My Dog Tulip

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I went to the Enzian Theater to meet Terry and see the animated feature film “My Dog Tulip.” This film was traditionally animated and I had heard great reviews. I went to the Enzian straight from work and arrived before Terry. I got the tickets and then settled in at the Eden Bar for a drink. I ordered an Orange Blossom beer and got out the sketch book. There was only one other patron at the bar and she was seated at the far end near the cash register. The bartender, Robert Johnson, put on some music that I had never heard before. The woman started asking Robert some questions about the music. It turns out the CD was a preliminary mix for his band, Odin’s Den. He said there were still many things he wanted to tweak to bring the sound mix up to par.

I really liked the music. One song in particular struck a note with me called, “I paint a picture in shades of gray.” When the woman said she liked the music just as it was, Robert tried to explain the subtleties he was listening for. At a party at Blank Space following an opening of a Seed Alliance art opening I participated in at the downtown public library, Odin’s Den performed. The sound check was indeed a long arduous process. Robert would lean close to the speaker and turn dials trying to get the sound just right. Blank Space is a rather small venue and the sound was loud and full. Terry told me I should put in ear plugs. I refused deciding to listen to the music’s full force. Just as I refuse to wear sunglasses anymore, I choose to experience things fully and unfiltered.

“My Dog Tulip” had me enthralled. The whole film looks like my rough sketches with no attempt at polishing them to some pristine finish. This was the furthest thing from a Disney film I had ever seen. It made me want to bring my sketches to life. The entire film was narrated giving it a straight forward matter of fact tone. Entirely about the search for the ideal friendship and an Englishman who found that friendship and endless devotion with his dog. There was sincerity to every scene. One scene even had the signature of the background artist. There was a child like joy to some of the roughest animated scenes. I fell in love with the look and sentiment of this film. It felt hand made, the vision of a single artist.

Best Bets

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Voting continues through February 28th for the Orlando Sentinel’s Best Bets. I hope you will vote for Analog Artist Digital World in the Best Local Blogger category. They encourage people to nominate in as many categories as possible. Since the list is dauntingly large, I thought I would share my votes. I voted for places I have sketched, and spots that I return to often. This sketch is of Stardust Video and Coffee which I nominated as the Best Local Bar and the Best Local Restaurant to bring clients. This list should give you a running start. Of course mold this list to suit your tastes. For instance you might actually know who the best cosmetic surgeon is in town. If you disagree with any of my Best Bets, let me know!

Best Chain Restaurant……….Firehouse
Best Local Bar……………………Stardust Video & Coffee
Best Local Nightclub ………….I-Bar
Best Local Bar/Restaurant to see Live Music …..Tanqueray’s
Best Local Wine Bar……………Cavanagh’s Fine Wine
Best Local Beer Selection……Redlight Redlight
Best Local Martini Bar………..Bone Fish Grill
Best Local Hole in the Wall….Back Booth
Best Local Happy Hour……….Will’s Pub
Best Local Brunch……………….Dandelion Communitea Cafe
Best Local Burger………………..Hamburger Mary’s
Best Local Steak………………….Dexter’s
Best Local Seafood………………Bonefish Grill
Best Local Pizza…………………..Mellow Mushroom
Best Local BBQ…………………….Bubbalou’s Bodacious BBQ
Best Local Frozen Desert……..Tutti Frutti
Best Local Sushi……………………Amura
Most Local Romantic…………….Social Chameleon
Best Local Thai……………………..Viet Garden
Best Local Cuban…………………..Cuban Sandwiches to go
Best Local Mexican………………..De La Vega’s
Best Local Italian…………………..Antonio’s La Fiamma
Best Local Indian………………….Spice Cafe
Best Local Chinese………………..Ming Court
Best Local Sub Sandwich………Publix
Best Local Wings……………………Buffalo Bill’s Wild Wings
Best Local Vegetarian…………….Loving Hut
Best Local Dessert………………….Rhapsodic Bakery
Best Local Outdoor Dinning…….310 Park South
Best Local Place to Bring Fido…Doggie Door, Winter Park
Best Local Coffee……………………..Austin’s Coffee
Best Local Caterer…………………..Bubbalou’s BBQ
Best Local Restaurant to take Clients…..Stardust Video and Coffee
Best Local Bachelor/bachelorette….Brian Feldman, Hannah Miller
Best Local Gay/Lesbian Bar………The Parliament House
Best Local Radio Personality…….Jim Phillips
Best Orlando Sentinel Columnist…..Matthew Palm
Best Local TV Personality………..Peter Murphy
Best Meteorologist………………….I don’t have time for TV
Best Local Celebrity……………….Mark Baratelli
Best Local Blogger…………Analog Artist Digital World
Best Local Band…………………….Kaleigh Rose Baker and the Absinthe Trio
Best Theme Park Ride…………..Carousel of Progress
Best Water Park……………………Wet and Wild
Best Live Show………………………Orlando Live
Best Annual Event at Theme Park…..Food and Wine Festival Epcot
Best Local Resort………………….Wilderness Lodge
Best Wildlife Encounter…………Manatee Festival Blue Spring State Park
Best Community Festival………Fringe Festival
Best Museum………………………..Orlando Museum of Art
Best Weekend Getaway………..DeLeon Springs
Best Wedding Venue…………….Orlando Shakespeare Theater
Best Golf Course…………………..Bay Hill
Best Movie Theatre………………Enzian Theater
Best Concert Venue………………Plaza Theater
Best Video Gaming Spot……….Aloma Bowl
Best Shopping Mall………………..Mall at Millenia
Best Arts and Crafts Store…….Michael’s
Best Sporting Goods Store…….Bass Pro Shops
Best Home Furnishing Store…Rob and Stucky’s
Best Local Bookstore…………….Bookworm
Best Specialty Food Store……..Rhapsodic Bakery
Best Local Wine/Liquor Store…..Eola Wine Room
Best Day Spa…………………………….Baden Baden Germany
Best Local Hair Salon………………..I cut my own hair
Best Cosmetic Surgeon……………..You are kidding, right?
Best Mens Clothing Store………….The Gap
Best Womens Clothing Store……..The Gap
Best Jewelry Store …………………….P.J. Abramson Inc
Best Department Store………………Stein Mart
Best Discount Department store…..K Mart
Best Shoe Store…………………………The Track Shack
Best Fitness Facility………………….Anytime Fitness
Best Tattoo Parlor…………………….Black Chapel

Boston Coffeehouse

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On the day of the 30th International SketchCrawl, Terry and I wandered the streets of Deland as the sun set. The temperature plummeted and I was happy to even shop just so I could go inside and get warm. We ran across a quirky little comics shop and went inside. The store had two narrow isles packed floor to ceiling with science fiction pulp novels, comics, figurines and even quality literary books by authors like Hermann Hess and Harper Lee. At the front of the store I was tempted to buy a book about sketching on location. As I was flipping through the pages Terry was talking to the store owner.

Terry asked if he had any Zorro Books and he showed her an entire drawer filled with Zorro comics. She squealed with delight. She wanted to know if I had money in my pocket so she could buy them all. Now, she isn’t a comic book collector, this went back to some childhood impulse that I don’t quite understand. On an upper shelf there was a sculptural figurine bust of Zorro still in it’s original packaging. The bust was $60. She said she couldn’t afford it but she just had to see it. The store owner delicately unwrapped the paper from around the bust and removed it from it’s snug Styrofoam inner casing. She turned to me and said she had to have it. I didn’t have that much money. She asked the store owner if there was an ATM nearby. He said there was one behind the bank across the street. I stayed behind searching through the books while she rushed across the street to get money for her fix. She couldn’t find the cash machine but he accepted a personal check.

After dropping off her stash in my truck, we went to this cozy coffee shop to relax. We were planning to go to a heroes and Villains party in Longwood but that was not starting for two more hours. Terry read her book and I started to sketch. She got some caramel infused foamy coffee and I got a Mountain Dew. I also ordered an apple fritter which was delicious. In the back of the coffee shop a storytellers meeting was taking place. There was a constant stream of customers ordering coffee and then leaving. As I was finishing up the sketch my stomach started to rumble. It had been a long day of sketching and worrying about sketch opportunities lost. My body was starting to revolt. I gave Terry my keys and asked her to drive me home. She got behind the wheel already dressed up as Zorro for the party we would have to miss.

SketchCrawl

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Terry and I got on the free bus to Blue Spring State Park. At Blue Spring everyone piled off and immediately crowded onto the first wooden platform overlooking the spring. A Manatee was relaxing in the bright green sunshine. A turtle sunned himself on a log. An alligator stealthfully approached the log. The turtle got nervous and slipped into the water. I had never seen Blue Spring State Park so crowded. Terry and I decided to walk up the wooden boardwalk to the source of the spring. There the crystal clear water could be seen gushing up from a fissure. Hundreds of foot long black fish were lying around the fissure all of them facing away, looking from the distance like tad poles. Groups of them would periodically swim to the water’s surface where they would splash their snout out of the water before swimming back to the bottom. It looked like they were rising up to breathe, but fish have gills. I didn’t notice any bugs on the water’s surface. It was a strange ritualistic dance that still has me guessing.I didn’t sketch any manatees at Blue Spring since it was so darn cold and the crowds of people were crushing. We saw maybe ten manatees in all.

When we got back to the festival site, there was a huge line of people waiting to get back on the bus. I am glad we went to the spring early. It was time for some greasy festival food. I was starving. We settled on grilled hot dogs. On the main stage Bubba ” Whoopass “Wilson was performing. As he sang “Southern Girl“, we found a picnic table and sat down. I became fascinated with an older couple sitting arm in arm listening to the music. I got my sketchbook out as soon as I finished eating. Terry read the book she had brought along while I worked. A young family sat opposite me. The boy, maybe 12 years old, became fascinated with what I was doing. When he lost interest, he started dreaming about going on all the rides. He turned to his mom and said, “Are you sure you only have four dollars.” She shook her head. Any hopes he had of getting on the rides faded away from his face.

By the time I finished this sketch, the sun was getting low on the horizon and it was getting colder. Terry and I decided to drive to Deland and walk around the quaint downtown district. I hadn’t noticed another sketch artist all day. This had been a solo SketchCrawl. If others did stop out, I hope they got to fully experience everything this home grown festival had to offer.

Manatee Festival

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For the 30th International SketchCrawl I created an event page on Facebook inviting Orlando Artists to join me on a trip up to Orange City to sketch at the Manatee festival. I had never been to this festival before, so I didn’t know what to expect. Terry and I drove about an hour north to the festival which is right near Blue Spring State Park. We parked my Xterra on a football field next to Valentine Park. I was surprised when we got to the entrance to find out there was a $8 entrance fee. This was the first I had heard about an entrance fee so we paused. We found out that the entrance fee included entrance to Blue Spring as well and I knew that parking in Blue Spring is $6.There was a free shuttle bus from the festival to Blue Spring and back so we decided it was worth it. Besides I had told other artists that this was the first stop on the crawl.

This was your basic cotton candy and corn dog brand of festival. We walked around to see all the tents and then Terry informed me that Frisbee catching dogs were going to perform at 11am. She sat in the bandstands and I sat with a view of a giant inflatable dog with a Frisbee in its mouth. All the dog performers were rescue dogs. The wind picked up and the inflatable dog toppled backwards. People quickly came out and reset stakes to keep it in Place. The crowd grew thick and I only caught the smallest glimpse of the dogs running and catching Frisbees. Mothers knelt down beside their toddlers to share the moment. A man who had been building sandcastles complimented my drawing. He said he had recently taken up painting but he never realized he might have to draw anything before applying paint.

When the dog show was over I realized I had not noticed any other artists sketching. I walked around looking for anyone holding a sketchpad. Belly dancers on the man stage distracted me as the danced the train station scene from “Slumdog Millionaire.” I don’t know if other artists ever did show up. I was enjoying the moment and considering what to sketch next.

Mob at the Mall

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Call time for Flash Mob participants was at 12 noon on Saturday January 29th. The Flash Mob itself was scheduled to start at 2 pm.Terry and I arrived at the mall at noon and entered through Bloomingdale’s. The first thing I saw was a bright pink short on a mannequin that said,”Mall Princess”. Before we got to the central Grand Court, Terry insisted I meet the sales women at Cole Haan. Terry is on a first name basis with the sales staff and they started talking about hair styling. I was in agony wanting to start my sketch. After leaving the store Terry met a Facebook friend and she joked about how difficult it is to get me to the mall. The woman pointed out that her boyfriend loved shopping for her at the mall. Groan…

Finally I got to the spot where I wanted to set up and sketch. It was now roped off for the video camera crews. A mall security guard named Tom was watching the roped off area and I explained that I planned to sketch. He was fine with that, and he let me duck under. Having already sketched the Flash Mob rehearsal from this angle, I decided to do a sketch on the digital tablet. I am still adjusting to sketching on glass, but one feature I like is the ability to keep enlarging the canvas. I kept enlarging the canvas to take in more of the mall architecture.

About 5 times people approached me and asked if I was Thor. I had shared my last sketch on the Flash Mob event page and the volunteer dancers really seemed to appreciate what I was doing. The entire hour leading up to the performance, people gathered around the circular staging area waiting for something to happen. In this age of social networking, word had spread fast. In videos I had seen of Flash mobs in other cities, it seemed like people were caught off guard, the flash mob seeming to happen spontaneously. Here in Orlando that element of surprise was lost. I had only moments to sketch the actual performance. When the performers melted back into the crowd, I kept working trying to capture the energy unleashed.

Flash Mob!

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Terry decided to join me on a trip to the Mall at Millenia to experience and dance along with the Flash Mob. When we arrived after having a nice dinner at Crave, she insisted on walking from the parking lot, through Needless Markup. The Fresh mob was going to happen in the heart of the mall, a circular central area known as the Grand Court. I circled around on the upper level till I decided on this spot as the best vantage point to sketch from. My instinct was correct since the performance was staged facing in this direction. I started sketching the space and people wandering the sidelines, while Terry wandered off to shop.

When everybody assembled, Linda Elchak, the choreographer, stood on one of the cushioned couches and she shouted for everyone to find their personal space. My own personal space got a bit crowded when a couple set up chairs right beside me and then ignored what was gong on and yacked the whole time. Luckily once the music was fired up their conversation was drowned out. In the center of the court an acapella singing group began to perform. Then from the sidelines a crowd of people filled the circular space. The music shouted out, “I can see clearly now, the rain is gone.” I spotted Terry. She had joined the crowd and was picking on the dance moves fast.

Everyone raised their hands in the at and shouted out. “I had the time of my life!”People were jumping in place doing jumping jacks and executing a wave from east to west. The entire court was set up like a giant compass and people in separate quadrants often had their own moves to work on. After the performance was over, Linda shouted down to a young woman who had given a particularly expressive and emotional performance. “You! Can I talk to you after?” Who knows, perhaps a star was discovered.

The Flash Mob is happening today at 2pm in the Mall at Millenia. I plan to just enjoy the experience and leave the video cameras to document this high energy historic event. Come on out! You’ll have the time of your life!

Flash Mob Rehearsal

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Thanks to Facebook I found out that there was going to be a flash mob event right here in Orlando. If you are unfamiliar with Flash Mobs, it basically has people spontaneously break into dance in a public place. There were going to be a few rehearsals for the core group of dancers on the week leading up to the event. I contacted Nao Dance Collective choreographer, Linda Elchak, for details and she invited me to Studio K (12211 Regency Village Drive) to sketch the dancers rehearsing. On the day I went to sketch it was pouring outside. The drive down to the dance studio was treacherous. It was like driving through a waterfall for half an hour. When my truck hit a deep puddle the steering wheel would jerk right, due to the sudden friction. Bright blinding flashes of lightning illuminated the windshield and the wipers could not keep up. High winds kept buffeting the truck. I drove more by instinct rather than sight. My cell phone lit up and I glanced at a text from Terry, “Waiting for the storm to blow over, hope you are safe inside too.” The truck hit a deep puddle and I dropped the phone, grabbing the steering wheel to correct.

The dance studio was out in the middle of nowhere down by Disney. I drove till the street ended with some barricades and then I back tracked. I lucked upon the dance studio, which was a warm inviting beacon in the storm. Stepping out of the truck I was sure my tiny portable umbrella would catch a lightning bolt. I ran to the dance studio and stepped inside shaking off the damp and cold. Linda welcomed me immediately and I felt at home. Dancer, Michael Sloan who I have sketched before with DRIP Dance company, also shook my hand. In the dance studio lobby, maybe 30 or so dancers were gathered. I imagined some might have come from the theme parks and some people just answered the call to dance just this once in a public place. Inside the dance studio a ballroom dance lesson was just finishing up. I suddenly realized I would need my stool so I dashed back out into the rain to get it. When I got back the core group was inside assembling for the dance.

A techno version of “The Sun will come out Tomorrow” began to play and the dancers elegantly raised one arm then another as their walked to their marks. An announcer said, “welcome to Orlando.” The dance moves were energetic and aerobic. All the moves were straight forward and simple so many people could follow the dance when it gained mass. I followed the movements of the dancer in the green shirt. She didn’t just follow the movements, she managed to give meaning to each move and had that extra elusive spark of energy. I saw Linda acknowledge her and soon Linda was shouting at the top of her lungs, “Come on people! Work it! Show me what you got!” The dancers were jumping up and down in place with their hands in the air as the music switched DJ style to “Let the Sun Shine In!” Now everyone was moving with high energy, clapping high, clapping low. I was tapping my feet to the beat fully enjoying the performance, a fantastic energy to sketch too. By the end everyone was flush as they mingled and once again melted into the side lines.

When the heat and bustle of the rehearsal was over, I bundled up and went back outside to the real world to face the storm. There is one more rehearsal tonight at 9 pm at the Mall at Millenia . The Flash Mob is happening tomorrow January 29th at noon in the Mall at Millenia (4200 Conroy Road). I’ll be there sketching and who knows, I might just bust a move.

CarVerations

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Mark Baratelli’s “Mobile Art Show” had a different twist this month. Usually, Mark rents a U-Haul truck and has an artist exhibit their work inside. When I arrived at the City Arts Factory this month I found Mark unloading wrappers, newspapers and assorted bottles from the backseat of his beat up 1996 Chevy Cavalier. He put a bottle of mouthwash on the dashboard and loaded everything else into the trunk. He and Brian Feldman, a local performance artist, had decided at the last minute to create an event called “CarVersations,” in which people could pay one dollar could sit in the passenger seat and have a five minute conversation with Brian.

Evan Miga showed up having heard about the event on Facebook. Mark had announced it only hours before. Evan showed me some wire that was wrapped around his backpack. At the end of the wire was a silver box with a switch. When he flipped the switch, the wire glowed a neon blue. As we spoke the neon flickered, fluctuating to the volume of our voices as we talked. He plans to use these wires to outline the corrugated robots he is creating for”Dog Powered Robot and the History of the Future” which will be in the Orlando Fringe Festival this May.He said some scenes will be in complete darkness with just the neon glow illuminating the scene. Evan wrapped the wire around the outer edge of the windshield of the car so when people spoke, the wire would glow.

Brian showed up with his portable marquee and he set it up on the roof of the car. Mark shouted to Brian through the windshield, “Three minutes to places!” For some reason, after getting in the car, Brain flipped on the windshield wipers which sent the neon wire twisting in all directions. Mark shouted, “Noooooo!” Brian couldn’t figure out how to turn off the wipers quick enough. He shouted back, “How do you turn the wipers off?” I laughed out loud. It was like watching vintage Laurel and Hardy slapstick.

Several SAK Comedy Lab volunteers came down during the event to speak to Brian in the Car. Orlando Live host Peter Murphy had an interview with Brian, which the cameraman filmed from the backseat. My wife stopped by, paid her dollar and spoke to Brian for five minutes. I am not sure I gave her a solid five minutes of my attention since I was struggling with the sketch on my digital tablet. Before I knew it, CarVersations was over. Mark drove off and I continued to throw down digital washes till I was satisfied.