Downtown Penguin

Posted on by Thor

Three inflatable penguins have popped up in downtown Orlando. They are on display through June 19, 2025. SeaWorld Orlando  teamed up with the Creative City Project to bring these giant birds to Downtown Orlando.

In June, guests to SeaWorld Orlando will have the rare opportunity to get up close to Emperor penguins in real life. For more than 40 years, SeaWorld San Diego has been the only place in North America to see and learn about these majestic birds.  Now, the Emperors are coming to the East Coast and will call the Orlando park’s Antarctica penguin habitat home.

Creative City Project first launched the massive, inflatable Big City Birds installation with local artist and Bungalower Editor-in-Chief, Brendan O’Connor when seven giant pigeons “landed” on rooftops across Downtown Orlando as part of DTOLive.  That first initiative took place from August to October 2024.

the streets of Downtown Orlando are seldom crowded , but the few pedestrians I saw while doing this sketch tended to not look up. If someone saw me sketching then they would turn and look up, surprised to see a penguin. One African American fellow carrying a bible, approached me. He said it was a blessing that he found me sketching at that spot. That morning he had reached out to God, saying he wanted to get back into the habit of creating art. I let him know of my one sketch a day habit and suggested he do the same. Part of me thought a sermon was about to follow, but he just thanked me and offered a fist bump. “Have a blessed day.” he said as he walked away.

A father and son stopped below the penguin. The boy looked up in wonder while the dad scrolled endlessly on his phone. Two workers were putting up a banner at a night club. The banner announced wild parties coming up in the week before July 4th.

Orlando Urban Sketchers are going to have a Penguin Sketch hunt on June 14, 2025 from 10am to noon. They are meeting at 30 South Orange Avenue and then branching out to sketch the three penguins. There will be a sketch throw down after sketches are done. It is a great way to get out and meet local artists. Unfortunately I will be in New York State at the time.

The three location where you can spot these Penguins are at,

  • Areo: 60 N. Orange Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801 (Adult Penguin – 14’ tall)
  • 55 W. Church Street, Orlando, FL 32801 (Adult Penguin – 14’ tall)
  • 30 S. Orange Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801 (Baby Penguin – 10’ tall)

 

Mount Dora Corn Festival

Posted on by Thor

After teaching virtual classes on Saturday, I packed my art bag and drove over to the Mount Dora Corn Festival. Zellwood used to host a corn festival each year but that festival went the way of the Dodo Bird.

This was the second annual corn festival in Mount Dora. It was held in Elizabeth Evans Park (100 N Donnelly St, Mt Dora, FL) which is right by the historic Lakeside Inn.

The police had the road blocked leading into the park. According to the online site, the festival cost $8.35 to get in. However it was late in the day and the admissions gate was wide open.  Another factor to the free admission might have been the fact that the sky had turned a dark grey and a thunderstorm was brewing on the horizon.

The wind kicked in making my sketch pages flutter. I clamped a pen to the corner of the sketchbook to try and keep the chaotic fluttering to a minimum. Vendors were quickly taking down tents and packing up their wares. A policeman got a case of canned drinks from a vendor.

Rather than explore the whole festival, I decided to immediately sit and sketch an 8 foot high fiberglass ear of corn and a scarecrow which was on hand to allow for selfies. Every couple of minutes people would pose beside the scarecrow. On the drive over I had thought that I should take my umbrella to the festival. However when I left the car and started walking I forgot the umbrella. The sketch is rather panicked since I was in a race against the impending storm. I didn’t want the watercolor to get drenched and I didn’t want to get drenched. I could have spent more time on the sketch, but I packed up my art bag and started hiking back to my car which was about 10 blocks away. I smelled ozone in the air.

On the last block of my hike the first large rain drops stared to fall sporadically. When I got inside they splashed on the windshield. On the drive back to the studio the sky’s opened up in a deluge. I felt victorious, I had the sketch and I had beat mother nature. Than night I boiled several ears of corn from Bountiful Farms to celebrate.

Renter

Posted on by Thor

I did a sketch as a demo for a student at Elite Animation Academy. The lesson on that day was One and two point perspective. The objective was for the student to simply sketch the room they happened to be in.

On this day I worked from my bedroom since I want to be sure my roommate has plenty of privacy and doesn’t need to overhear my students.

This was before I for a noise cancelling headset which allows me to listen to my students crystal clear without anyone else hearing.

This sketch was completed after I had finished building a bed frame which allows me to store art storage crates three high. Most all of the stored art now fits under the bed. The princess and the pea bed has risen even higher. Now the top of the mattress almost reaches the bottom of family history photos and one framed sketch that was once part of a solo exhibit. I actually altered the earlier sketch when I started painting to select the new room layout.

I just ordered a large metal storage rack which will be used to store frames and unframed art. I saw a YouTube video that showed how to create a spider web which supports the paintings and kept them from leaning over too far. When I get that set up a whole lot of framed art will come out of m closet and the corner of this room. The metal storage unit is on casters so it can be rolled around. It should be easy to move once I find a studio that I want to call home. For now, I rent month by month.

Bountiful Bistro

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On my birthday, I decided to treat myself to a sketch and brunch at Bountiful Bistro (27314 County Rd 33, Okahumpka, FL). The week before I had driven in the driveway and saw that there was a field of sunflowers. I vowed to come back to sketch the sunflowers.

Wend I drove onto the Bountiful Farms, this sign pointed me to park at the second fence. The first fence was for people shopping in the Bountiful Market which is what I decided to sketch. There didn’t seem to be as many sunflowers as I had remembered and they were off in the distance.

The bountiful market has a simple lean-to design with a carport entrance. Baskets were stacked on a post. Though the website said the Bistro opened at 9am, it really doesn’t open until 11am. I had plenty of time to sketch. I sat in the shade of a giant live oak which is where Bistro patron sit.

I finished the sketch and the Bistro still wasn’t open, so I went to shop in the market. I got tomatoes and ears of corn. When I piled by produce on the counter, one of the tomatoes fell to the floor. When ringing up my purchase the cashier noticed that one of my tomatoes was bruised and cut. I confessed that it had fallen. She gave me another tomato at no charge. I’m not used to such kindness. I realize now that the stack of baskets were not for display but are to be used to hold produce as you shop. Next time I will shop like a civilized person rather than as a neanderthal.

I was the first person to sit down at the Bistro. I ordered a delicious and fresh cold pressed fruit drink. The dink had Orange, Lemon, Cantaloupe, Ginger and carrot. It was a healthy and delicious way to start my birthday brunch. I ordered the Red Snapper Sandwich which had light crispy old bay seasoned green banana battered red snapper. Served on a brioche bun, with lettuce, pickled onions, tomato, and creamy tartar sauce. It was so delicious.

The Bountiful Bistro is a real Lake County gem. I know I will return at least once a month for fresh produce and I will want to sample more of the items on the Bistro menu. Now I know to show up closer to 11am which is wen the bistro opens.

Renninger’s: Spring Yard Sale

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From the studio, I headed East to Renninger’s. A home I am considering purchasing is just a few blocks south of the Renninger’s complex.

I went to the yard sale late in the day after teaching virtual classes online. There was just an hour or so left for the sales.

It was a scorcher. I parked on a hillside then walked up hill towards the tents that were set up. Since the tents were all different colors, I assume people brought their own tents to the sales event. It didn’t seem like there was any cost to participate.

I settled in the shade of a large live oak tree to sketch. A breeze blew up the hill in my direction but it was still hellishly hot.

A couple manned these two tents that are in the foreground of my sketch. Behind the lawn mower there was a red bin full of framed pictures. A woman brought one framed picture for $5. Further back in the scene there were 3 tents full of clothing. Before I finished this sketch, people started putting away sales items and dismantled their tents.

Items on the tables were quite varies. There was a kitchen lamp, vases a wooden box and a Miller Craft Beer sign. You never know what you might find.

A family arrived as I was getting close to finishing my sketch. The son was watching a butterfly flutter around. He must have crushed an insect because his mom asked him why he would do that. The insect had done nothing to bother him. After admiring my sketch the mom started bragging about how her 4 year old son loved to draw. He could draw things right out of his head. I encouraged her to keep him motivated. Then the young boy joined the conversation. I figured he wanted to share his artist statement or brag about his art techniques. He said, “I pooped on the potty this morning!” I laughed out loud. The parents might have been embarrassed since they wandered off rather quickly.

I pooped on the potty this morning as well. I appreciate his bringing some well grounded perspective to my day. I poop then sketch, poop then sketch, as the world turns.

FRINGE: The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln

Posted on by Thor

When Abraham Lincoln delivered the now famous speech at Gettysburg, there was a photographer on hand who was scrambling to get his camera and flash set up. When he finally took the photo, the president was already in the process of sitting down. The image of the president was a blur. It is a shame there wasn’t an artist on hand.

Historical performer, Tom Leahy stood in as the former president and I had plenty of time to sketch him as he read from the script.

Besides reading the Gettysburg Address, he talked about his relationship with Mary Todd Lincoln and the death of his son which devastated them both.

Abraham discussed his launch into politics and read his acceptance speech. With the Civil War being such a gut wrenching dramatic time, I wish more of that drama had made its way onto the production.

Next door a huge audience was going wild for one of the opening shows of the Fringe. The muffled cheers made their way through the thin walls, marking a start contrast between the boisterous flavor of the Fringe and the stark historical monologue being read aloud.

A woman who had seen me start the sketch wanted to see the finished result. As she was looking at it, Lincoln wandered over to look. “Why did you lean me forward?” he asked. If I sketched him standing upright, he would not have fit on the page.

FRINGE: Dead Pets

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The Orlando International Fringe Festival show, To All Our Dead Pets was a heart tugging open therapy session at the Rainbow Bridge Support Group for 11 strangers who were grieving for the loss of a pet. The loss of a pet tends to be even more devastating than the loss of a friend or relative.

In the lobby, each audience member was given a name tag and we were asked to write the name of a pet we had lost. I wrote Timmy. Timmy was the beagle our family had as I was growing up. After my mother died, we had to take Timmy to the vet. I sat in the back seat with him. He had developed worms, and the worms literally were wiggling out of his belly and fur and dropping onto the seat as we drove to the vet. It is a vivid terrifying childhood memory of mortality that is hard to wipe away. Timmy was put down at the vet.

As the theater filled the pianist swayed to the beat of the house music. I am a fan of anyone who have to move enthusiastically when the music plays. As the accompanist she did an amazing job holding this musical together.

The folding chairs were arranged in a circle as the audience filled the theater, but once the play started, the actors set themselves up in a line. Each actor had am monologue and a solo performance.

The woman seated in the center acted as the moderator at first but others stated a mutiny, questioning why she was putting a positive feel good spin one peoples grief.

One girl only had her pet for a day but her grief was as intense and everyone else’s. One woman became so overwhelmed that she stormed out of the back door of the theater. One macho actor tried to make a jokes at the expense of others. There was an author, a matronly grandmother, and a woman who felt she was above it all until she to broke down. The lyrics didn’t grip me but the feelings expressed held me firmly to my seat.

FRINGE: The Lobby

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Between shows at the Fringe, patrons search their digital devices to find what shows they would like to go to next. Fringe has a well designed flipbook PDF that I use to search for show information.

I am however a rather analog artist, so at home I write the shows I plan to see on a slip of paper and I carry all that information in my art bag. I circle the next show with a pencil and head over to the next theater. In the Fringe Club room the Fringe dinosaur mascot head was on on top pf a storage case. The mascot is often found at kids Fringe.

The purple tables in the middle of this sketch are set up to be the indoor bar for Fringe Patrons. It had not been sett up completely yet when I did this sketch. Someone was searching around for an outlet and could not find one. A long extension chord would be needed.

While doing this sketch I got to catch up with several Fringe regulars. One was selling $5 raffle tickets for the Florida Council of the Blind. First Prize was $1000. Second prize was $100. I passes on the raffle ticket at first but then decided I needed to get some caffeine in my system to get my hand twitching. There is a soda machine at the Shakes and I went to give it a try. I left my artist chair behind and one of my friends joked that they planed to sell it while I was gone.

The soda machine would not take my $5 bill. It kept spitting it back out with a mechanical whine. When I got back to my seat, the woman who was selling the raffle tickets told me she had change for a 5. I decided that I should buy one of her raffle tickets for the kindness of giving me change. The machine took her dollar bill and spit out my much needed liquid death. It was an expensive drink but much needed. When doing all these sketches I would start in the morning and end late a t night. I never took time to get out and order food or drink. Was the can of soda worth the $6? Absolutely. I sucked it down in several gulps and started to feel like a humming bird.

The drawing for the $1000 prize was on May 17, 2025. I didn’t win. I never do.

FRINGE: Down the Rabbit Hole

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Down the Rabbit Hole produced by Empty Pocket of Portland, Maine was an adorable dance rendition of the classic Alice in Wonderland tales.

As the audience entered the theater, props were lying about on the stage for each of the characters. There was a top hat and scarf for instance for the mad hatter. The rabbit had ears that could rise upward with the pill of a string.

Alice of course dominated the dancing in many of the scenes and I was intrigued by the smooth movements of the field mouse who clearly had classical ballet training. Any time the field mouse scurried on the stage I had to watch and struggle to get a sketch.

The white rabbit was the other character that accompanied Alice dancing through all the scenes. He added a definite touch of humor to the proceedings. The Queen of Hearts did make an appearance but she wasn’t particularly menacing.

I wasn’t trying too follow any story line since there was no dialogue. I just enjoyed the playful dance routines. Overall it was a fun 45 minutes of dance.

FRINGE: Paco Erhard, Live Forever

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Paco Erhard: Live Forever was in the Silver venue at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. The show was presented by German Comedy International from New York City presented the show.

Paco’s show was part stand up and part heart wrenching drama. Paco’s Russian accent added to the international flair.  Hard times were mixed with plenty of laughter.

Paco wanted to live the care free life of a beat generation writer like Jack Kerouac. Since Jack Kerouac wrote several books in Orlando My ears perked up. The Karouac Project in Orlando offers residencies for writers and I have had the honer of sketching many of these creatives as they write in the old College Park bungalow that Jack used to live in with his mom.

Paco’s description of taking LSD was intriguing since it is an experience I have never had.

I sat at the back of the theater since I had to sneak out early to teach a virtual class from my car in the theater parking lot. This was my first time using a phone hot spot to teach a class and thankfully it worked.

I can’t give a full review since I had to sneak out, but I was certainly laughing and had a great time at this one man show.