The goal isn’t to live forever, but to create something that will.

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In April of 2015 there was a reunion for the former Florida artists of Walt Disney Feature Animation. The reunion was held in an Elk Lodge down in Kissimmee. The Orlando, Florida based animation studio closed on Monday, January 12, 2004, putting
approximately 250 artists, technicians and other personnel out of work.
This followed the cancellation of the feature, A
Few Good Ghosts, which was being developed by the studio. Artists scattered to the wind but many, myself included, stayed since Orlando had become home.

At Disney I got to work side by side with many of the best artists in the world. The reunion was an incredible experience because so many of these artists had re-invented themselves. Aaron Blaise who co-directed Brother Bear, had worked on a digital feature film about elephants, but that studio closed down as well before the film was completed. He has since moved back to Central Florida and now instructs Creature Teacher courses online.  I’ve looked at several of his instructional videos and always pick up something new. He also had a successful Kickstarter campaign to raise money for another animated feature film called Art Story.

Christine Lawrence Finney, who had been the head of the clean-up animation department at the studio, gave me a warm hug and smiled as she said “I thought you would have changed the world by now.”  She had an amazing gift for making people around her want to live up to their full potential. Her eternal smile reminded me of all the things the were great about working at Disney Feature Animation, a sense of family, friends and pride in making some amazing films.

On a table in the front of the room were seven photos of Disney artists who had passed away. One was Kevin Proctor who had been in my intern group when we first started at the studio. He went into the layout department which drew the backgrounds for the films. At lunch time I would often sneak in a sketch of my co-workers, and I caught a sketch of Kevin as he worked on a drawing of Lilo’s kitchen for the film Lilo and Stitch. Pres Romanillos had been the lead animator for Shan Yu in Mulan. Christine was the lead of the team of clean up animation artists who created the final drawings that went up on the big screen for this character. As she said “Drawing in his shadow was one of the highlights of my Disney career! He
was extraordinary!! His passion was contagious…forever an inspiration.”

I danced for one song at the reunion, but spent most of my time in the back room finding out what artists were doing now as well as adding a sketch to a memorial book that was for Bob’s family. Christine and her husband Trey were now accomplished plein air painters. Photos were layered thick on tables and we could dig through to find the memories of a crew of artists who took pride in their work and knew how to celebrate as well.

Bob Walker who had co-directed Brother Bear with Aaron Blaise had passed away unexpectedly just before the reunion. Aaron related a story about the day Bob had been given a computer at Disney. Bob had a large stack of papers next to the computer, and he called Aaron in to ask a question. He pointed at the stack of papers and said,  ” How do I get this in there?” Laura Ashborne Sacks said a few words in Bod’s memory, her voice cracked as she looked back, “The goal isn’t to live forever, but to
create something that will. Everyone in this
room should be proud of the work we created.” This heart felt sentiment got me choked up as well. I will always miss the intense collaboration with incredible artists but know that those films we created will live on for generations.

That brings me to the reason I started writing this article. Christine Lawrence Finney passed away suddenly on January 5, 2016. She was just 47 years old. I honestly can’t wrap my head around this. She was so vibrant at the reunion. She was such a joy to work for.  Terry remembered that when we moved to Orlando, we were invited to a Disney artist party in Winter Park and to this day she remembers how warm and welcoming Christine was. Photos of Christine keep getting posted online and each heightens the loss of an incredible artist and a shining personality. On the evening after I heard the news, I had to host an event called Orlando Drink and Draw. I had more wine than I should have to numb the thoughts in the back of my mind, and on the dive home, I cried for the first time when American Pie by Don McLean played on the radio.  In my inebriated state, the song encapsulated my sense of loss. “Something touched me deep inside the day the music died.” I pulled off the road to sing along, calm down, and sober up. The title of this site, Analog Artist Digital World, hints at the idea that traditional hand drawn animation might die because of the advent of computer animation. Christine’s death makes me feel that the magic of hand drawn animation might indeed become a lost art.  She inspired so many of us to push ourselves. Perhaps creating is the only way to eventually come to terms with the loss.

Christine always paid tribute to the special people in her life, “To all my family, friends, mentors, and supporters thanks for the safety net! You
teach me how to fly.” She taught everyone she met how to fly as well.

Soar on. Christine.

Home at the Current Galleries in Sanford Fl.

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Frankie Messina of Apartment E is something of an Orlando institution. For years he has brought artists together from all disciplines. Visual artists mingle with writers, musicians, an performers of all kinds. He has begun curating shows at The Current Galleries (202 E.1st Street Historic Sanford Florida). ” The theme of this show held in March 2015, was Home. “The road to a friend’s house is never long.” It was a collective art and performance show where pieces or expressions were of “your home” or what “home” means to you.

This was the debut event in in the new galleries and Frankie was excited to build new relationships and connections between Sanford, Orlando and all the cities around and in between. The new Gallery was kicked off with an amazing opening night during the monthly Sanford Art Walk  that featured poets, instillation art, musicians and of course visual artists.  Tais Phillips combined poetry with an overhead projector to create an interactive experience where poets could see their words projected large on the wall. 

In the room next to me, mailboxes were mounted on the wall. Patrons were invited to write an inspirational note and put it in one of the mailboxes for future patrons to read. Scott Pantke and his wife Nicole from Blast Studios occupied a studio space where they encouraged people to give air brush painting a try. Just dropping off a painting for the show was an adventure, because Frankie had artists meet him behind the gallery and a spiral staircase lead up to the second floor gallery.

Admission was to the public and the opening was more like a non stop party rather than a formal opening. A 10% commission off work sold went to Apartment E’s Blanket Orlando Project for the homeless, held every year in November. This in itself is an inspiring story of how one person with a pick up truck and a big heart, can make a big difference when they decide to make a positive change. Every year that true gets filled to overflowing to help people who need to battle the cold through Orlando’s winter months. One of Frankie’s favorite sayings is, “What you don’t give away, is lost.”

Weekend Top 6 Picks for December 9th and 10th.

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Saturday December 9, 2016

10am to 4pm Free. Sanford Farmers Market. First and Magnolia in Sanford FL.

8pm to 10pm $5 Second Saturdays in Sanford. 202 S Sanford Ave, Sanford, FL. Live music event featuring 2 stages, drink specials and more.

8:30pm to 10:30pm Free. The Geek Easy with Amy Watkins and Open Mic. The Geek Easy 114 S. Semoran Blvd Suite #6, Winter Park, Florida. Open to all: Musicians-Lyricists-Artists-and Poets of all kinds. Bring out the cape and have some fun. http://poetry.meetup.com/362/

Sunday December 10, 2016 

11am to Noon. Donation based. Throat Chakra (Color Therapy) yoga class : 7 chakra series. Artegon Studio One 5250 International Dr, Ste D6, Orlando, Florida. This 2nd Sunday of January, YogART will be hosting a donation based Color Therapy Yoga class for the community at Studio One inside of Artegon Marketplace.

This class is a continuation of our “7 Chakra Series” that focuses each class on an individual chakra: breaking down its color, meaning, location and function. This particular class will revolve around our fifth major energy point known as “The Throat Chakra”

This is an ALL LEVELS class which incorporates stretching, breathing exercises and light yoga poses geared to balance and improve the aspects of your life correlating to the Throat Chakra.

Color Therapy glasses will also be provided for those who wish to experience the healing and restorative effects of color has on the mind and body. Blue will be the primary focus for our Throat Chakra class, but you may wear any color that resonates with you.

We also have a color wheel on our site that explains the benefit of each color (glasses) Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet. http://www.yogartinc.com/color-therapy-chart/

Bring your own yoga mat – we will have a limited amount of spare mats.

Check out our lovely YogART instructor’s website for more info on her, amazing recipes, and a variety of health based articles including yoga:

www.jamiecrowell.com

Any children who attend must be able to participate in the session quietly to respect the space of other guests. If your child is unable to partake without disruption we ask that you please refrain from bringing them.

info@yogartinc.com

1pm to 5pm Free. Family Day on the Second Sunday. The Mennello Museum of American Art, 900 East Princeton Street, Orlando, FL. The make-and-take craft table is open from noon-2:30 p.m., and docents are available to give mini-tours of the museum. Then it’s open house in the galleries until 4:30 p.m.

2pm to 4pm Free. Script Reading Workshop. Sleuths Mystery Dinner Show, 8267 International Drive, Orlando, FL. Read and workshop plays.

Dawn Branch Dance presents Eden.

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Cindy Michelle Heen, a dancer I’ve sketched before, was kind enough to invite me to a rehearsal of Dawn Branch Work’s production of Eden. The show is a soulful reflection on the challenging journey toward
self-actualization and spiritual connection in this story of Eve as she
leaves the Garden of Eden and attempts to assimilate with the world
outside. With a cast of performers aged 8 to adult, Eden features both
professional and emerging artists. Branch says, “The idea of creating a
work to give honor to the Lord is exciting. It’s clean, wholesome and
necessary for outreach. If we can introduce God to one viewer, then I’m
pleased. It’s evangelism through the Arts.”

Cindy and Celinah Umaray who performs as Eve talked to me briefly before warming up. Celinah who came from NYC, was incredible slender. She looked like she couldn’t be older than 16 but she is actual 19. She is the only dancer, I’ve ever met who wants people to know she is older than she looks. When Eve exits Eden she is confronted with the challenges of modern life. In that way the dances theme unites the old traditions story with a modern aesthetic. Although the show has a religious theme, it is also secular, offering inspiring dance that is universally understandable. The other dance I sketched was Eva who worked so hard she flushed red. Dawn stood at the front of the dance studio watching ever line the dancers created.

Cindy confided in me that once I saw Celinah dance, I would see why she was cast as Eve. Indeed, as she stretched at  the barre, I was amazed by her flexibility and the fluid lines she produced with every movement. She would arch her back, and lift a leg straight up over her head while entwining arm for support. I tried to sketch the stretch several times, but it was such an extreme pose, that it didn’t look humanly possible in a sketch. She never danced full out but even her warm up routine was incredibly graceful and fluid. Her grey hoodie and ponytail overlapped and added a flourish to every move. In the corner of the dance studio, dancers listened to the music for the show and I assume watched video tapes from a prior rehearsal. As the choreography is nailed down, it becomes important to see how every dancer helps to fill the canvas of the stage.

Branch explained, “I love the idea of having an empty canvas of space and
utilizing the dancers to fill it up with color and shapes and theme. The
dancers are so open to trying different styles.” Branch goes on to
explain that her choreographic style is a fusion of ballet and modern
dance along with elements of hip hop. “It’s a beautiful and creatively
challenging combination of movement that demands enormous technical
strength; dancers execute rapid and innovative choreographic transitions
that appear as effortless as breathing,” says Branch.I love that her description of empty space sounds just like my process as I find a way to fill a page when I sketch.

Mark your calendar! Eden will be on Sunday, March 6, 2016 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM at Orlando Repertory Theater (1001 East Princeton Street Orlando, FL). Tickets are $22.09–$32.64.

A quite New Year’s Eve.

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On New Year’s Eve, I ventured out right at sunset to do one last sketch of holiday decorations. I drive past this house every day and the lawn is covered with flaccid piles of plastic. The plan was to go to Drip for New Year’s Eve, so I wanted to get the sketch done early so that I could just be social a the party. Rudolf’s head rotated left and right surveying the scene. There was an inflatable manger as well, but it was partially inflated, y it was hard to figure out who was who. The helicopter rotor kept turning, but sadly the minions didn’t slide down the slide that looked like a high healed shoe.

A woman, whom I had startled on a previous sketch outing walked by with her dog, Shadow, and l presume her daughter and possibly her mother. She asked if I was an artist and when l responded, “yes I am”, she replied, “Well isn’t that nice. ” It was nice to see a family going out for an evening stroll together. A dad and his daughter walked by and he made some remark, suggesting his daughter should fly the helicopter. Fireworks burst in the distance, possibly from Sea World or Disney. Smaller fireworks were also being shot out over the lakes in the neighborhood.  I was actually sweating the entire time I sketched. Winter seems to have forgotten Orlando this year.

Instead of going out, I took a long hot bath to relax. Zorro our pet cockatoo sat on a wicker basket on the bathroom sink counter. When I slipped into the tub, he got curious and marched over. The counter overlooked the tub,and he stood at the edge and bowed his head down looking like he wanted to jump in. Now, a cockatoo isn’t like a duck, they don’t have webbed feet and they can’t swim. He changed his mind, and instead grabbed my eye glasses and threw them in the tub to spite me. I splashed water on him, and he didn’t like that one bit. He backed up, but a portable mirror on the counter got in his way. Trying to back up around it, he slipped and fell off the counter. He flapped his wings to cushion the fall, and ended up flying directly into the tub. I scooped him up before he went under water, but he got soaked. I put him back on the counter, and he marched back to the safety of his basket. When he perched on the wicker handle, he lifted a soaking wet claw and looked at it in confusion as water dripped from his talon. He certainly helped make the final moments of the year unexpectedly entertaining.

Culture Pop! Not Your Typical Art Opening.

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I went to the Maitland Art Center (231 E Packwood Ave, Maitland, Florida) to sketch at Culture Pop. The evening featured the opening of “Contemporary and Historic Landscapes,” with works by Bruce Marsh, Dawn Roe and pieces on loan from the Cornell Fine Arts Museum. In addition to being among the first to see new exhibitions, guests also enjoy live music, poetry readings, complimentary food & cash bar with fine wines, craft beer and more.

Activities on the campus grounds included open artist studios and a pop-up exhibit by one of the A&H’s Artists-in-Action, Martha Lent. I decided to sketch The Actomatics, who had set up their band equipment on what used to be an abandoned shuffleboard court. They had a string of white Christmas Light strung across the top of all the instruments and it made for a magical display. Shadow, who was on the keyboards, introduced herself. There was unfortunately very few people in the audience. Besides myself there were only three other people seated in the folding chairs. That didn’t hinder the spirits of Shadow, Rick an of Shadow, John and Rick however. They performed a magnificent set of all original tunes. As a true artist, you don’t always need an audience. Some birds sing for the pure joy of singing. I sketch and write, not knowing if a word is heard, or a sketch seen.

Several times, I was offered complimentary appetizers from Creations Catering and Events. The server was a young woman who is an artist herself. She was very curious about the Wacom tablet I was using to sketch. She is excited about the new Apple iPad Pro that came out and she is hoping it might find its way under her tree this Christmas.

In the Mayan Courtyard, there were literary readings by the DIY MFA Readers: Danielle Kessinger, Misty Watkins and Karen Price. I didn’t make it over that way to sketch. As I left, I did get a chance to see Martha Lent’s large colorful paintings, as she took the art off the walls and loaded it into her car. I admire her large bold works which make me wish that I was working so large.

Drip’s Local Art Night ignites International Drive.

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On the 4th Thursday of every month, Drip hosts a Local Art Night. Located on International Drive behind  Denny’s and Senior Frogs, (8747 International Dr #102, Orlando, FL). You literally enter the venue via the loading dock, Drip offers an industrial, grunge , speakeasy flair. The usual Drip show combines a dance love and loss story line with flying sand and paint. Every where in the venue is a splash zone. Although the usual performances don’t happen on Drip Art Night, there is often burlesque belly dancers, and other forms of experimental dance that pop up. 

The evening mostly showcases Visual Artists, Performance Artists, Art Installations, and Body Painters. Spaces are available for $10 and artists keep 100% of all sales. Janae Corrado is a local artist who sets up regularly at the Art Night. She sets up early and starts painting as other artists are rushing to set up. Her work is mystical and surreal using age old master painting techniques to build up the polished final work. Word is starting to get out that this is a fun evening and so the entire venue is now packed full of artists.

I love sketching the chaos. When a performance breaks out, the crowd surrounds them like school kids pressing in to see a fight. I have to accept that I only catch a passing glimpse of the performers through the crowd. At a future art nigh I hope to Sketch from the stage, which is often only used by the DJ. This would give me an elevated view over the crowd so I could see the performers. This is why I usually sketch rehearsals, there is no audience to get in the way.

Mark your calendar! The next Drip local Art Night is January 28, 2016. The doors open to the public at 8pm. There is a $5 cover charge. Escape the Orlando’s white bread theme park quaintness and experience some Orlando craziness.

An Orphan’s Christmas Eve Party.

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Wendy Wallenberg invited Terry and myself to an orphans Christmas Eve party at Denise Sudler‘s house in the Mills 50 neighborhood. Candles inside paper bags illuminated her block and others. The curbside bags were spaced about 5 feet apart and had sand in them to keep them grounded. This was an effort of the entire neighborhood and several sentries strolled the streets to be sure no fires broke out. I believe the candles act as a runway for Santa’s sleigh. It must be a rough landing when the sleigh lands, sending sparks off the  metal runners as they grind against the asphalt.

The Christmas tree was illuminated with simple white lights which offered a tasteful display. Terry and I had made a Christmas Tree appetizer made of cream cheese.  The cream cheese was cut diagonally in half and then a slice was rotated so that the halves combined to create a tree shaped triangle. The top was covered in pesto and then sun dried tomatoes were sliced and rolled into balls to create the ornaments. A yellow pepper was sliced, and a cross section was used to create the star on top. It ended up looking very much like Denise’s tree an was a hit.

Wendy had been traveling in Kyrgyzstan and the young woman she traveled with, was at the party. I settled in on the couch and did a quick digital sketch. Carl Knickerbocker, let me know that he has an exhibit entitled Suburban Twilight at the Florida School of Art and Art History in Gainesville Florida. Carl’s art which he calls Suburban primitive, is colorful, bold and primal often poking fun at America consumerism. He also has created an amazing number of short films which incorporate his primitive art, puppets and music that he composed himself. I am a big fan of his work. The exhibit is up through February 12, 2016

A conversation with Wendy Wallenberg is like sparing. She has a sharp wit and is always poking fun. Within a minute of entering the party, she glanced down at my crotch and said, “What’s happening there darling?” I fumbled for my zipper, but it wasn’t down. I looked down and saw that there was a dark stain that made it look like I had wet myself on the drive over. I had carried the pesto Christmas Tree in my lap on the drive to the party. The oil from the pesto must have leaked out onto my lap. I untucked my Hawaiian shirt an kept it untucked for the duration of the party to hide the stain. Others might have noticed the stain and said nothing. But Wendy was right on top of it.

Dulcineah Tsambiras is a friend of Wendy’s and the two of them are hilarious together. Apparently Wendy has a habit of meeting men near dumpsters. She and Dulcineah met someone they now refer to as Dumpster Dan. They theorized the he might live near the dumpster, or he might have been going to a restaurant near the dumpster. They also had and enticing conversation about the Green Door in Las Vegas which is an unsavory place that I am not old enough to know about. The unthinkable happens behind the green door but I wasn’t able to get any firm information about what that might mean.

I had way too much wine to drink. Someone said, “We need to cut you off mister.” I responded, “But I’m just starting to make sense!” As it approached midnight, I looked at the Santa Tracker app on Terry’s iPhone. Most of the worlds presents had been delivered and he was delivering presents in Canada. He hadn’t even reached the United States yet. My thought was that he would likely travel  East to West in Canada and then he would likely finally start delivering presents in the United states going from West to East. The tiny peninsula of Florida must be his last stop.

Nerd Nite Orlando XXXIV fact versus fiction of the Star Wars saga.

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I went to the Star Wars themed Nerd Nite at The Geek Easy 114 S Semoran Boulevard, Winter Park, Florida in hopes that I might sketch a Cantina full of aliens and Sith Lords. Unfortunately there was only one cape in the whole crowd. Nerd Nite is an evening of entertaining yet thought-provoking presentations, all while the audience drinks along in a casual bar atmosphere. Speakers present for 15-20 minutes each on a fascinating subject of their choice, often in an uncanny and unconventional way. Following each presentation there was a brief question and answer session with the audience.

Ricardo Williams as the MC started the evening off with Star wars trivia. He had the gave to wear a Star Trek uniform which is an affront to any true Star Wars nerd. One of the most interesting facts was that Harrison Ford was not originally cast as Hans Solo. He got the part because he was also an air conditioning repairman. Ford repaired George Lucas‘ air conditioner and the two of them hit it off. After that encounter, Lucas suggested that Ford come into the studio for an audition. Several questions revolved around the simple idea that warp drive does not exist in the Star Wars Universe. Most questions were far over my head. Apparently Yoda was first named Buffy in the first draft o the Star War Script. Ricardo also gave a short talk about how the last two last Star Trek films by J.J. Abrams are very much steeped in Star Wars themes. Both Captain Kirk and Luke Skywalker are kids from barren farm country who dreamed of the stars. J.J. Abrams sited Star Wars as a film that molded his desire to become a film maker. Now that he is directing The Force Awakens he will hopefully shine and held resurrect a franchise that lost the power of story and replaced it with mindless computer effects. My one complaint about the last two Star Trek films is that Captain Kirk was constantly being beaten up. It was disheartening to watch as he was repeatedly kicked and beaten, while drooling on the floor. I hope the hero’s fate is better in The Force Awakens.

I was seated next to the last presenter, Robin Cowie, who announced the inaugural Orlando Story Club event coming up on January 6th at The Abbey 100 S Eola Dr, Orlando, Florida. Admission is $5 and all proceeds support The Boys And Girls Clubs of Orlando. The theme for the evening will be Resolution. The word “resolution” has two great meanings for stories:

1. a firm decision to do or not to do something.

2. the action of solving a problem, dispute, or contentious matter

I was surprised to find out that Cowie was president of Haxan Films, which financed, produced and helped market one of the most successful independent films of all time, The Blair Witch Project. He has just return to Orlando to be near family after producing and directing many films in Los Angeles. The Central Florida Story Telling Group will present monthly events in the New Year for everyone tohare their stories with proceeds supporting different local philanthropic organizations each month. Cowie told a story in a thick Scottish brogue. There is no way that a written account can recreate the hilarious story. Hearing him tell the story in person is a once in a lifetime experience.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for January 2nd and 3rd.

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Saturday January 2, 2016

10am to 4pm Free. Sanford Farmer’s Market. Sanford First & Magnolia, Sanford FL.

7pm to 9pm Free. Brewery Tour. Orlando Brewing, 1301 Atlanta Ave, Orlando, FL.

8pm to 10pm Free. Shuffleboard at Orlando’s Beardall Courts. Orlando’s Beardall Courts 800 Delaney Ave Orlando FL. 1st Saturday of each month. Free fun.

Sunday January 3, 2016

2pm to 4pm Free. Yoga. Lake Eola Park, 195 N Rosalind Ave, Orlando, FL. Weekly.

10pm to Midnight. Free. Comedy Open Mic. Austin’s Coffee, 929 W Fairbanks Ave, Winter Park, FL. Free comedy show! Come out & laugh, or give it a try yourself.

10pm to Midnight Free. Solo Acoustic Spoken Word. Natura Coffee & Tea, 12078 Collegiate Way, Orlando, FL. 407 482-5000.