Terry takes horse riding lessons at Morton Equestrian Center in Ocoee. For the holidays the barn hosted an outdoor barbecue. Guests each bought a side dish or deserts. This was a real home grown Florida party complete with cowboys and plenty of talented horse riders. The whole event took place in the middle of a riding ring. The horse jumps were still in place and people gathered around the roaring fire to keep warm since the night was rather cold for Florida.
Before I ate, I sat in the bleachers which are set up for people to watch the horses. Terry was still getting over a rather bad fall off of a horse and her instructor Emily offered her encouragement. The saying, “get right back on the horse”, has a new meaning once you have been thrown 6 feet. Terry’s had a huge 3 foot long black and blue mark all the way up the back of her leg.
There were beers in a cooler but I stuck with caffeine as I rushed to finish the sketch. The night was crisp and cold and the laughter and conversations continued for many hours. Once I finished I went and picked up some pulled pork on a bun and plenty of cookies. Terry was talking to a man who had owned horses for years and she was trying to find out how much land cost outside Orlando since she now dreams of a simple life in the country.
Scottish Highland Games
If you have never been to the Scottish Highland Games, you really should go. They take place at Central Winds Park at (1000 East SR 434 in Winter Springs). The event’ is still going on today (Sunday, January 17) from 9AM to 4:30PM with a concert following at 6PM. I had an absolute blast sketching the events all day long on the first day of the festivities. This sketch is of the Kingdom of York which is an encampment which demonstrates the art of blacksmithing. It threatened to rain several times but the weather held. The Kingdom of York lists their core values as: Fairness, Integrity, Loyalty, and Respect. One of the blacksmiths, when he saw the sketch, was very pleased that I had trimmed at least ten pounds off of his figure. I discovered the artisan working the bellows is named Jack and I had sketched him and his wife Christina before. They were the couple I chose to sketch who were helping paint over hate at the Center on Mills Avenue.
In the background of this sketch you can see the sheaf toss in progress. I never got close enough to see the competitors up close but now I realize that they use a pitchfork to hurl the bales over the pole. The bar is slowly raised after each round and it becomes increasingly difficult to get the sheep over the pole. The crowd would scream with delight whenever the sheaf went over.
Fairwinds Broadway Across America – Orlando 2010-2011 Season Announcement
I was invited to attend the Broadway Across America unveiling of the upcoming shows in 2010 and 2011. This is the line up:
Phantom of the Opera: January 20 – February 14, 2010
In the Heights: March 9-14, 2010
Xanadu: April 27 – May 2, 2010
Spring Awakening: May 18-23, 2010
Young Frankenstein: November 30 – December 5, 2010
Rock of Ages: January 11-16, 2011
West Side Story: February 1-6, 2011
Wicked: February 23 – March 27, 2011
Shrek The Musical: May 17-22, 2011
Hair: June 21-26, 2011
The festivities were held at the Fairwinds Corporate Tower (135 West Central Boulevard). I decided to dress up a bit for the event, so I wore a suit and nice slacks. To get in, I was told I would have to get an wristband. Jeremy Seghers was handling the bands, so I felt at ease knowing I was among friends. Inside the bank there was no noticeable decorations except for the fact that a bar had been set up. I immediately walked towards this group of men pictured in the sketch; an a capella singing group called 4:2:Five. They were singing, “They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway. They say there’s always magic in the air. But when you,re walking down that street, and you ain’t had enough to eat, the glitter rubs right off and your nowhere…” I loved singing this song when I lived in Manhattan. The lyrics take on a magnified meaning once you have had to struggle to make ends meet in the Big Apple as an artist. I sang along happily sketching the performers. Amanda Norvell, who arranged for me to sketch, said hello and Terry Olson walked up to me and said, “I am sorry, we do not allow sketching in here”. He was kidding, and we both laughed. I seem to bump into him everywhere I go these days.
When it came time to add some color to the sketch, I realized that I had left my brushes at home. I had changed my pants, and the brushes were in my pants at home. I was frustrated, but had to finish the sketch regardless. I ended up finding a reject brush that functions more like a sponge than a brush. It sucks the color into the handle and then refuses to put down a decent wash. Well, regardless of the struggles, I managed to get something done.
After this group left the floor, the Mayor gave a quick speech. He joked around that he had been given a key to the banks’ safe last time he was here, but he hadn’t managed to get to the money yet. Singers then performed solos from the upcoming season shows.
Of the shows coming to Orlando this year, I am looking forward to sketching “Phantom” and “In the Heights” the most. When I lived in New York City, I lived in Washington Heights, so sketching “In the Heights” should feel like going home again. I hope to start sketching the load-ins for each of the shows when they get to town, as well as sketching from the wings. I also hope to start sketching the Broadway series cast parties and events. 2010 should be an exciting year, as I discover Broadway in Orlando through my sketches.
Crisis Nursery
Amanda Chadwick is celebrating her birthday with a week long series of events she has planned. This is the greatest idea I have heard in a while. Why only celebrate on one day of the year? The first party was at the Children’s Home Society, Crisis Nursery where Amanda is an events coordinator. I was the first to arrive and gradually 6 or 7 of her friends trickled in. Most of her friends are comedians so I knew there would be plenty of laughter. Before we were let in to play Amanda explained a little about the Nursery’s function.
The home is a place of refuge for children who been abused or neglected. Sometimes new born infants come straight from the hospital. It is hoped that all the children will find foster parents in a loving and stable home. Some children who have developed behavioral issues, end up returning to the Crisis Nursery. Amanda said that most visits are rather structured but this time she wanted to have a free and open play period. When we first entered everyone sat on the couch in the living room area. Within minutes children were hugging and playing with the newcomers. I thought I would sit down on my portable stool and start sketching, but the children were soon standing in front and beside me asking what I was doing. They immediately wanted to sketch themselves and I gave each a pencil. I had another pad for them to sketch in. One boy asked me to draw him. He then took the sketch and went over to a corner table to work on it. He worked for the longest time hunched over and focused. Amanda came over and told me I had inspired him.
I drew a little girl and then she asked me to draw her dress so I sketched her from head to toe. She was thrilled and took the sketch to hang in her room. The electronic piano was bought in by Elizabeth Drake Forbes. The children crowded around it, discovering new sounds and beats. This moment gave me a center of interest and finally gave me time to sketch. Most children were still running around with balls flying and bouncing off of heads and ceiling fans. Amanda bought cupcakes and everyone sat around the table to eat them. Then the children went outside to play and burn off the sugar. I stayed and finished up this sketch. One little girl loved the piano so much she returned to it when everyone else had lost interest. She began to develop a beat and sound that finally resembled music.
One little girl was sad and crying. Mary Hill saw the girl crying and she sat down on the floor near her. Mary said, “I hear you, you are sad. I hear you.” The little girl didn’t quite know how to process this but as Mary continued to talk soothingly to the little girl, she slowly inched towards Mary until she was sitting on her lap. When it was time to leave there were many hugs. This was the best birthday party ever!
Radio Rickshaw
I got a tip from Brian Feldman that local podcast Radio Rickshaw was about to broadcast its 100th episode. At the last minute Brian contacted Dan Ginader, one of the show hosts, and found out where the program is broadcast from. With the address in hand thanks to a barrage of text messages, I drove towards the Milk District where the broadcast studio is located. I was surprised to find myself in a suburban neighborhood as I approached the address. House numbers were impossible to see so I parked and walked the last few blocks. Don Fowler and John Valines, the other two hosts of the radio show, were seated on the front porch of the small suburban home smoking. They were surprised to see me and we introduced ourselves. When they finished their smokes we went inside. The broadcast studio takes up a small area of the living room. A banner with Radio Rickshaw printed on it sort of divides up the living space from the working sound studio. Two dog cages were stored in a corner of the room. Space was cramped, so I ended up standing to do my sketch in the entry way to the sound studio.
The broadcast was irreverent and fun. I learned a few things about the cultural scene in Orlando, so I suspect I will be tuning in more often. Don explained that he had just had an argument with his girlfriend and he suspected she might have broken up with him via Facebook. An argument ensued as to whether it was worse to be dumped via Twitter, text message or Facebook. It turned out that I was the first studio audience in the show’s 100 episode history. John seemed to feel that I disliked him, since I had drawn his girlfriend at Beth Marshall’s Halloween party and I left the spot where he had been seated empty. Dan pointed out that he had gone to Brian Feldman’s ChanuIKEA event and even sat down right in front of me thinking he would end up in the sketch. I ended up drawing only an empty chair and the plate and utensils he had used to eat dinner that night.
This sketch, however, proves that I love these guys and I am more than happy to draw them. At the end of the program, I was quickly interviewed about my blog. In my quest to answer all of Dan’s questions, I forgot to plug my 2009 Sketchbook Retrospective now on display at Dandelion Communitea Cafe through the end of January. D’oh! Should the Radio Rickshaw boys decide to plug my show on episode 101, they might find themselves looking a little less transparent in my sketch.
Postscript: The Radio Rickshaw boys did, in fact plug my show in the 101st episode of their show. So, as promised, here is the sketch in it’s original state. Brian Feldman tried to stir the pot, by saying their plug was insincere and rushed, but it was good enough for me. Here is to 99 more episodes!
Sea World – Dolphins Vewing Area
When I left the dolphin feeding area, I couldn’t resist going underground for the underwater experience. There was a constant crowd pressing up against the glass, viewing the dolphins swimming from underwater. Photo flashes would pop and people were constantly pressing forward to get a better view. I chose to sit with my back against a fire extinguisher a bit removed from the throng and I tried to catch the ever changing scene. Some parents lost interest in the underwater view and turned to their phones for entertainment. One tourist walked up to me and asked me if he could take my picture. He said his sister-in-law was an artist and would get a kick out of the work I was doing. I am amazed that everywhere I go I meet someone who has a relative who is an artist.
After this sketch was done, I battled the crowds milling around the park for the first time. I became immediately exhausted with the start and stop nature of trying to move around the park. I approached a men’s room, but the line was so long that I decided to wait. Lunch was out of the question. I didn’t need food that bad. I wandered the park aimlessly searching for my next sketch.
Sea World – Dolphin Encounter
The Dolphin Encounter at Sea World is a very popular attraction. People pay $7 for some fish and are then guided in how to behave around the dolphins by trained parks people. The biggest concern is that people not let the paper tray the fish come in ever get close to the water. If the dolphins saw that tray, they would try and snatch it, potentially choking on the paper. Also Seagulls would flock overhead whenever the feeding started. They had a habit of dive bombing tourists in an attempt to get at the fish.
I stood across from the area where people could stand near the water for free. They would lean over with their hands in the water waiting diligently for the dolphins to come to them. The dolphins were not interested. They only went to the trainers who they knew had food.
I was standing next to a parks person whose job was to watch the tourists and make sure they didn’t have any personal items hanging over the water’s edge. If he saw a tourist with a sweatshirt hanging over or a water bottle he would contact someone on the opposite side via walkie-alkie and let them know what was up. “The tourist with the blue shirt on your right has a sweatshirt hanging over the ledge.” Another parks person would rush through the crown to find the tourist with the sweatshirt and ask him to step back. Some Harley-Davidson bikers also hung out, hoping to touch a dolphin. I’m betting the dolphin’s skin feels much like the worn leather jackets they were wearing.
After a few minutes of feeding the dolphins, the people who had paid would all be asked to leave to that another group of tourists could file in.
Sea World – Entrance
Just before the end of the year, I went to SeaWorld because I had a complimentary ticket that would expire come January first. I got the ticket at IZEAFest, a bloggers conference that was held at SeaWorld. Let’s face it, going to a theme park during the holiday rush isn’t really my idea of a good time, but I could not miss the sketching opportunity. When I got close to the park, traffic backed up for maybe a mile leading into the parking lot. I got sick of waiting and decided to turn off and go down a side street. I found an office complex and parked in its garage. I then hiked the mile or so to the park entrance.
The crowds just kept coming, and I decided to sketch the entrance just in case the park filled up like the Holy Land Experience did several months ago. I was surprised when a Amish Mennonite family walked by. The blue roller coaster in the sketch is new and called the Manta. The turnstile line I decided to stand in ended up breaking down, so I had to force my way into the next line over. My sketch bag was searched and I sighed relief when my ticket actually worked.
I always like seeing the flamingos when I enter the park, but they had been moved to make room for the Manta roller coaster. The flamingos no longer had a nice scenic lagoon to stand in, but were now in a tiny fenced in enclosure. The park was insanely crowded. I stood in a line for a bathroom break once I finished this sketch and then I went to see some dolphins.
Make a Wish
Lucas Anderson, who is just 14 years old was diagnosed with cancer. The Make a Wish Foundation of Central and Northern Florida granted his wish, and on this day he is picked up his English Bulldog puppy for the first time from Petland at 3920 Semoran Boulevard. I arrived about an hour early and started by asking the store employees a few questions. I decided that I would sit down near the cage, which was also a gift to Lucas, along with plenty of dog care supplies. One of the employees crawled inside the cage and artfully arranged all the supplies before tying helium balloons to the it. A red carpet was unrolled in front of the store and Lucas and his family arrived in a white stretch limo. Lucas also had a bunch of his friends with him and they laughed and caroused in the store. The puppy’s name is Tucker and he was very cute, with huge paws and an adorable face. Petland has small cubicles in the middle of the store where the dog and owner can bond. Tucker and Lucas hit it off from the start. Tucker particularly liked it when Lucas would scratch him under the chin. Tucker seemed a bit confused and didn’t know how to act with all the attention he was getting.
Giovanni Ferriolo, the owner of Napolitaly Ristorante next door, bought in some free pizzas. I was seated right next to the table where the pizzas were stacked, but people didn’t mind reaching over me if need be to get a slice. Afterwards, a cake was bought in decorated with the image of a puppy in icing. As Lucas and his mom posed for pictures, she began to tear up and I suddenly realized what an honor it was to be documenting such a moment.
Analog Artist Digital World 2009 Retrospective Opening
The opening for the Analog Artist Digital World 2009 Sketchbook Retrospective was a lively and crowded five hour event at Dandelion Communitea Cafe. The ten sketchbooks created last year were framed in shadow box frames I had built myself. I had Frames Forever frame several assignments I had done for Orlando Home and Leisure as well. The number of pieces framed was just enough to fill out the space, and one sketch wasn’t hung.
On opening night I arrived early to set up a tablet PC, which I hung on the wall to play a flickr slide show of all the drawings posted to the blog in 2009. Patrons who were from the various arts boards were some of the first people to show up right after work. The band called Hymn for Her set up to play alternative folk music for the people arriving later. The cafe is used as an unofficial after party for the people who go to First Thursdays, which is a monthlt themed art event at the Orlando Museum of Art.
Dandelion Communitea Cafe was packed all night. People who I had sketched during the year kept arriving and introducing themselves. Once the music started it became impossible to talk, so at that point I got the sketchpad out to document my own opening. An artist/author from the last Sketch Crawl also stood in a corner of the room furiously working in his pad. The little child at the table playing with the crayons is the performer’s child. He had a large headset on to protect his fragile eardrums. The rest of us experienced the music full blast. I asked the performers to place one of my framed sketchbooks on the amplifier behind them. It frames Pierce’s head in the sketch as he plays banjo. Maggi is playing a cigar box with a broomstick attached. The instrument actually has a really good sound.
When I finished this sketch, someone showed me a sketch on their digital camera and he said it would be a blast from my past. He said the sketch was mine, and for the longest time I didn’t believe him. My eyes started to tear up from the strain of staring at the musicians and drawing. Julie Norris, co-owner of Dandelion, asked if I was Okay, as I kept rubbing my eyes with my sleeve. Perhaps there was an emotional reason for the tears as well, rediscovering a sketch from a vibrant and exciting time in my life. The lines on the sketch he was showing me digitally, were vibrant and flowing, dark and confident. I really liked the sketch, yet couldn’t believe I had done it. It showed a New York City street scene with a crowd of people. He finally explained that it was from a sketchbook which had been passed around the Florida Disney Animation Studio. I had done that drawing on the backlot of MGM (now Disney’s Hollywood Studios) more than fifteen years ago. Darn, I was a good draftsman back then!
All night, people offered new ideas on places I could sketch in 2010. By the end of the night my head was spinning. I only had one white wine. With all the conversations and activity, I never had time to take a sip. Eventually, a large crowd of us had to be asked to leave so the place could be cleaned up and closed down for the night. What an exciting night! The show will hang at Dandelion Communitea Cafe at 618 North Thornton Avenue Orlando through January 30th. Go by, grab a tea, and enjoy the events, places and people that defined Orlando culture in 2009.