Studio for a Day

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Stella Arbelaez had an amazing turn out of friends who came to support her Masters in Fine art gallery opening at UCF. There was a large contingent of former Florida Disney Feature Animation artists and friends she met on her hike on the Florida Trail which she hiked from Cypress National Preserve in the south up to Fort Pickins in the North. In all the trail is 1108 miles. She met New Bear at Mile marker 7 right when she began her trek. Then they met Just Jeff at about mile marker 800. Stella interviewed hikers she met all along the way and she had a full kit of art supplies to document the incredibly beauty that can be found on the trail. Each hiker is given a nick name on the trail and her nickname was acorn. The work to be seen in this gallery exhibit is evidence that the acorn is growing into a mighty live oak, spreading her branched.

The day after the opening, Stella returned to the Yalaha studio with James Parris, another former Disney Feature Animation artist and friend for 30 years, and her daughter Laura.  New Bear had a car which he had driven down from Maryland and he brought Just Jeff. Just Jeff has stayed at Stella’s house many times before and her helped build the fence around the front of her property along with a stone walkway around the back patio. The second Jeffrey arrived he started gardening around a Bougainvillea which he had saved from a pot that it had outgrown. He was afraid the plant might perish, but it was thriving in a bed of ferns. It just wasn’t flowering, and he attributed that to the wet soil.

I had virtual classes to teach for six hours on Saturday and that is when the crowd descended on the studio. Stella had planned ahead and suggested I teach from the bedroom so my students would not have to contend with the all the laughter. I taught from my bed for the day. It was actually quite comfortable. I had my egg crates full of teaching material next to me and my computers could rest on the  mountains of drawings stacked up on the flat file next to my bed. I could hear the muffled conversations and laughter, but that is sort of my everyday experience when I sketch on location. I get lost in the quiet reflection and complexities of the sketch as the world shouts for attention around me. I wanted to join the party but had to wait until class let out at 6pm. With my last student, I was teaching contour drawing methods, and she was in a coffee shop, so our last prompt was to use contour to draw the room around us. Since I was in bed, I drew my feet extended 0n the Pulse comforter. At 6 I threw on my art bag and rushed into the living room shouting, “I am ready, lets go!”

The plan was to have dinner at Stella’s brother’s home which was a short drive away in Leesburg Florida. I got to catch up with James Parris there. He had been the artist who first checked my drawings as we were working on Pocahontas. He had been a mentor to Stella at the studio.

Stella set up her power point on her brothers big screen TV and we got to experience what she would be presenting at her thesis presentation for her professors and committee members. At the beginning of her presentation she thanked those who had helped her on her journey towards getting her masters degree. Then she started talking about her family and she had to pause. There was so much love in the room with family and friends and she must have felt that. Then her presentation hit it’s full flow. I had listened as she read aloud chapters she had just written on her couch. I would offer feedback if she felt she needed it. She story is profound and moving and it is fueling some amazing art.

Soon she will be giving the presentation to the actual committee and professors whose job is to cross examine her and ask questions. Stella defended her positions magnificently with our many questions so she is quite prepared for questions from the visiting public. She has a clear path forward as she continues to create.

This is her artist statement: “I explore the relationship between Nature (viewed as a living entity) and mental health through the intersections of personal experience and societal constructs. I share my evolution while healing from emotional trauma and after having walked 1,130 miles (1,818kn) as a through-hiker of the Florida National Scenic Trail. The work aims to be of service and entice a higher level of consciousness, directed to the nurturing of the self and protection of nature. while increasing appreciation and respect for it.

UCF Studio Art Mid Term Crit

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Stella Arbelaez  invited to go to the UCF Mid Term Critique. She was very busy getting her thesis finished, but it was great for me to meet the graduate students and talk art. Artist Zoe Nestlie had invited me once before, but at the time I was recovering from a COVID-19 infection.

Zoe had two paintings on display. Both were self portraits. In one a clown in white face had red rings around her eyes and a painted on smile while she face reflected sadness. An extra triangular canvas sat on top extending the blue clown’s had upward. Actual blue pom poms adorned the hat. Above the  painting was a round canvas painted red representing a balloon. One professor advised Zoe to use an actual balloon while another advised against the idea. It is up to Zoe to figure out what would work best. A second self portrait titled Facade, had heart shapes rose colored glasses. On that piece red orange and yellow flowers acted as a physical bouquet. Her work is about the psychological impact of emotional abuse within an intimate partner relationship.

The previous time I had sketched the the UCF Critique, Zoe was showing off her first painted explorations. She is still a first year student and this is her third time showing her work to the School of Visual Arts and Design, (SVAD)  faculty at large, for a formal critique. I happened to do my sketch quite close to her work. All of her work had been digital at the first critique. She had done a very consistent series of digital paintings of large eyed girls in uncomfortable positions. I asked Zoe if she preferred working digitally or traditionally. She still does some studies for paintings in the digital medium but now prefers to work larger on canvas. She likes the physicality of working on large paintings that have three dimensional elements. It is interesting to see her work progress as she moves through the masters program.

One female artist was talking about how women artists have been marginalized throughout the history of art. She followed up with the fact that she was in the masters program and that meant that the tide had turned. There are 3 men in the masters program, but only one guy made into my sketch. He is looking at his cell phone.

As I was sketching, Anna Vic Webb asked if I could stop back and visit her studio when I was done with the sketch. When I got back to her studio, she was just wrapping up with several professors. She had a self portrait on display. The eyes were a disturbing red but impossible to avoid looking at. As I was talking to Anna. I kept glancing back at those red piercing eyes in the painting. Sections of the painting vibrated with florescent brightness. Hair was painted on the legs in a spiraling pattern similar to Van Gogh’s nigh sky. A lone wolf was peaking printed on her tee shirt in the painting. We had a long talk about art which was quite rewarding. I didn’t really critique the work but instead offered suggestions on techniques she might like to try to tie all the elements together. I lost track of time getting to chat about art. I finally slipped away when a professor came in to offer her critique.

The Cathedral

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Back in October, I visited Stella Arbelaez-Tascón in her UCF Masters program art studio where she quickly sketched out an idea of an installation titled, The Cathedral: Within and Without for me while I watched. It was an idea that had been living in her head, rent free, for a very long time, and she now wanted to make it a reality. Hurricane Milton had ripped through Central Florida and knocked over several trees on her property. Huge root balls forced fence posts up into the sky. Large stalks of bamboo were scattered in the yard. After destruction, comes recovery and  creation.

I volunteered in my small way to help bring the vision to life. It was exciting getting to watch her problem solve at every step of the process. She knew exactly how she wanted it to turn out, and the engineering involved would be adjusted based on the demands of the naturally sourced materials. Since we were always involved in the difficult task of creation of the behemoth installation, there was never time for me to sketch. The Cathedral is constructed of heat treated bamboo, solar lights, natural rope, steel fence posts, rebar, wire and a motion sensor box. It is 8 feet in diameter by 22 feet high.

All the bamboo for the installation was sourced right from Stella’s yard. Many were already fallen and Stella cut the others down using a machete.  A few months later, while I sketched the work on the opening night of her MFA exhibit, I heard some students asking one another where where Stella had sourced so much bamboo. I wanted to shout out, but decided to remain the silent witness.

This is how Stella described the piece: “In this piece, I capture the experience of being enveloped by towering cathedral like trees, where the enormity of the natural world brings forth a profound awareness of one’s own smallness. The simplicity of the lines within the work invites the viewers  gaze upward, toward the heavens, offering a pathway to the transcendence beyond the physical self, without the distractions of earthly possessions. It encourages a deeper appreciation of life by prompting reflection on the fleeting nature of human existence, contrasted against the timeless and majestic  presence of the environment that surround us.”

It was a cold night as I sketched. In the gallery there was an exciting mini Disney Feature Animation reunion of artists showing their support for Stella. I left the lively conversations when I saw that it was dark outside. I wanted to sketch the cathedral against the pitch black night sky. I deeply respected Alex, the undergrad student, who was on duty as docent to the piece. She was the only person wearing a mask protecting herself and others in the ongoing pandemic. She encouraged everyone who left the warmth of the UCF Art Gallery to enter the Cathedral. People who did enter, were greeted with the sounds of chirping birds. All were invited to lie on their backs and look upwards. Many did. Before sketching, I entered myself and looked upwards. The bold lines of the bamboo pointed to the stars. It felt like a more elegant, refined Stonehenge.

As I sketched I could hear  everyone’s comments. When people entered the structure they were greeted with the sounds of birds chirping. A motion sensor would play the audio when people were inside. Mostly people felt peace when they entered the Cathedral. One woman told her boyfriend that she would love to have one in her back yard. She could use it for reflection and meditation. Most people exiting the UCF Masters exhibition titled Haunt, made their way to the installation and experienced it first hand. It became a place where people congregated, adjusting to the cold evening and sparked excited conversations to warm up. It also became the place where people hugged for the last time as they went their separate ways. It was a portal back to reality.

Haunt is on display until March 7, 2025 at the UCF Art Gallery (12400 Aquarius Agora Drive Orlando Florida.) Unfortunately The Cathedral is only on display through February 25th. I will be helping Stella dismantle the piece that day. The logistics of moving such a large piece are incredible. The U-Haul Truck Stella rented to move it is just barely large enough for the tall bamboo poles. One pole in particular had to be put in the truck at just the right angle, corner to corner, for it to fit. She has been keeping the installation in a storage facility and once again the poles just manage to fit. The stalks were protected from Florida’s humidity by being heat treated with a flame thrower and covered in varnish to protect them. Fans were placed to keep the air moving. It would be nice if the installation found a more permanent home where others could experience the peace and wonder it inspires.

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Cabaret

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The Orlando Shakespeare Theater (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL) is presenting a cutting edge production of Cabaret. This show is more topical than ever in today’s heated political environment. People like to pretend that the worst isn’t happening but ignoring the problem empowers the problem. The parking lot to the Shakes was completely packed, so I exited the parking lot and found street parking nearby.

The opening scene in the show had Clifford Bradshaw played by Easton Curtis on a balcony taking note or sketching as snow fell. The play was based on the writings of Christopher Isherwood who was an American who was in Berlin Germany right before WWII and he considered himself a human camera. I am fond of that concept. On stage, the Emcee, played by Shane Bland was warming up the crowd with a classic flair. In the talk back after the show I learned that Shane was the one Jewish member of the cast which made his role all the more poignant.

The play follows the colorful performers in the Kit Kat club and their crazy and comical numbers stood as a stark contrast to the rising tide of hateful politics in Germany. The fast and furious romance between Clifford and Sally Bowles played by Anastasia Remoundos showed how romantic escape is critical and practical in crazy times. Sally’s flamboyant attitudes were her form of absolute denial to the reality all around her.

During rehearsals a Cultural Coordinator was brought in to be a support system to the cast. The play covers some very disturbing themes and it is hard to wear that cloak and then not take it home. There was a sabbath dinner for the cast early in the rehearsals. The cast felt a responsibility to hold a mirror up to the truth. Some actors playing German soldiers had to wear Nazi Swastikas on their arm bands. The arm bands were sequestered right until the moment before actors got on stage. Once the scene was finished the arms bands wold once again be locked away. The same was true with the patches that marked people as deviant. The one Jewish star had to go to Herr Schultz, played by Mark Gray Miller. The other cast got to choose which patch best suited their character. The show was a polarizing experience for the entire cast. It is unfortunately very relevant. One piece of advice from one of the actors rang true, “Be kind to yourself and others.”

Cabaret performances continue through March 2, 2025. Trust me, this is a show you do not want to miss. Tickets start at $40.

 

Snow Globe: Blower Exchange

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In this shot from Snow Globe, Big Birdie (Carrie Lauren) stood in her driveway and Guy (Neil Parren) had parked in the street, smugly leaning against his car. The couple had separated or were divorced.

At first Gregory Mohn, behind the camera considered having the red car parked diagonally in the driveway, but when it was backed up into the street to be repositioned, he decided it made sense for Guy to not even bother to use the driveway. I liked the look of the circular cul-de-sac, the definition of which is: a route or course leading nowhere. It was fitting.

Birdie offered to give guy the leaf  blower. She after all was civilized and would not need such a loud obnoxious device. The closest they got to one another is when she handed it to him, extended at arms length. There is a painful moment that happens when you realize that you are never going to see a person who you spent decades of your life with. There had been some good times. But Guy’s girlfriend, Her (Crystal Hanley) was in the passenger seat. He had already started building a life together with someone new. When he put the blower in the back seat of his car he realized he had something to return to Birdie. It was the snow globe. He casually threw it to her. They were about 12 feet apart. Now, keep in mind, this is the only snow globe prop available. To keep it safe multiple shot were done where he acted like he was throwing it but kept it in his hand. Similar shots were done of Birdie acting like she was catching it.

Then the critical shot had to be done where Birdie actually caught the snow globe and reacted. She was moved onto the grass and someone with serious baseball experience stood a few feet from her to lobe the snow globe to her. He coached her saying she should use her body to catch the globe and just cradle it with her hands. Multiple shots were done and I gasped every time. Then the fatal toss happened. The globe slipped through her hands and fell to the ground. There was absolute silence on the set. In slow motion, the globe bounced multiple times and settled between the Saint Augustine blades, unharmed. There was one toss which was a bit too high and Crystal reacted in absolute terror that the globe might fall again. I am certain that will be the shot that ends up in the final cut of the film.

In the next shot the hatchback of the red car was opened and cameraman Gregory sat looking back at Birdie. I had to quickly pack up my art supplies since I would have been visible in the long dolly shot. I hid in the garage with director, Tracey Jane and the mechanical garage door rolled shut. As the car slowly pulled away Birdie got small in the distance. The monitor was set up in the garage and the shot looked beautiful. Tracey was glowing.

There was another scene that was to be shot this day in the pool area after lunch, but I had to drive back to Yalaha to teach virtual classes. There were delicious empanadas for the crew. I slipped one into a napkin for the road. This was the moment where I got to share my sketches with Tracey. Her excitement left me overjoyed. She called members of the crew over to look. Gregory kept saying he could not understand how I did what I do. But I have just as much respect for the entire crews mad skills.

This would be the final sketch of the three day short film shooting marathon. It was certainly an adventure for me and I am so grateful I was allowed into the creative fold. When the film premiers I plan to sketch the red carpet while cleaned up in a fresh tuxedo.

Snow Globe: Dolly Shot

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The fireplace was removed to make way for a small track for a dolly shot. The fireplace flames are a sort of projection. It was discovered that the fireplace also makes sound so it was turned off since the flames were not visible in the shot.

Since there was no fireplace in the home of my last roommate situation, we used to turn on the large screen TV and run a 12 hour fireplace video during the winter as we worked on family history research on the couch. There is something soothing about watching the flames and listening to the snapping and crackling. That fire burnt itself out. I now set a fire each evening in a fire pit in the back yard of the Yalaha Studio. I am still burning roots and branches from the Hurricane Milton storm damage. Watching the flames is my way to relax and reflect after a day of sketching, painting and teaching. The TV has never been used except on New Year’s Eve.

On set, the mother, or Big Birdie (Carrie Lauren) and daughter, Claire (Miya Montague) sat uncomfortably on the couch as far apart as was possible. The camera moved slowly forward as they stared into the imagined flames.

As cameraman, Gregory Mohn was setting up for this shot, he shouted out that anything in the kitchen that shouldn’t be seen had to be moved since it was visible in the shot. All the crew snacks and drinks were on the counters. Writer, Director, Tracey Jane was in the kitchen and I noticed her trying to move some things with her one good hand. Her other hand was in a cast. I dropped my sketch to help her out.  We moved some sort of fondue or crock pot set out into the garage and other items went up on the refrigerator out of sight. Several spiky dog balls were moved into her bedroom, which was now the actors dressing room.

Her pup, Luigi was all muscle and energy and would play with anyone who would grab his octopus. Since my artist stool it pretty low, I played with him quite a bit to get some of the energy out of him. That plan seemed to backfire since playing with him just amped him up even more. He had to go out in the back pool area when shooting began, but he just pawed at the sliding glass doors and whined to get back inside. A neighbor had to be called to give him a walk so the scenes could be shot.

Tracey watched the scene on a James Bond style black case that had a monitor. The stool she sat on squeaked, so she had to remain perfectly still. If I needed to grab a new pen or brush, I made sure to move in slow motion so as not to make a sound as well. This was a quiet somber moment between mother and daughter and a moment when they would truly connect. The conversation between mother and daughter was soft and muted. I am so used to actors shouting to the rafters in theater productions. The boom mic held my Arturo, and a hidden mic in the couch must have caught it all.

Snow Globe: The Monitor

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In this scene being shot for Snow Globe, Claire, (Miya Montague) and her mom Big Birdie, (Carrie Lauren), sat on a couch staring at a fire in the fireplace after returning from a funeral. This shoot had been delayed a week because Carrie had been horribly sick.

When I  arrived and was walking towards the house, Miya and her mom Brandi had also just parked. I thought Brandi might be the actress but her daughter was going to be the star for the day. As the room was being prepared for the shoot Brandi volunteered to vacuum the set. I helped by moving furniture, since I wasn’t sure where to set up to sketch yet.

This scene took most of the morning to shoot. In it, Claire stood up and walked to the mantle of the fireplace to pick up the Snow Globe. A message from her now deceased Grandmother was taped to the bottom. There was an obvious somber attitude to the scene but director Tracey Jane wanted a contrast between the two characters. Mom, or Big Birdie was to be emotionally distraught, but Claire who was clever and a problem solver, was supposed to offer hope and insight at this darkest hour. Maya was having difficulty finding that balance. Each take of the scene she projected a somber attitude. Tracey kept coaching her to lighten her mood and someone suggested that Miya needed to do some jumping jacks just to boost her energy level.

The dialogue was so soft that I couldn’t hear very well from where I sat. The boom operator kept the mic right on top of Maya as she spoke. Carrie’s mic was right near her hidden in the couch.  Eventually a shot was done which captured the exact mood and energy that Tracey was hoping for.

Manny Plaza-Fernandez sat looking at the monitor. It was his job to be sure each shot was in perfect focus. In one two shot, the mom had some dialogue and then the camera had to rack focus on to her daughter Claire. Tracey wanted that rack focus to happen on a particular line of dialogue and Manny made it work. Gregory Mohn behind the camera often consulted Manny because he was almost always right. Collaboration made each shot work.

Snow Globe: Young Birdie

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This was the first day of shooting of Snow Globe in the home of writer, Director Tracey Jane. This scene was to be shot in the den right off of the entry hall. I liked the painting of an angel with golden wings above the piano. A portrait of a classical quilled scribe had to be replaced with a more generic 1970s abstract in muted izod colors.

GregoryMohn was behind the camera and he wanted these shots to be a worms eye view looking up at the giant piano. The piano itself had been moved from another room, but that task was complete by the time I got to the set. Arturo worked the boom to record sound.

In this shot Little Birdie (Addison Sanders) pushed a small footstool close to the piano so she could reach up for the snow globe. Her mother Grace (Audra Darbyshire) was up on a stairway landing and saw what their daughter was up to and she ran down the stairs to stop her. Addison’s true parents were in the hallway to coach and offer support. It was so cute watching the young actress accomplish each task in turn and then freeze in embarrassment. Tracey was wonderful in keeping the young girl’s energy up. Audra, was quite believable as Addison’s mom. She got on her knees and interacted playfully. There was a warmth to every playful shot.

There were so many close ups to be shot, of the young girls feet padding across the floor, of her pushing the stool, and the moments as she reached for the globe. There was only 1 snow globe, so it was treated like a golden talisman. It could not, and must not be broken.

What would be an instant in the final edited film, took hours to shoot. I was asked several times, how I could sketch so fast, and yet each sketch took several hours to complete. Artists function in slow motion recording an instant in a world of ever evolving, fast paced chaos.

Tracey Jane has a habit of telling stories that reach in and grab me by the heart. There is wonder and aspiration followed by sorrow and then hope. In my mind she was directing this film with one hand tied behind her back, because she had injured her left hand and it was still in a cast. This short is told in a nine page script but the emotional resonance spans decades. I respect and admire any artist who can strum my heart strings so effortlessly.

Snow Globe: The Skate Room

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It was getting late at the Semoran Skateway (2670 Cassel Creek Blvd, Casselberry, FL). Writer, Director Tracey Jane and her intrepid film crew had one more scene to shoot in the Skate Room.

I was a bit daunted at the prospect of sketching the skate room since there were literally hundreds of pairs of skates tucked away in all the cubby holes. I asked Tracey if I would have enough time to do a sketch. My thought was that I needed at least 2 hours but they were shooting just one scene.

In this scene the protagonist, Teen Birdie (Grace Violla) was struggling to untie her skate. She was visibly upset. Later that evening when it was about 4am in the morning Tracey laughed at me saying, ” and you thought you wouldn’t have enough time to sketch.” I clearly do not have any concept of how long it takes to shoot a scene. Liv, Birdie’s best friend, (Payton Hubert) entered the scene. She had on a pair of metallic blue pants that definitely hearkened back to the flamboyant fashions of the 1980s.

Grace did an amazing job of remaining visibly upset despite the multiple takes of shots. There were other skaters behind her on the bench and they had to get out of the shot to let the drama play out between the two actresses. The boom operator was doing his job for the very first time. He had to be reminded once to raise the mic a bit higher to get it out of a shot. The lighting tech had the difficult job of keeping a white cloth diffuser raised over his head to soften the spot light. His arm must have gotten tired.

My fountain pen ran out of ink, so I switched over to colored pencil to sketch the skates. I was worried I might be visible in the shot where Liv enters the skate room doorway. She was right next to me. Tracey who was looking at the monitor assured me I was out of the shot. Then she made a piece sign and leaved forward a few inches from me and her fingers entered the shot on the monitor. I smiled and made sure to sketch while seated bold upright.

The scene didn’t play out straight through. A series of close up shots were done as Teen Birdie struggled with her skate laces. Tracey Jane stepped in when it was time to block out the action and dialogue between the actresses. She had a vision of what she wanted to happen and just needed to be sure everyone was on the same page. Clear communication on an active, fast paced film set, is critical. Besides the drama unfolding in each scene being shot, the collaborative artistic drama behind the scenes is just as exciting.

A final scene unfolded when Teen Birdie’s mom, Grace (Audra Darbyshire) entered. She knew her daughter was upset and hoped she could reach out and help, but Birdie felt too crushed and sullen. She stormed off , leaving mom confused and heart broken. My sketch was a wrap and I decided I would not attempt a second pass at sketching the skate room, so I packed up my art supplies and quietly slipped out. I had a 30 mile drive back up to Yalaha which was itself an adventure, driving through some of the thickest fog I have ever experienced. I just had to trust there was a road ahead of me. When I got back to the studio at around 5am, I imagined that the film crew was probably still hard at work at the Semoran Skateway.

Snow Globe: Director’s Chair

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The film shoot for Snow Globe at the Semoran Skateway was going until late in the night. It would be past 5am before equipment would be packed back up.

At this point in the shoot, the two actresses, Grace Violla as Teen Birdie and Payton Hubert as Liv, Birdie’s best friend, were being shot skating around the rink.

Writer and director Tracey Jane was in the concessions area watching the shots on a monitor. Rather than a luxurious directors seat with a megaphone, she sat on  a humble packing crate. Most of the extras were also seated in the concessions area. These were die hard skaters who were itching to get back out on the rink. The rink house music was no longer playing and they just sat chatting at the tables. Interest waned since they couldn’t sit passively, and they started heading for the door. Each walked over the Step Down warning tape and past the Power Roll machine on their way to the exit. Tracey realized she was loosing her extras who wanted music and the rush of skating. There were other shots that required skaters in the background. There was no way stop the exodus.

The next shot that required extras had teen birdie fall and skaters rolled past her as if she didn’t exist. To accomplish this shot the few remaining extras simply roller skated in a tight circle around birdie and the camera. This kept the few remaining extras in the tight shots on birdie. The rink felt crowded on the monitor. That is movie magic right there.

Tracey Jane had two of her other short films at the Love Your Shorts Film Festival in Sanford, Florida. Those films are Life is Torture ( A Simply Medieval Musical) and The Heatbreak.  This was the Florida Premiere for both of those films. It seems to me Tracey Jane is on fire, and I am so happy I got to witness some of the creative magic first hand. I loved making my animated short film, but that was a solitary effort. Tracey works with a creative army and manages to keep all the demands and emotions of everyone involved in check. That is no small task.