Disney Internship: Going to Epcot

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I went with a group of the Disney Feature Animation Interns to Epcot. I explored a bit with the group but eventually branched off to sketch.This is a sketch of the Sensory Fun House with its audio and interactive screens. I sketched this since I knew people would sit still for a moment while they watched the screen or listened.

In the evening, all the Feature Animation Interns got together in my apartment for dinner. I put the pen down for once and relaxed. When we are in the studio all our heads are down focuses on the animation disk. This was a rare moment to get to know everyone. Everyone seemed younger than me and for many this was their first job after college. I thought the Disney animation gig would be short lived, but these people became my family and I ended up staying at Feature Animation for 10 years until the bottom fell out because computer animation had swept its way onto the stage.

Looking back, these were some of the best of times, even if they are only preserved with a few pen scratches on a page.

Disney Internship: Disney University

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As an intern for Disney Feature Animation we all had to go to Disney University for what was called “Traditions.” This was a seminar on how to interact with guests.

As animation interns we never interacted with guests since we spent every waking hour at our Disney animation desks cranking out drawings.

My favorite story from this seminar was from a character actor who was assigned to play Winnie the Poo. The costume is massive and limits visibility and movement. On one occasion he was on his own and a group of high school boys surrounded him and lifted him up and threw him head first into a bush. From that moment I realized it would be much safer to draw the characters rather than play them in the theme parks.

On lunch breaks I sometimes went into the parks to sketch but no one would know that I worked backstage. I never interacted with a guest as a Disney staff member.

Disney Internship: The Ball Bounce

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This is our group of Disney Feature Animation interns listening to a lecture I believe by Sam Ewing about the mechanics of a ball bounce.

I worked closely with Sam when he was the clean up lead animator on Koda in Brother Bear. Among the interns in my sketch I recognize Darren Webb, Peter Clark. He blew me away with the amount and quality of the animation projects he completed. He was an absolute machine. Yes that is a compliment, He was building whole worlds while I struggled with basic mechanics of getting my drawings to move. On Dinosaur, Peter got to shine doing what he does best which is visual development and creating whole new worlds.

I was surprised to discover that Darren Webb went on to work in the the animation department of many amazing computer animated films from Dreamworks like How to Train Your Dragon. I would love to find out his story some day. The main thing I remember about him as a roommate is that he took very long showers. I was in a room full of great artists.

Disney Internship: Apartment 3903.

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Getting into the Disney Feature Animation Internship Program back in 1993 had to be one moment in my life where I felt absolute brilliant Joy. I read the acceptance letter while on the streets of NYC and literally leaped for joy.

On the plane ride to Orlando I remember hearing the soundtrack for Aladdin and the song, “A Whole New World” was playing as we flew through some of the most gorgeous billowing clouds I have ever seen.

At the Disney Feature Animation studio, we were given a tour of the MGM lot. The rest of the day was spent doing drawings of Mickey Mouse and Goofy. By the end of the week we were required to produce a story sequence with the characters. The studio was actually a trailer in the parking lot behind the MGM Studios theme park.  It wasn’t exotic but it would be home for the following months of intensive training.

Disney put me up in an apartment with 4 other Animation Interns. We didn’t spend much time in the apartment. Once we all started the animation projects, we basically lied at our animation desks. Tony Stanley had a car and brought our group to one of those food warehouse stores. I purchased a whole bag of potatoes figuring I might bake one up each night. Those potatoes started to sprout since there was never time to bake. That reminds me, I purchased 3 sweet potatoes last week and I need to figure out what to do with them. The apartment was at 131501 Meadowcreek Drive Apartment 3903. There was a bus to the MGM studios where we set to work.

From the start I felt that I was in the company of some of the most talented artists I had ever met. The experience was to prove intimidating and inspiring at the same time.

Dog Agility Competition of Florida

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The Dog Agility Competition of Florida was held at the Silver Spurs Arena. I have never been to the Silver Spurs Arena before so I was excited to go. The problem was that these Dog owners start super early. I got up at 6am to get to the Arena by 7am.

The 1/2 hour drive was actually pretty simply, cutting south through the Orlando International Airport access roads and then some side roads.

Parking was free and so was the event so it was a win win situation. The arena was insanely cold. I need to remember to always bring a sweat shirt along with my N-95 mask to any Florida venue.

When I arrived the handlers were walking the course as a packed group. Some took it seriously holding up their hand as if leading their imaginary dog while others were clearly sleep walking. Then everyone stood at attention for the National Anthem. The singer flubbed the lyrics but the spirit of the song was still there.

I must say this was a highly entertaining event to sketch. Some dags were absolute champions at running the course. They just needed a little guidance to know which obstetrical to tackle next. Some dogs barked the whole way as they ran the course. Others took their time delicately prancing and  making sure they performed their best. Some seemed like they were arguing with their handler when asked to repeat a challenge that they had flubbed. The vertical yellow and blue sticks challenged quite a few dogs. They had to slalom left and right through each. There were so many sounds and distractions that could make a dog loose focus.

One dog ran up to the entrance of one of the tunnels and immediately popped a squat. The handler quickly scooped it up but the judges and referees gathered in a circle to have a conference about how the situation should be handled. Several bottles of solution and more scrubbing allowed the course to once again open. I kept hearing “dove” being announced over the sound system. I finally decided the announcer must have been saying “dog” but I am still not sure.

One little girl who was maybe 10 years old was clearly having her dog try the course for the first time. The dog missed most of the obstacles but by the end of the course he was improving. I was also touched by a woman who was in an electric wheel chair guiding her dog around the course. The dog slowed his gait a bit so she could keep up but they both made it through the course like champions. One Border Collie ran the course absolutely flawlessly. I stopped sketching and watched that performance in amazement. I am sure others ran the course perfectly as well but that Border Collie demanded attention, It was a streak of pure energy.

Behind me a dog barked with an ear splitting shriek that reminded me of Donkey, a sweet monster of a dog that I used to know. She was just excited, dogs were barking everywhere and there was competitive excitement in the air. Periodically a member of one of the teams would walk down in my section to shoot video of a particular dogs run. At one point a dog slipped down the steps beside me with the leash dragging behind her. A woman grabbed the leash and shouted out, “Is someone missing a dog?!” The handler was a few rows away and thankful to be reunited.

After my sketch was complete I slipped outside to warn up again. There were so many other sketch opportunities since dogs were camped out all over the arena. I saw an adorable corgi in his owners lap, I debated about stopping, but I was freezing.  I hope to return someday and do a series of close up sketches of handlers holding their dogs.

What is my next obstetrical? How high should I jump?

Orlando Science Center: Ocean 2

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I was asked to do a second original sketch of the Life Exhibit install at the Orlando Science Center I returned to the Ocean. Part of me hoped that all the fish would be in their new home by now, but I had no such luck. The lone hammerhead shark was still circling the tank alone.

The first time I sketched the lights were off in the exhibit space. so I got a much darker sketch. This time sunlight was streaming into the room through the floor to ceiling glass panels behind me.

It is fun so see how similar and yet how different the two sketches are. The compositions are similar but I made so many new choices given a second chance to sketch the subject. I like aspects of each.

I honestly didn’t see another soul as I completed this sketch. I usually hope to catch a spectator and include them in the sketch but I had no such luck on this day. I am sure this will be a spectacular sight once all the fish are swimming about. As isolated as the scene is, I still remained masked. I never know if a venue is using a HEPA air filtration system or if their air is just recirculated. The mask is my new normal, but I am more likely to venture to venues that advertise clean air practices. If you know of Orlando venues that promote clean air, please let me know.

Life: The Rainforest

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This new Rainforest exhibit in the Orlando Science Center used to be the former Kids Town. The temperature controlled environment is warm lush and humid.

Birds flew overhead. They were just quick flashes of color and movement, so I didn’t catch any in my sketch.

A sloth rested in a circular shaped hammock and never moved the entire time I was there. If he did move, he did so so slowly that I never noticed. Ropes up inn the branches were highways for a tamerin monkey.

A marsupial was quite curious about me and chomped on some of the foliage. I heard he is a bit of an escape artist. I named him Houdini.

One of the handlers was kind enough to dig out a turtle from his hidden cave. I had a few minutes to sketch him in the corner before he crawled back inside. Behind me a 17 foot waterfall cascaded down into a pool filled with freshwater fish. I must say this was the most relaxing exhibit to sketch and I never knew where some wildlife might pop up. All the live landscaping seemed to be thriving with all the light pouring in through the huge windows covered with blue and green art.

Life: The Ocean

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The new Life exhibit at the Orlando Science Center, 777 E Princeton St, Orlando, FL, features three habitats, the Swamp, the Amazon, and the Ocean.

The Ocean features a huge cylinder shaped aquarium. The top is open and I am left wondering how long it will take before people start throwing coins in the tank. Of course the exhibit is still under construction.

There was one lone hammerhead shark swimming in the tank the day I drew it. I knew that the rest of the fish were in quarantine, waiting to be introduced to their new home.

The coral isn’t live. It consists of sculpted replicas. To grow live coral would involve a huge investment in bright halide lighting or direct sun light. I am guessing that the challenge of keeping fish alive is enough without also trying to grow live coral. Live coral is so beautiful though. I had a live coral tank and it was rewarding but a challenge. Granted 180 gallons if far less that this huge 10,000 gallon tank in the museum.

Since the fish were not in the tank yet, I contented myself with sketching the metal fish silhouettes hanging from the ceiling.

Life at the Orlando Science Center

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The Orlando Science Center recently completed a huge installation called Life. The exhibits cost 13.5 million and was paid for by private donors along with $10 million from Orange County from Tourist Development Tax dollars.

I was asked to come in and sketch in the final days of construction. I started with the Swamp. The body of water and the huge cypress tree trunk at the base of the stairwells was already there but other animals were added along with the baby alligators and turtles. The gators spend much of their time sunning themselves under the heat lamps.

Life is the largest and most complex exhibit the Science Center has ever built. The exhibit teaches the story of the planet through the animals that call it home. The exhibit focuses on three distinct environments, the Swamp, the Rainforest and the Ocean.

A habitrail was set up in the ceiling of the Swamp which will allow squirrels to scamper above guests heads. The squirrels had just been introduced to their new home and were too shy to venture out while I was there sketching. A small owl watched me warily the whole time I sketched. Since the exhibit wasn’t yet open, I felt quite at peace working away on the sketches. I could hear crowds of screaming children running up the stairs of the museum but from where I was it was quite peaceful. I wondered what the owl though of all the screams.

Key West: Ghosts and Gravestones Tour

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At the end of Duval Street in Key West there is this Ghost and Gravestones Bus Tour that we all decided to take. Bartender Joe was our guide for the evening.

Though not on the bus, Robert the Doll was  another star of the tour. Robert is a creepy German made doll in a sailors suit who is on display in a museum. Robert is rumored to move things in the family home he resided in. If something was out of place, “Robert did it.”

We saw Robert on display in a pristine glass museum case. A flashlight was placed on top of the case to illuminate the doll. As the docent spoke the flashlight flickered and went out. Was this a paranormal occurrence or a faulty battery?

Of particular interest were the graves of babies that line Passover and Windsor streets. 167 babies are buried there. Many of the graves are over 100 years old with the families long gone. In the past couples would have many babies in the hope that some might survive and live into adulthood to help the family thrive. Many children died in their first year due to disease. A former Key West mom was returning to the island and wanted to visit her child’s grave. When she saw the sad run down state of the cemetery, she decided to restore not just her babies grave but all 167 the graves at the site.

We also stopped by the African Cemetery at Higgs Beach. Three illegal slave ships were intercepted in 1860 and diverted to Key West. Residents worked to feed and shelter the 1500 Africans. Despite the efforts hundreds died and were buried in a mass grave at Higgs Beach. Many of the bodies were moved when construction began on Fort Martello. There is paranormal activity reported in the area regularly.