francisco. Her film “Kings Point” is about the need for companionship and the difficulties of growing old in America, of being alone. Terry and I looked at each other and our eyes grew large. Sari spends most of her time alone in a dark room cutting and editing scenes together. Between screenings of her documentary short, which is half an hour long, she hopes to promote the film. Promoting the finished product is difficult for any artist. The film is being screened one more time on April 21st at 1pm at the Regal Park Village. I will not have a chance to see it since I have class that day.

The line started moving and we made it into the Enzian Theater in Siberia at the back of the theater. An announcer asked someone from Lure Design to stand up. Lure was the sponsor of the Animated program. She then thanked Full Sail and asked Full Sail staff to stand. I remained seated. My favorite animated short was “Notes on Biology.” With stop motion jitter, children entered a classroom, sitting at their desks. Notebooks are opened, some neat and tidy and some a mess. A student starts animating a wheel turning as the teacher drones on about Biology. The notes spark to life when he draws a robot elephant. I learned a new word, ectoecology, which is how an organism abopts to its environment. A Film Festival staple, Levni Yilnaz, entertained with his “Random Observations about Sex.” Animator Bill Plimpton was in the audience and he had two shorts in the show, my favorite being “Summer Bummer“.

After the screenings, there was a free screening of Monti Pithon and the Holy Grail, outside on the brand new inflatable movie screen. The thing looks something like one of those inflatable kids romper rooms or slides. I’ve actually never seen “The Holy Grail”, so I was excited. The film had already started and the hillside lawn next to the Enzian was packed to overflowing. I sat right next to the screen, and looked up the hill at the audience. I couldn’t really see what I was doing but at least I caught an impression of the couples lying on blankets enjoying the show. Terry found me and shouted in my ear that she was going to go. That morning I had my heart carved out with a dull knife. Luckily, it was just a flesh wound and my hand can still put marks down on a page. I finished the sketch in no time flat since I couldn’t see any detail. I looked up at the thin elongated knights on the screen which billowed in the wind. A few drops of rain fell and I left before the movie was over. Someday I hope to see the whole film.

To Kill a Mockingbird

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As part of the Florida Film Festival there was a free outdoor screening of “To Kill a Mockingbird” in Winter Park’s Central Park. The film is 50 years old, which makes us both the same age. I drove to the park straight from Full Sail when it let out at 5PM. The movie wasn’t going to start till around 8PM when it got dark. That left me a whole lot of time to sketch before the movie started. I invited my wife, Terry, to the screening but she was swamped at work. She then changed her mind saying she would meet me for a drink or dinner. I started this sketch to see how far I could get before she arrived. When she did arrive, I abandoned the sketch and we looked for a bar or restaurant. We ended up eating at a Tai restaurant a block away on Park Avenue. The price for a cup of wine was too high so the idea of a drink was abandoned. I ordered Pad Tai and I didn’t particularly like the dish. I had 3 cups of Coke so I would be buzzing like a humming bird when I returned to finish the sketch.

Film Festival staff and volunteers were on the stage setting up the portable movie screen. A series of aluminum struts were pieced together as the outer framework for the screen. Several ropes were threaded over the band shell roof supports and the ropes were pulled tight to raise the screen. The vintage black and white movie was actually a DVD which was inverted and then projected onto the back of the screen. When my sketch was done, I moved closer and watched the movie from backstage. A policeman, two stage hands and later a waitress were the only other people who watched from this vantage point. On the Central Park lawn, couples had picnics with wine and candle light. It was actually chilly and I rubbed my bare arms for warmth.

When the 14 year old Atticus Finch was given a gun by his father, he was told that the urge to shoot at birds would become too great. He could shoot all the Blue Jays he wanted, but he should never shoot a Mockingbird. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy… but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

It felt good knowing this film about racism and courage was being shown in Central Florida. When I first moved here over 17 years ago, I went to a counter demonstration, because the KKK were demonstrating at the Jewish Community Center in Maitland. I ended up face to face with the Grand Master or Poo Bah, whatever he was called. He held a huge can of mace, aiming it at my face. Angry, I muttered, “Go ahead.” There were a few police on hand and it would have been nice to see him arrested. Turning the other cheek doesn’t always work but never throw the first punch.

Olive Garden Italian Cinema Night

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This Florida Film Festival staple tasting night has become a beloved ritual for Festival attendees. The tasting reception was preceded by “Marriage Italian Style“, with Sophia Loren, inside the theater. People arrived at Eden Bar for a tasting of Italian treats and delights courtesy of festival supporter Olive Garden Italian Restaurant. Film tickets were $10 each. The tasting reception was complimentary.

I arrived an hour early to block in the sketch composition before the crowd got too thick. I ordered a Orange Blossom Pilsner and sat at a metal table on the sidelines. Volunteers at the Festival this year are wearing bright red shirts that say “Scan me”, with a giant QR code on the back. One volunteer weaved through the crowd with a questionnaire to find out where Festival attendees came from and how much they planned to spend. Another woman approached me and asked if I had a program yet. I didn’t, and I assumed she was going to give me the one she was holding. She had a program and was given a second one. She wanted to sell me her second program, I declined.

Mary Ann De Stefano arrived and she was kind enough to get me several tiny sampler plates. There was a crispy toast with crushed tomatoes on top, a sharp white cheese and some olives. As people arrived there were hugs and compliments. After the tasting there was going to be a screening of “Dead Dad” which is the premiere feature film of FSU student, Ken Adachi. Ken developed an urge to complete a feature length film while working primarily in short formats. New to Los Angeles with limited funds, he and his collaborators embraced a grassroots approach and worked tirelessly to make it happen. The result is “Dead Dad“, Adachi’s feature film debut. I believe that Ken, his family and friends were at the table next to mine judging from the hearty congratulations.

The Artist

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It was a crisp cool evening when I went to see “The Artist” at the Enzian Theater. Since I arrived early, I decided to get a beer at the Eden bar before the screening. All the propane space heaters belched out their blue and yellow flames that then turned the protective grid a bright orange.

Couples slowly arrived as I sketched and I quickly worked them in so my sketch didn’t look too desolate and cold. Invariably people seem to look at their phones more than they look at each other.

“The Artist” was a magnificent black and white film that harkened back to the age of the silent movies. The male lead, named George Valentin, looked just like a young Walt Disney. He was charming and absolutely at home as a star in the silent films. His dog who also made appearances in the silent films was just as much of a ham.

Peppy Miller, a young actress trying to break into the film industry has a chance encounter with him and there were sparks and instant chemistry, they both loved dancing and putting on a good show. The talkies brushed silent movies aside and the George’s career floundered while Peppy rode the new wave. The entire film was silent and it flowed wonderfully, not missing a beat. The one line at the end of the film felt just as iconic as “Rosebud” from Citizen Kane.”

Anyway, the Florida Film Festival is running now through April 22nd. Be sure to get out and rub shoulders with some of the amazing directors and producers from the crop of this years films. It is ten days of film, food and fun. Sadly, like George Valentin, I seem to be out of the loop this year but I will try and get a sketch if I can.

McRae Open House

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I always like visiting other artist’s studios. Several times a year a McRrae artist Studios in Winter Park opens their doors to the public. This warehouse space is split up into sections to accommodate a variety of artists. Above the entry was a Christmas Reindeer decoration with two strategically placed red Christmas ornaments. Larry Moore‘s studio is right up front and he had some wonderful large oil paintings on display of other artists at work in their studios. They were absolutely inspiring.

I feel a little uncomfortable sketching when there is an open house. I decided to sit outside in a lawn chair that had been set out to keep people from blocking the entry. Julie Koran who I once mistook to be the curator at the Tiffany museum was waiting on some friends. A police woman asked if I was in charge. I had to explain that I was only sketching. She marched inside the studios to see if she could find someone who was in charge. The studio opening had drawn quite a crowd and people were parked up and down the side streets near the event. Julie trailed the officer, the trouble was that some of these cars were in no parking zones and others were parked with the wrong wheels towards the curb. Getting no answers inside, the police woman started writing tickets. It would be a banner day generating plenty of income for the city thanks to the arts. Thankfully I was fine where I parked, although I was ready to sprint ahead of the officer leaving my sketch if there was a need.

Don Sondag has been doing some wonderful nocturnes and he gave me information about a once a week plein air evening painting outing. I think I’d like to try that. Since Florida is so hot, painting at night makes plenty of sense. I explored all the studios and there was plenty of inspiring work. Outside, Bistro Babes food truck offered up dinner options. I ordered a “Mother Clucker” simply because it was fun to shout out. The lady taking my order feigned shock. The chicken sandwich tasted great. Food trucks rule.