Phantasmagoria XIII: Poe Through the Tales Darkly

Posted on by Thor

Tonight is the final performance of Phantasmagoria XIII: Poe Through the Tales Darkly at the Alexis and Jim Pugh Theater in the Dr. Phillips Center of the Performing Arts. Tickets are about $35. The cast performs the haunted stirrings of The Raven to the sheer terror of The Tell Tale Heart. . . and from the grim tolling of The Bells to the bittersweet grieving of Anabelle Lee along with a selection of other whimsical, macabre, and terrifying stories and poems, you are invited to celebrate an evening of Poe’s works. The perfect way to usher in the Halloween season!

I knew going into this sketch that I would not have time to finish, so the paint was added back at the studio. This is a rather panicked, making of sketch that was done in a carriage house as the cast of Phantasmagoria posed for a photo for the promotional materials for Phantasmagoria XIII: Poe Through the Tales Darkly. It was a hot day and the carriage house was set up to look like a long abandoned attic. Items in the set are often reminders of past performances. Everything on hand had a taste of the macabre.  Thin fabric veils and spider webs dangled from hard mannequins and the rafters. Two dolls occupied an ancient wheel chair. Madness permeated the very wall boards and electrical conduits that ran along the rafters.

You could cower in the darkness or delight in it’s pure dark insanity.

Phantasmagoria Dress Rehearsal

Posted on by Thor

Phantasmagoria is presenting, Phantasmagoria XIII: Poe, Through the Tales Darkly at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. I went to sketch the final dress rehearsal. I unfortunately was running late but managed to get there for the final two scenes. The sketch therefor was a bit of a rush to complete since I usually pace myself to finish during the full run of a show. Regardless, I got something down.

Victorian Horror Troupe Phantasmagoria thunders onto the stage with the newest entry in their long running Halloween main stage series. They bring to life the tales and poetry of Edgar Allan Poe through their evocative storytelling, Phantastical dance, explosive stage combat, puppetry, projections, original music and MUCH more!

From the haunted stirrings of The Raven to the sheer terror of The Tell Tale Heart. . . and from the grim tolling of The Bells to the bittersweet grieving of Anabelle Lee along with a selection of other whimsical, macabre, and terrifying stories and poems, you are invited to celebrate an evening of Poe’s works. The perfect way to usher in the Halloween season!

The show runs October 6-8  at the Alexis and Pugh theater. Tickets are $35.

Eye of Ian

Posted on by Thor

The 24 hour leading up to Hurricane Ian making landfall were stressful for all on the south west coast.Early projections showed the storm would hit up near Tampa, Florida. I have a sister who lives in Port Charlotte and she lived through Hurricane Charley back in August of 2004. In that hurricane she hunkered down in a bathtub and the winds ripped off the roof of her home. Charlie was also supposed to head up to Tampa but it hooked off at the last minute and tore right through Port Charlotte.

There was a mandatory evacuation for the zone she lived in with Hurricane Ian. I asked her to come to our guest bedroom in Orlando but she really can’t travel that far. She therefor moved to a neighbors house which was larger and had a generator. The home was maybe a mile from where she lived at the end of a canal. Early reports are that her home suffered only minor damage and a tarp has already been put on the roof. Storm surge waters had water coming right up to her front and back doorways but it stopped short of going inside her home. A fence was blown down and there are trees down in the neighborhood. Ironically her umbrella style clothes line went unscathed. Power has been down.

The local sports complex is offering ice and large container of water as well as several BBQ dinners. That was the first hot meal since Wednesday. The primary concerns seem to be no hot water and no gas for the grill. Everything had to be emptied from the fridge since it started to smell.

Here in Orlando we were nervous because there is a large dead tree in the back yard. A neighbor told us it might have been hit by lightning but a contractor said that beetles had killed it. There are vines growing all over the branches and we thought until about a week ago that it was alive. So our concern was that the whole tree could fall.

We lucked out in that only very large branches crashed to the ground during the storm. One fell while our dog was in the yard relieving himself. It missed him. We have been taking clean up slow. Each evening I burn tree limbs in the fire pit rather than waste all that fuel. We lost power for 24 hours and I had to cancel several virtual classes. Our refrigerator contents were moved to a building with a generator and promptly returned once power came back on.

Pam has had of deal with endless repair work because of water leaks in the History museum and the off site storage facility. I experienced a horrible irregular heart beat in the mad rush to clean the yard prior to the storm. I suddenly realize I am not as spry as I used to be. I have been taking the clean up of dead branches slow and steady in the mean time. My mini bon fires make it a more relaxing project.

Vandalized

Posted on by Thor

This statue called “Muse of Discovery”  in Lake Eola Park survived the rising flood waters as Lake Eola overflowed it’s banks due to the incredible amount of rainfall from Hurricane Ian. The flood water rose right to the base of the small hill in which she is wedged. Unfortunately she could not survive the incredibly stupid and irresponsible parents who allowed their daughter to paint the eyebrows and lips of the stature after the storm waters subsided.

I chose this spot to sketch with my weekend warrior Urban sketching student. Children clamored all over the statue while we sketched and I believe that is what is intended by the artist since the statue is so low to the ground. It is a favorite selfie and family photo spot.

However one dumb ass mom and dad allowed her daughter to start face painting the statue. When I am Urban sketching I tend to ignore areas where people block the view of my intended subject. So while this family was crowded around the face, I was sketching trees and background foliage.

At one point a parks worker approached the family and said, “please don’t let her do that, I will just have to come back and scrub it off.” The dad said something to the daughter and she tried to wipe the lips clean with her elbow. It was only after the family left that I noticed that one eyebrow was bright yellow and the other a faint purple. I had drawn the face prior to the family vandalism and it hadn’t been like that when I first sketched it.

So that became the lesson for the day. If you sit in one place long enough to do a sketch, you often get to witness the dumbest members of society teach their kids to do dumb shit.

Knowles Chapel 2

Posted on by Thor

I let my advanced Urban Sketching student decide what angle to sketch Knowles Chapel from. We sat under a line of trees which guaranteed shade. My first lesson, is always, “Never sketch while sitting in the sun in Florida.” It is kind of the most important rule of sketching in Florida, but you would be amazed at how many artists don’t predict the movement of shadows and get stuck sweating in the sun.

From this angle the rose garden in front of the church became a center of interest. The chapel tower is now a reduced feature in the background. In the courtyard behind all those arches is a statue of Mr. Rogers surrounded by children. If he wasn’t such a beloved entertainer, it might seem a bit creepy.

The vanishing point in this sketch is at the far left between several arches. The roof and the walls of the garden point to that spot. My fountain pen ran out of ink, so all the line work in this sketch was dome with a brown colored pencil. I kind of like the look it is a bit more subtle than my usual sketch. My advanced student had to recover from the hurricane this weekend, so we aren’t going on location. I have tons of large branches down as well. I managed to clear the driveway of debris before I had to come in to teach a virtual class. My hurricane recovery plan is in small incremental stages.

We did quite a bit of clean up before the storm but the city refused to pick up the pile of debris on the day before the storm. They want everything tucked neatly into small plastic lawn bags. They must have an agreement with a plastics company. Anyway all of today’s debris went into lawn bags which is insanely time consuming. I am thinking a bon fore would be far more fun to do over night.

Knowles Chapel

Posted on by Thor

Knowles Chapel on the Rollins College Campus is a beautiful structure. My advanced Urban Sketching student agreed to meet her to sketch. This largely became a lesson in one point perspective and I pointed out to the student that the red sculpture that was a block down the sidewalk was the vanishing point. For this reason I included the red sculpture in my sketch. The other lesson was that the Chapel did not need to be in the middle of the sketch. A large tree dominated the center of my sketch and I went with it, relegating the chapel to the background.

The campus had expanded since I sketched here last. I used to park down by the Rollins Museum but that parking lot was demolished to make way for another building. I had to drive several more blocks to park in a parking garage. By the time I hikes my way back to the chapel I was a sweaty mess but at least I am getting some exercise.

Construction on the chapel began on March 1931 and it was dedicated on March 19, 1932. At that time it was located in the center of the campus. The architect of the chapel was the famous ecclesiastical architect, Ralph Adams Cram of the firm of Cram and Ferguson of Boston. Cram also designed the Church of St. John the Divine in New York City. St. John the Divine opened in 1941 and thus didn’t make my list of the 50 oldest churches of NYC. Knowles is actually a rather modern building compared to the historic churches I sketched in NYC.

Does COVID increase chances of Alzheimer’s?

Posted on by Thor

A new study of more than 6 million patients 65 and older, has found that the risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease increases by 50-80% in older adults who caught COVID-19. The study published in Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found the risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease in older people nearly doubled (0.35% to 0.68%) over a one-year period following infection with COVID. The researchers say it is unclear whether COVID-19 triggers new development of Alzheimer’s disease or accelerates its emergence.

“Since infection with SARS-CoV2 has been associated with central nervous system abnormalities including inflammation, we wanted to test whether, even in the short term, COVID could lead to increased diagnoses,” said Pamela Davis, the Arline H. and Curtis F. Garvin Research Professor at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, the study’s co-author.

They then divided this population into two groups: one composed of people who contracted COVID-19 during that period, and another with people who had no documented cases of COVID-19. More than 400,000 people were enrolled in the COVID study group, while 5.8 million were in the non-infected group. With such a large sampling the case study is father compelling.

With so many Americans infected by COVID, there will likely be a large wave of individuals who suffer from Alzheimer’s dementia moving forward. Previous COVID-related research led by these researchers found that people with dementia are twice as likely to contract COVID; those with substance abuse disorder orders are more likely to contract COVID; and that 5% of people who took Paxlovid for treatment of COVID symptoms experienced rebound infections within a month.

New Winter Park Bandshell

Posted on by Thor

I met a new Urban Sketching student at Central Park in Winter Park. It turns out that the band shell is getting a facelift. I set up in the center of the field and started sketching. My student found a shady spot off to the side.

In June of 2022 the old 1980s structure was demolished. The original structure had one upgrade due to hurricane damage in 2004. I was sketching the new band shell which looks pretty much like the old band shell. The chain link fence will remain around the construction site through September of 2022.

The new band shell is supposed to “complement the charming architecture of the nearby Winter Park Train Station.” A grand opening event to celebrate the new stage will be scheduled in late September 2022.  The fabric roof has however been replaced by plywood. Compared to the band shell in New York City’s Central Park, this looks like a few two by fours thrown together.

 

Casa Feliz

Posted on by Thor

Students have me out and about sketching on location which is probably healthy for me. Otherwise I would be cranking out one horrifying pandemic themed painting after another. My advanced student met me at Casa Feliz and wanted to sketch the front of the building. The lesson consisted of avoiding horizontal lines and focusing first one one major wedge shape for the entire composition.

A very angry squirrel chattered at us the entire time. I guess he was angry were were seated in his usual foraging zone. Pre-pandemic there were weekly house concerts inside the Casa. I am proud of the historic home staff for re-instating these concerts yet.

From our perch in front of the house we could also look over ad watch the golfers who were practicing their putting at the golf club next door. It was a very hot day but that didn’t stop them from lugging around their golf bags. As we sketched a wedding planner walked her future bride client around the property. The wedding planner just loved the doorway. They gesture to the upper balcony and entrance, probably planning every detail of the special day.

This entire building was painstakingly moved from it’s former site to save it from demolition by rich owners who wanted a larger mansion. The former owners signed the building over to the city which then arranged to move the mammoth structure.

Casa Feliz, or “Happy House” in Spanish, is the signature residential work of noted architect James Gamble Rogers II. Initially known as the Barbour Estate, it mimics the look of a  Andalusian-style masonry farmhouse. I just jot a very loud emergency alert on my phone. Seems there is going to be a hurricane. See you on the other side.

Decolonize Teatro

Posted on by Thor

Actor Lisa Morales gave me a heads up about Decolonizearte TEATRO, which presented a series of two short plays at the White House (2000, S Summerlin Ave, Orlando, FL) here in Orlando in honor of Hispanic Heritage month. She was  in both plays presented.

Descolonizarte TEATRO is a professional theater organization committed to promoting the Latin American experience, its culture and talent, through theatrical, literary, artistic and educational programming. Descolonizarte Teatro uses theater as a tool for decolonization, providing accessibility to performances and arts-based education for the Latin American community, including the under served and underprivileged. Descolonizarte TEATRO supports and showcases underrepresented Latin American talent, offers an opportunity to recognize the Latin American experience, and celebrates Latin American culture and its contributions in and outside the United States.

I was shocked at how tight parking was near the White House. It turned out that the plays were being presented on the same evening as a high school football game across the street. Loud drums an a brass band could be heard through the white house’s acoustic walls. The white house hall was packed, so I made my way to the highest balcony to distance myself from the mask less in the audience.

Director Nadia Garzon explained that the first production was shorter, but I couldn’t resist sketching the woman in her flowing red dress. She seemed to be talking about a book she was holding. Every word was in Spanish. I only picked out two words during the evening that I understood, Gracias, and muerte. The explanation she was offering I could not understand, but the dance I certainly could.

La Maestra (The School Teacher) explores the “legal” violence that plagues our countries. This was a more serious play. A man seemed imprisoned  and his daughter was under threat. The teacher was bear foot in a white dress. By the end she stood shrouded in a red shawl. Others on stage were shrouded in black shawls. Eventually the woman in white had her red shawl removed and it was replaced with a green shawl of hope and renewal.

Afterwards there was a discussion in the audience. A woman stood in the front row and talked about how her families lands had been stolen. People attempt to fight back but as long as people buy the lumber from the region, the rich will continue to suppress the poor. Nadia translated which I greatly appreciated.

Perhaps I didn’t understand every word, but I felt the culture which is being kept alive. After Pulse, families had to hope for news about loved ones who had been in the club. Doctors and police only spoke English so they couldn’t understand what was being announced. Now the rolls were reversed. Now I couldn’t understand a word, but I felt the current of sorrow that coursed under the presentation. I feel honored that I could sketch the moment.

The next presentation is Third “Encuentro” of Latinx Artists / Tercer Encuentro de Artistas Latinoamericanxs. This show will be on December 2, 2022 at the Timucua White House. Presented by Descolonizarte TEATRO. Tickets seem to be $5.